NLM Cloud/System Engineer

Ripple Effect•Rockville, MD

7h•Onsite

About The Position

Ripple Effect is looking for an onsite Cloud Engineer with 6+ years of experience in designing and supporting secure and scalable cloud infrastructure to support our client's mission. The Cloud Engineer will play a pivotal role in supporting the National Library of Medicine (NLM)—a global leader in biomedical research and data science—in its efforts to accelerate biomedical discovery and improve public health through data-powered research. Serving as the senior technical expert, this role will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable, and high-performance cloud infrastructure across Azure, AWS, and GCP platforms. The engineer will support a wide range of initiatives, including scientific computing, data analytics, DevOps automation, and cybersecurity compliance. Ripple Effect offers a diverse and engaging work environment, with a multitude of incentives and flexible work options that work for you and your lifestyle.

Requirements

High School Diploma
At least 6 years of relevant professional experience
Experience in designing, developing, and deploying complex cloud infrastructures using Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Ability to architect and implement network infrastructure and technical solutions at scale
Experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, and Cloud Development Kit (CDK).
Understanding of monitoring and logging tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and the EFK stack.
Experience supporting cloud operations across SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS environments.
Proficiency in database technologies such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MS SQL, RDS, and ElasticSearch.
Knowledge and application of Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) and FedRAMP compliance requirements.
Ability to implement and manage firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and disaster recovery strategies.
Ability to provide technical support and guidance to development teams and stakeholders.
Experience using tools like JIRA, ServiceNow, and Confluence for issue tracking and documentation.
Strong communication skills for working in a highly technical environment and translating complex issues into plain language.
Ability to pay attention to details
Ability to clearly communicate
Ability to work independently
Eagerness to learn

Nice To Haves

Strong background in containerization and orchestration technologies including Docker, Kubernetes, Anthos, and OpenShift
Previous experience developing and maintaining System Security Plans (SSPs) and Authority to Operate (ATO) documentation
Experience using vulnerability scanning and penetration testing tools like Tenable, Prowler, OWASP ZAP, and Netspark.
Previous experience with NIH or NLM (highly desirable)

Responsibilities

Cloud Infrastructure Engineering: Design and deploy cloud-native and hybrid infrastructure solutions that meet performance, scalability, and security requirements. Architect and implement network infrastructure and technical solutions that support biomedical computing workloads.
DevOps & Automation: Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools such as GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, Kubernetes, and Ansible. Automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, Puppet, and CDK.
Security & Compliance: Integrate and enforce security best practices, including FISMA and FedRAMP compliance, into all cloud operations. Support the development and maintenance of Authority to Operate (ATO) documentation and System Security Plans (SSPs).
Monitoring & Performance Optimization: Implement and manage monitoring and logging solutions (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, EFK stack) to ensure system reliability and performance. Analyze cloud usage and cost models to optimize resource allocation and reduce operational expenses.
Collaboration & Documentation: Work closely with developers, system administrators, and cybersecurity teams to support application development and deployment. Maintain comprehensive documentation using tools like Confluence and JIRA.
Database & System Integration: Provide technical support for systems and database design, including integration of open-source software and cloud-native services. Administer databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and ElasticSearch.