Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps) (RDTE)

Bowhead is seeking a Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps) to join our team in Dahlgren, VA. The Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps) will assist with the entire hardware/software lifecycle, including planning and deployment. The successful candidate will bring a strong combination of software development expertise, cloud engineering experience, DevOps automation capabilities, and advanced technical troubleshooting skills. This individual will support the complete software development lifecycle while helping shape technical solutions, improve development practices, strengthen system reliability, and enhance operational efficiency. The ideal candidate is a technically versatile, solutions-oriented engineer who can independently assess complex challenges, recommend architectural improvements, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver secure, scalable, and reliable software solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

Software Engineering and Application Development

• Design, develop, maintain, and enhance secure, scalable, and high-performance web applications supporting mission-critical RDT&E operations.
• Contribute to software architecture and technical design decisions, emphasizing maintainability, reliability, performance, and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and maintain application functionality using modern programming languages and frameworks, including JavaScript and related full-stack technologies.
• Support the integration of applications with enterprise data sources, analytics platforms, reporting systems, and supporting infrastructure.
• Develop and execute comprehensive automated testing strategies, including unit, functional, integration, performance, and acceptance testing.
• Conduct code reviews, identify opportunities for optimization, and promote software engineering best practices.
• Diagnose and resolve complex application issues through systematic troubleshooting, debugging, and root-cause analysis.
• Identify opportunities to modernize legacy applications, streamline development processes, and improve overall software quality.

Cloud Engineering and Infrastructure Support

• Support the development, deployment, configuration, and maintenance of applications operating within Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues spanning application code, cloud infrastructure, networking, and supporting services.
• Evaluate cloud-hosted application performance, availability, security, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with infrastructure and cybersecurity teams to ensure applications are properly configured, secured, monitored, and maintained.
• Support Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), virtualization, and hybrid cloud solutions.
• Recommend improvements to cloud architectures, deployment strategies, and operational processes to enhance reliability and scalability.
• Assist with application and infrastructure lifecycle planning, deployment coordination, upgrades, and sustainment activities.
• DevOps, Automation, and Containerization
• Design, develop, maintain, and optimize Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using GitLab.
• Implement automation solutions that improve development efficiency, deployment consistency, and software delivery reliability.
• Support GitLab version control, repository management, pipeline configuration, and automated testing integration.
• Develop, configure, and maintain Helm charts supporting containerized application deployments.
• Support application deployment and troubleshooting within Docker and Kubernetes environments.
• Identify and resolve deployment failures, configuration inconsistencies, and pipeline performance issues.
• Implement secure configuration and secrets management practices utilizing HashiCorp Vault.
• Collaborate with development, operations, and cybersecurity personnel to strengthen DevSecOps practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Evaluate opportunities to reduce manual processes through scripting, automation, and improved engineering workflows.

Cybersecurity and Secure Software Development

• Incorporate security considerations throughout application design, development, testing, and deployment activities.
• Apply secure coding standards and development practices consistent with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements.
• Support vulnerability identification, remediation, code validation, and security testing activities.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity professionals to address application and infrastructure security concerns.
• Maintain awareness of security requirements affecting cloud-hosted applications, containerized environments, and software deployment processes.
• Support compliance documentation, audit readiness, and adherence to organizational security policies.
• Identify opportunities to improve security automation and strengthen the overall security posture of supported applications.

Technical Leadership and Customer Engagement

• Serve as a trusted technical resource and subject matter expert for software engineering, cloud deployment, and DevOps-related activities.
• Collaborate directly with government stakeholders, engineering personnel, system administrators, and cybersecurity teams to understand requirements and develop effective technical solutions.
• Provide informed recommendations regarding application architecture, deployment strategies, technical risks, and engineering improvements.
• Independently investigate complex technical challenges and develop practical, sustainable resolutions.
• Participate in technical planning sessions, design reviews, and discussions concerning system modernization and operational improvements.
• Mentor and share technical knowledge with other team members to promote consistent engineering practices and professional development.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, configuration procedures, troubleshooting guides, and standard operating procedures.
• Communicate technical findings, recommendations, and potential operational impacts clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Five to eight (5–8) years of relevant professional experience in software engineering, full-stack development, cloud engineering, DevOps, or closely related technical disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting enterprise-level web applications.
• Strong working knowledge of JavaScript and modern software development principles.
• Hands-on experience supporting applications or infrastructure within Microsoft Azure and/or AWS cloud environments.
• Demonstrated experience with GitLab, including version control, CI/CD pipeline development, configuration, optimization, and automation.
• Experience implementing automated software testing and validation processes.
• Working knowledge of containerized application deployment practices, including Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm.
• Experience with HashiCorp Vault or comparable secure secrets management technologies.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, application integration, and the software development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across software, infrastructure, and cloud environments.
• Understanding of secure coding principles, cybersecurity compliance requirements, and vulnerability remediation practices.
• Experience participating in technical design discussions and recommending improvements to application performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing technical priorities, and deliver solutions with limited supervision.
• Experience working directly with customers or technical stakeholders to assess requirements and resolve operational challenges.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written communication, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing applications using Vue.js, Python Flask, Java Spring, TypeScript, and HTML.
• Advanced experience configuring, administering, and troubleshooting Kubernetes environments.
• Experience developing and maintaining Helm charts for enterprise containerized applications.
• Experience designing or improving cloud-based application architectures within Azure or AWS.
• Experience supporting hybrid cloud environments, including on-premises infrastructure, virtualization, cloud identity management, and storage solutions.
• Familiarity with cloud monitoring, logging, observability, and performance optimization tools.
• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, routing, VPNs, VLANs, peering, and load balancing.
• Experience implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), configuration management, or infrastructure automation solutions.
• Experience integrating automated security testing and compliance validation into CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with DoD cybersecurity requirements, secure development environments, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes.
• Experience supporting software development and infrastructure operations within DoD, federal government, or other highly regulated environments.
• Demonstrated experience improving engineering processes, modernizing applications, or implementing technical automation initiatives.
• Relevant industry certifications in cloud engineering, software development, Kubernetes, DevOps, or cybersecurity.

Desired Professional Attributes:

• Technical Ownership: Takes responsibility for complex engineering challenges from initial assessment through resolution and implementation.
• Independent Problem-Solving: Possesses the technical judgment and confidence to investigate issues, evaluate alternatives, and recommend effective solutions.
• Engineering Leadership: Contributes to architectural discussions, promotes technical best practices, and shares knowledge with colleagues.
• Adaptability: Demonstrates proficiency across multiple technical disciplines and can respond effectively to evolving mission requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Proactively identifies opportunities to modernize systems, automate processes, and improve software delivery.
• Customer Focus: Understands the importance of mission requirements and maintains productive relationships with government stakeholders.
• Security Awareness: Consistently considers cybersecurity, compliance, and operational risk when developing and deploying technical solutions.
• Accountability: Demonstrates professionalism, initiative, attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering high-quality results.

Targeted salary range is $120,000 to $140,000 annually based on qualifications and experience.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds or more
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time
• Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to maintain a clearance at the Secret level and obtain a Top Secret Clearance. US Citizenship is a requirement for this contract.

Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Bowhead considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.

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