A new opportunity is available for a DevOps/QA Engineer to support the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). This is a regular full-time position requiring a Public Trust clearance and US Citizenship. While the role is remote, occasional onsite visits are required for key personnel to support collaboration and program delivery. The salary range is $130,000–$145,000/year.

This critical role is responsible for supporting the development, deployment, and continuous improvement of secure, scalable, and high-performing applications. The work combines expertise in DevOps automation, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), and Quality Assurance (QA) testing to ensure reliable and compliant systems in NICHD’s hybrid (on-prem and Azure cloud) environment.

Key Responsibilities

This position balances two primary functions: automation and quality assurance, with a strong focus on federal compliance.

1. DevOps Responsibilities:

• CI/CD Pipeline Management: Design, implement, and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins.
• Automation & IaC: Develop and manage Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform, ARM templates, or PowerShell DSC to automate deployments for both cloud and on-premises environments.
• Containerization: Assist with containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes (AKS preferred).
• Security & Compliance (DevSecOps): Implement security controls and ensure strict compliance with FISMA/NIST 800-53 policies. This includes working on patching, vulnerability scans, and ATO documentation (SA&A, POA&M).
• Monitoring: Monitor infrastructure health and performance using tools like Splunk, SQL Profiler, and Oracle OEM.

2. QA Responsibilities:

• Testing: Develop and execute automated and manual test scripts to validate application functionality, performance, and security.
• Test Integration: Integrate automated testing into the CI/CD pipelines to enforce quality gates and ensure high test coverage.
• Specialized Testing: Support cross-browser and accessibility testing for NICHD websites and applications.
• Agile Collaboration: Collaborate with developers and analysts to validate user stories and acceptance criteria, track bugs using JIRA or Azure DevOps Boards, and participate in Agile ceremonies.

Required Experience and Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of specialized experience supporting hybrid cloud environments.

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a technical field and 3–5 years of experience in a DevOps, QA, or systems engineering role.
• Automation Tools: Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps) and hands-on experience with test automation tools (e.g., Selenium, Postman, JMeter).
• Cloud & Containers: Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure preferred), containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Kubernetes).
• Monitoring: Understanding of infrastructure monitoring tools (Splunk, SQL Profiler, Oracle OEM).
• Federal Compliance: Deep knowledge of FISMA/NIST 800-53, security best practices, and federal compliance processes (e.g., ATO, SA&A, POA&M).

Nice-to-Haves include Azure certifications (e.g., Azure DevOps Engineer Associate), familiarity with federal agencies (NIH/HHS), ITIL practices, and accessibility testing exposure (aXe, WAVE, JAWS).

Company Culture and Benefits

The employer offers a competitive total compensation package, including:

• Professional Development: $3,000 annual investment in professional development and training.
• Retirement: A Fidelity-managed 401(k) plan with a 3% company match.
• Time Off: 15 days of PTO annually and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Bonuses: Discretionary quarterly bonuses for outstanding contributions.
• Benefits: Excellent medical, dental, and vision programs.