The DevOps Engineer (Development Lead) provides a reliable, highly available platform that orchestrates the microservices of a modernized operational system using cutting-edge technologies. The contractor leads sprint planning and team tasking, drives infrastructure technical direction, and owns CI/CD pipeline management and cloud infrastructure cost optimization.
This is a senior individual-contributor and team-lead role requiring strong Agile execution discipline, AWS architecture depth, and the ability to communicate and collaborate across engineering and program stakeholder communities.
Key Responsibilities
AWS Infrastructure Architecture & IaC
• Architect, build, and maintain AWS infrastructure including EC2, Lambda, S3, SNS, SQS, EventBridge, Athena, and Step Functions using Terraform with auto-scaling.
• Develop Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and scripting to automate tasks, provision managed services, and build internal tooling using Python, Ansible, and Terraform.
• Apply AWS networking principles including VPCs, NAT gateways, and IP gateways to design secure, segmented environments.
• Evaluate infrastructure costs iteratively; recommend and implement cost-savings measures to reduce AWS service spend and maintenance burden.
Containerization & Orchestration
• Install, configure, performance-tune, and operate Kubernetes environments with focus on EKS, ECS, and/or Fargate.
• Manage containerized workloads using Docker and Docker Compose across the microservices architecture.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure issues and ensure system uptime and availability for mission-critical operational systems.
• Collaborate with development teams to optimize application performance and reliability in containerized environments.
CI/CD Pipeline Management
• Develop and manage GitLab CI/CD pipelines to automate build, test, and deployment processes.
• Implement and maintain Argo CD for GitOps-based continuous delivery workflows.
• Track ticket execution and drive technical direction of infrastructure to align with program and product needs.
• Perform high-level functional systems analysis, design, integration, documentation, cost analysis, and complex issue resolution
Agile Team Leadership & Sprint Execution
• Decompose sprint priorities and generate tickets aligned with internal team priorities and program objectives.
• Manage team tasking and sprint workloads; keep the team on task and executing in an orchestrated manner.
• Participate in all Agile ceremonies: sprint planning, stand-ups, refinement, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Communicate and collaborate with engineers, product owners, and program stakeholders across the program.
Requirements
• Extensive experience architecting and managing AWS infrastructure using Terraform and IaC practices
• Strong background in containerization and orchestration: Kubernetes (EKS, ECS, Fargate), Docker, Docker Compose
• Experience developing and managing GitLab CI/CD pipelines and Argo CD GitOps workflows
• Proficiency in DevOps scripting languages: Python, Ansible, Terraform
• Experience performing high-level systems analysis, design, integration, documentation, and cost analysis
• Experience managing sprint workloads and driving team technical direction in an Agile environment
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with engineers, product owners, and program stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
Two or more of the following:
• AWS services depth: EC2, Lambda, S3, SNS, SQS, EventBridge, Athena, Step Functions with auto-scaling
• AWS networking: VPCs, NAT gateways, IP gateways, and network segmentation design
• GitLab CI/CD pipeline design and deployment automation
• Application performance and reliability optimization in collaboration with development teams
• Infrastructure troubleshooting and system uptime management for mission-critical environments
• Kubernetes advanced operations with EKS, ECS, and/or Fargate focus
• Cloud infrastructure cost optimization and AWS spend reduction strategies
Certification
• Current DoD 8140 (CWIP) certification — must be active prior to start
Education
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in a related discipline
• OR Master's degree and 10 years of professional experience
• OR equivalent combi
ned education and experience (12 or more years of professional experience)
Clearance Requirements
• Active TS/SCI clearance with Full Scope Polygraph (FSP) — must be active prior to start
• CI Polygraph within the last 7 years — must be active prior to start
About Us. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Marshall, VA, ALEX - Alternative Experts, LLC (ALEX) is an ISO 9001:2015-certified Women Owned Small Business that's changing the way government does business by delivering a powerful, industry-leading array of core services to help its clients achieve mission-critical objectives. ALEX provides a variety of benefits designed to help meet the needs of our employees. See a summary of ALEX's Employee Benefits for more information.
ALEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of the job.
In order to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, we reasonably believe the pay range for this position is between $175,000 - $195,000. Multiple factors are taken into account with any offer of employment by ALEX, including experience, education, and skills.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to allow employees to meet the essential functions of the job unless those accommodations cause undue hardships to the employer. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the Human Resources Department at hr@alexinc.com.