Cloud Operations Engineer

Position Summary

Effectual Cloud Operations Engineers are members of the Public Sector Program Management team responsible for ensuring that customer-facing projects are delivered with exceptional customer satisfaction and technical excellence. Effectual Cloud Operations Engineers are “Brand Ambassadors” and are expected to stay current on leading practices to deliver high-quality, well-conceived solutions to customers.

A Glimpse into the Daily Routine of a Cloud Operations Engineer

Engage in cross-functional collaboration to modernize and maintain a cloud platform. Manage, optimize, and maintain cloud-based resources while also leading or assisting in the migration of applications and data to the cloud. This role plays a crucial part in ensuring the availability, security, and performance of cloud resources and applications. Monitor and maintain cloud infrastructure, addressing application issues, planning, and executing migrations, ensuring security and compliance, optimizing performance, testing backup and disaster recovery procedures, automating tasks, updating documentation, collaborating with teams, and possibly participating in on-call support for critical issues outside regular working hours. Stay updated on cloud technologies and industry best practices.

Responsibilities

·       Operations and Maintenance (O&M) - monitor, maintain, and optimize cloud infrastructure, including virtual machines, databases, storage, and networking components to ensure reliability and scalability

·       Plan and execute the migration of applications and data from on-premises environments to the cloud. Assess application compatibility, dependencies, and performance in the cloud

·       Implement and enforce security best practices, staying updated on security threats and vulnerabilities, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements during migrations

·       Continuously optimize cloud resources and applications for cost-effectiveness and performance. Monitor resource utilization and apply scaling strategies when necessary

·       Develop and implement backup and disaster recovery plans for cloud-based applications. Regularly test and validate disaster recovery procedures

·       Automate routine tasks and processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention. Utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation tools for cloud infrastructure management

·       Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve issues related to cloud infrastructure and applications, providing support to internal teams and end-users during migrations

·       Maintain detailed documentation of cloud configurations, application migrations, and operational procedures to ensure accurate record-keeping and knowledge sharing

·       Collaborate with DevOps, development teams, and stakeholders to facilitate seamless application deployments in the cloud. Work closely with application owners and stakeholders during migration projects

·       Stay updated with emerging cloud technologies, industry trends, and best practices in cloud computing and data management

·       Continuously evaluate and recommend improvements to cloud infrastructure, processes, and tools to enhance efficiency, performance, and scalability

Qualifications

·       Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in related discipline AND

·       Minimum Experience: 4 years’ including a cloud certification OR

·       Substitution/Alternative to Minimum Education and Experience: Must have at least 6 years of on-the-job experience

·       Be able to work remotely but, be able to go on-site as requested and/or occasionally with potentially some form of post-pandemic cadence, on-site in Washington DC

·       AWS Associate and/or Professional Certifications – SysOps, Solutions Architect, and/or DevOps

·       Must be a US Citizen

·       Strong understanding of Linux and Window OS

·       Proven on-call/rotational/after-hours support experience, with a focus on O&M including outages, escalations, etc.

·       Experience in monitoring, system performance data collection and analysis, and reporting

·       Strong understanding of AWS cloud, including core services and infrastructure components

·       Demonstrated expertise in successfully migrating applications to the cloud

·       Strong knowledge of cloud management tools and services

·       Proficiency in scripting and automation using languages like Python, PowerShell, or Bash

·       Experience with infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible

·       Understanding of cloud security principles and best practices

·       Familiarity with containerization and orchestration technologies

·       Deep understanding of networking, security, and cloud best practices

·       Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve cloud infrastructure and data-related issues

·       Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams

·       Continuous learning mindset to stay updated with emerging cloud technologies and industry trends

·       Demonstrable knowledge of Agile / Scrum SDLC methodologies

·       Ability to work with multiple clients, in parallel

·       Ability to work Eastern Standard Time Zone schedule

Nice-to-Have Skills and Experience

·       Active Clearance or Public Trust (DOJ Preferred)

·       AWS Professional or Specialty Certifications

·       Multi-cloud expertise

·       Container orchestration knowledge (e.g., Kubernetes)

·       Serverless computing experience

·       Advanced network security skills

·       Proficiency in cloud database management

·       Advanced scripting abilities

·       Cloud cost management expertise

·       DevOps Practices (CI/CD, Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps)

·       Database Administration (Performance Tuning, Backup/Recovery, Upgrades)

Location: Remote

Travel Requirements

The travel requirements for this position may vary depending on our needs. You should be prepared to travel domestically as necessary. Travel frequency and duration will be communicated in advance, allowing for proper planning and coordination. Typically, travel may include attending conferences, client meetings, training sessions, and other business-related events. The ability to travel is essential for fulfilling the responsibilities of this role and supporting our organization’s goals and objectives.

Company Offered Benefits

Full-time employees are eligible to participate in our employee benefit programs:

• Medical, dental, and vision health insurances,
• Short term disability, long term disability and life insurances,
• 401k with Company match
• Paid time off (PTO) (120 hours PTO that accrue over one year)
• Paid time off for major holidays (14 days per year)
• These and any other employee benefit offerings are subject to management’s discretion and may change at any time.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work is generally performed in an office environment.  Physical demands include sitting, keyboarding, verbal communication, written communication.  Employees are occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. 

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended anytime at the sole discretion of the Employer. Duties and responsibilities are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship. Effectual Inc. is an EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected classification in its hiring, promoting, or any other job-related opportunity.