AIS (Applied Information Sciences), an employee-owned company focused on federal defense and intelligence missions, is seeking a Cloud Engineer. This individual will be a key member of a cross-functional team, responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable, and resilient cloud-based solutions specifically aligned with Zero Trust, DevSecOps, and DoD Cloud Smart principles.

This is an Onsite, full-time position, and candidates must be based in the DC Metro area (Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, or Maryland).

Role Summary and Defense Technology Mandate

This role is central to modernizing DoD environments and delivering secure, cost-effective digital engineering platforms for the warfighter. The engineer will leverage deep technical expertise to deploy, integrate, and optimize mission systems across secure federal cloud environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Cloud Architecture & Design: Develop and document cloud reference architectures aligned to DoD and federal strategies. Design resilient solutions (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) across environments including Azure Government, AWS GovCloud, DoD IL5/6, and JWCC.
• Containerization: Leverage containerization and orchestration technologies (Kubernetes, AKS, EKS, OpenShift) for secure, portable deployments.
• Engineering & Automation: Build Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform, Bicep, or CloudFormation. Implement CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins) for automated testing and deployment.
• AI/ML Integration: Integrate AI/ML and data platform services into cloud architectures to enable advanced analytics and digital engineering.
• Security & Compliance: Apply DoD Zero Trust principles and STIG compliance to cloud workloads. Ensure compliance with FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and DISA SRG controls, supporting Authority to Operate (ATO) processes through RMF documentation and validation.
• Operations: Monitor and optimize cloud performance, cost, and availability. Troubleshoot complex issues across networking, compute, storage, and security domains.

Required Experience and Technical Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a mission-driven cloud professional with a foundation in engineering, significant experience with IaC, and the necessary DoD clearance and security certifications.

• Experience (Required): 3–7 years in cloud engineering, architecture, or DevSecOps roles.
• Clearance: Active DoD Secret clearance (minimum), with the ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret/SCI if required.
• Certifications: CompTia Security+ certification required.
• Cloud Expertise: Hands-on experience with Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud; familiarity with federal cloud environments is preferred.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Proficiency in tools such as Terraform, Bicep, and CloudFormation.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of DoD security frameworks, including RMF, DISA SRGs, and Zero Trust principles. Strong foundation in networking, security, identity, and access management.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.

Desired Qualifications (Bonus Points):

• Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) or Azure/AWS Solutions Architect certifications.
• Experience supporting DoD digital engineering initiatives (e.g., Model-Based Systems Engineering).
• Experience with data platforms and analytics services (Databricks, Synapse, Redshift).
• Familiarity with container security and automated compliance frameworks.