Associate Cloud DevOps Engineer - Direct College Hire

Southwest Airlines • Dallas, TX

3d • $89,450 - $99,400 • Remote

About The Position

Our Technology Direct College Hire Program is a pathway for early-career technology professionals with up to two years of professional experience, including recent college graduates ready to begin the next chapter of their careers. Through this program you’ll receive hands-on experience, mentorship, professional development, and networking opportunities, you'll build meaningful connections, strengthen your technical skills, and gain the experience needed for long-term success. We're currently hiring for cohorts beginning in January, June, and August 2027.

As an Associate Cloud DevOps Engineer joining our Direct College Hire program, you'll support the platforms and tools that enable software engineering across Southwest Airlines. This Team manages tools such as GitLab, SonarQube, and Nexus, helping engineers work more efficiently while maintaining engineering standards across the Company. You'll work with cloud technologies, automation, and AI-powered development capabilities that are helping define the future of software engineering at Southwest by bringing AI-powered development capabilities to thousands of engineers across the Company. The Candidate selected for this role will support the Business of IT Platforms Team.

Requirements

• Knowledge of the AWS Infrastructure as a Service Automation tools like Cloud Formation
• Knowledge of AWS compute, data sources, security technologies
• Knowledge of infrastructure-as-code (IAC)
• Ability to manage and learn new technologies/services/features
• Ability to partner and communicate with various Technology Teams
• Ability to work effectively in a strong Customer service / team-oriented environment
• Ability to take on multiple assignments, whether administrative or project related, while maintaining a successful level of completion in all responsible work
• Ability to prioritize effectively
• Ability to develop, present and effectively communicate ideas to a variety of audiences
• Required: High School Diploma or GED
• Required: Bachelor's Degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or related field; or equivalent formal training
• Required: Entry-level experience; developing skills and knowledge in Cloud software or DevOps
• Ability to perform work duties from [limited space work station/desk/office area] for extended periods of time
• Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
• Ability to use a computer and other productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job
• Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be able to travel and / or attend Company and non-Company facilities and remote locations such as remote-based offices as necessary

Nice To Haves

• Intermediate level experience, fully functioning broad knowledge in: Programming languages such as Node.js, Java, JavaScript, C#, or Python
• AWS cloud services and concepts, including Lambda, S3, Fargate, DynamoDB, EventBridge, ECS, Kinesis, and SQS
• DevOps practices and CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) concepts
• Generative AI concepts and foundational understanding
• API development, integration, and service-based architectures
• Continuous integration tools such as Jenkins, TeamCity, Bamboo, or Azure DevOps/TFS
• Version control and automation tools such as Git, Bitbucket (Stash), Nexus, Gradle, and YAML-based configuration management
• Agile or Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodologies
• Applying systems thinking to solve complex and ambiguous business or technical challenges
• Building strong relationships and establishing trust across cross-functional teams and stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Operate in a DevOps culture and team, responsible for architecture, design, development, implementation, and ongoing operations of new and emerging technology platforms
• Implement automation tools for automatic code deployment (CI/CD)
• Develop and evolve cloud infrastructure
• Follow procedures and standards to ensure high quality and quantity of work
• Follow prioritization processes to drive work and has a sense of urgency about getting work completed
• Meet with stakeholders as requested by leaders to listen and gather requirements that address business challenges and opportunities
• Build knowledge in cloud infrastructure, performing design reviews and consulting with your team and mentor to learn design best practices
• Learn about business continuity and disaster recovery processes
• Participate in system and acceptance testing to ensure that systems are functionally appropriate, technically sound, and well-integrated
• Test and implement system and enhancements using techniques that preserve system integrity
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders

Benefits

• Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
• Southwest will help fund your 401(k) retirement savings with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings
• Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit
• Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)
• Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED