Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Empower AI is an organization focused on providing AI solutions for government, particularly for federal agencies. The Cloud Engineer role is a senior technical position responsible for architecting, implementing, and managing cloud infrastructure to support U.S. Army IT managed services, ensuring secure and efficient operations across hybrid IT environments.
Responsibilities
- Design, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure on FedRAMP-authorized platforms (AWS GovCloud, Microsoft Azure Government, Google Cloud for Government) supporting Army workloads
- Lead technical execution of cloud migration efforts including workload assessment, lift-and-shift operations, re-platforming, and cloud-native refactoring
- Support on-premises infrastructure environments including servers, storage, networking, and virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V) as part of hybrid cloud operations
- Develop and enforce cloud governance policies covering IAM, resource provisioning guardrails, tagging standards, and cost controls
- Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Bicep, or equivalent tools to automate provisioning and configuration management
- Maintain high availability, disaster recovery (DR), and business continuity plans (BCP) for both cloud and data center environments
- Oversee hybrid network connectivity including SD-WAN, AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, and VPN solutions between on-premises and cloud environments
- Monitor infrastructure performance and security posture using tools such as CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Splunk, or similar SIEM/observability platforms
- Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement NIST 800-53 controls, continuous monitoring (ConMon), RMF processes, and FedRAMP compliance requirements
- Support FinOps practices including cloud cost analysis, rightsizing recommendations, and budget reporting for reimbursable IT programs
- Provide technical documentation including architecture diagrams, runbooks, migration playbooks, and system security plans (SSPs)
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to workforce upskilling as the organization transitions to cloud-first operations
Skills
- 5–8 years of hands-on cloud engineering experience, with demonstrated involvement in cloud migration or enterprise IT modernization programs
- CompTIA Security+ CE certification — required (DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II compliant)
- Active cloud certification required, such as: AWS Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional), Microsoft Azure Administrator or Solutions Architect, or Google Professional Cloud Architect
- Active DoD Secret Clearance — required at time of hire
- Experience on at least one FedRAMP-authorized cloud platform (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or Google Cloud for Government)
- Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, or equivalent)
- Strong understanding of networking fundamentals: BGP, VLANs, SD-WAN, firewall policy, and hybrid cloud connectivity
- Experience with virtualization and container technologies including VMware, Kubernetes, and Docker
- Knowledge of NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, RMF, and DoD cloud security requirements
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field required. Relevant certifications and DoD cloud engineering experience may be considered in lieu of a portion of the education requirement
- Familiarity with cARMY cloud enclaves or Army Enterprise Data Center (AEDC) environments
- Experience with DISA STIGs, DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (CC SRG), or IL4/IL5 authorization processes
- Knowledge of cloud financial management (FinOps) practices in a government or reimbursable services context
- Prior experience supporting data center decommissioning and asset retirement within a federal agency
- Experience with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles and cloud-native security tooling (e.g., AWS Security Hub, Microsoft Defender for Cloud)
- Additional certifications such as CCNA, CISSP, or CompTIA Cloud+ are a plus
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and retirement.
- Remote work flexibility with local on-site option for Roanoke / Radford area candidates.
- Certification reimbursement and professional development support.
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