Principal Cloud Architect

Koniag Government Services, LLC•Washington, DC

17h•$170,000 - $230,000

About The Position

Koniag Technology Solutions, a Koniag Government Services company, is seeking a highly experienced Principal Cloud Architect to serve as the senior technical subject matter expert across Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This individual will provide overarching cloud architecture leadership, strategy, design, and governance across multi-cloud enterprise environments supporting our government customers. The ideal candidate is an accomplished technical visionary with a deep passion for cloud technologies, DevSecOps methodologies, and automation — committed to delivering secure, scalable, and highly available solutions across complex, multi-cloud ecosystems. This position requires an active Secret clearance at minimum, with Top Secret preferred. We offer competitive compensation and an extraordinary benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, 401K with company matching, flexible spending accounts, paid holidays, three weeks paid time off, and more. The Principal Cloud Architect will serve as the most senior technical authority for cloud architecture strategy, design, governance, and implementation across Azure, AWS, and GCP platforms. This individual will lead and mentor a team of cloud architects and engineers, drive enterprise-wide cloud adoption and modernization initiatives, and ensure alignment of multi-cloud solutions with organizational security requirements and government compliance standards. Principal responsibilities will include but are not limited to: Serve as the senior technical subject matter expert (SME) and authority for multi-cloud architecture strategy, design, governance, and support across Azure, AWS, and GCP enterprise environments. Define and drive enterprise-wide cloud architecture standards, best practices, and governance frameworks across all three major cloud platforms. Design and implement security-driven multi-cloud enterprise architectures, including enterprise systems, service-oriented architectures (SOA), microservices, and interoperability frameworks. Provide senior architectural expertise in the design of services and systems supporting customer applications across multiple cloud platforms, including service specifications, integration specifications, and associated DevSecOps models. Lead the evaluation, selection, and adoption of cloud platforms, tools, and technologies to best meet mission and business requirements. Architect high-performing, flexible, scalable, and highly available enterprise systems leveraging Cloud Native and Hybrid Cloud architectures across Azure, AWS, and GCP. Oversee and guide the development and implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools such as HashiCorp Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Google Cloud Deployment Manager, and/or Azure Resource Manager (ARM) across non-containerized and containerized environments. Provide strategic direction for the build and maintenance of fully automated CI/CD pipelines across multiple platforms, including Azure DevOps, AWS CodePipeline, Google Cloud Build, and GitLab CI. Establish and enforce cloud security best practices, leveraging native security tools across Azure Security Center, AWS Security Hub, and Google Cloud Security Command Center. Lead the identification of constraints and bottlenecks across engineering lifecycles and drive the implementation of automation solutions to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort. Translate complex multi-cloud system and component architectures into clear, concise presentations and documentation for executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders. Foster and champion a culture of collaboration, transparency, innovation, and automation across technical teams and the broader organization. Operate within and champion Agile development environments, applying methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and Test-Driven Development (TDD). Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to cloud architects, engineers, and DevSecOps teams across all cloud platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, program managers, and government customers to ensure cloud architecture aligns with mission objectives, security requirements, and compliance frameworks. Develop and maintain enterprise cloud architecture roadmaps, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and emerging cloud technologies. Lead cloud cost optimization strategies and governance initiatives across multi-cloud environments. Drive the adoption of Zero Trust Architecture principles and ensure compliance with federal security frameworks such as FedRAMP and NIST 800-53. Education and Experience: Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field from an accredited college or university. At least 15 years of experience providing technical and/or management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments involving DevSecOps and technical architectures. At least 7 years of hands-on experience architecting and designing enterprise solutions across two or more of the major cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP). At least 5 years of experience in a senior or principal architect role, leading multi-cloud architecture strategy and governance across enterprise programs. At least 5 years of experience developing DevSecOps solutions, including Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD Pipelines, and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, and/or Python). One or more of the following required certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) AWS Certified Developer – Associate Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer Active Secret Clearance or higher. Desired: Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. One or more of the following desired certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer. Required Skills and Competencies: Exceptional communication skills in English — both written and oral — with the ability to effectively communicate complex multi-cloud technical concepts to executive leadership, government stakeholders, and non-technical audiences. Demonstrated hands-on experience architecting and scaling flexible, highly available, and secure enterprise systems across Azure, AWS, and/or GCP. Deep expertise in Cloud Native and Hybrid Cloud architectures across multiple major cloud platforms. Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code development using HashiCorp Terraform and one or more platform-native IaC tools (ARM Templates, AWS CloudFormation, Google Cloud Deployment Manager). Experience building and managing fully automated CI/CD pipelines using platform-native and third-party toolsets such as Azure DevOps, AWS CodePipeline, Google Cloud Build, or GitLab CI. Strong scripting skills in one or more languages including PowerShell, Bash, and/or Python for automation, deployment, and infrastructure management. Extensive experience with enterprise-level multi-cloud architecture, including service-oriented architectures, microservices, and interoperability frameworks. Proven ability to define and enforce cloud governance frameworks, architecture standards, and security best practices across multi-cloud environments. Proven ability to identify engineering lifecycle bottlenecks and implement automation-driven solutions at an enterprise scale. Experience working in Agile development environments, specifically utilizing Scrum, Kanban, and Test-Driven Development (TDD) methodologies. Ability to design and communicate complex multi-cloud system and component architectures in simple, clear language for diverse audiences including executive leadership. Experience with Zero Trust Architecture principles and federal security compliance frameworks (e.g., FedRAMP, NIST 800-53). Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and growing teams of cloud architects and engineers. Commitment to building a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement through automation and innovation. Desired Skills and Competencies: Experience working in a federal government IT environment. Hands-on experience across all three major cloud platforms: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Professional or expert-level certifications across two or more major cloud platforms (see desired certifications above). Experience with multi-cloud management and governance platforms such as HashiCorp Terraform Cloud, Prisma Cloud, or comparable tools. Familiarity with containerized environments and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes, Amazon EKS, Azure AKS, or Google GKE. Experience with additional CI/CD toolsets such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or comparable pipeline tools. Experience with cloud-native security services across platforms, including Azure Security Center, AWS Security Hub, Google Cloud Security Command Center, and Cloud Armor. Familiarity with additional IaC tools such as Ansible or Pulumi. Knowledge of single sign-on (SSO) concepts using SAML and OAuth2, including integrations across Azure Active Directory, AWS IAM Identity Center, and Google Cloud Identity. Experience with multi-account and multi-project cloud organization strategies, including AWS Organizations, Azure Management Groups, and GCP Organization hierarchies. Familiarity with FinOps principles and cloud cost optimization strategies across multi-cloud environments. Experience with cloud-native data and analytics services across platforms, including Azure Synapse, AWS Redshift, and Google BigQuery. Experience with service mesh technologies and API gateway solutions in multi-cloud environments. Our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: The company is an equal opportunity employer. The company shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity (except where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification), national origin or ancestry, age, disability, citizenship, military/veteran status, marital status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to equal employment opportunity in all decisions related to employment, promotion, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment. The company is dedicated to seeking all qualified applicants. If you require an accommodation to navigate or to apply to a position on our website, please contact Heaven Wood via e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 703-488-9377 to request accommodations. Koniag Government Services (KGS) is an Alaska Native Owned corporation supporting the values and traditions of our native communities through an agile employee and corporate culture that delivers Enterprise Solutions, Professional Services and Operational Management to Federal Government Agencies. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, we apply our proven commercial solutions to a deep knowledge of Defense and Civilian missions to provide forward leaning technical, professional, and operational solutions. KGS enables successful mission outcomes for our customers through solution-oriented business partnerships and a commitment to exceptional service delivery. We ensure long-term success with a continuous improvement approach while balancing the collective interests of our customers, employees, and native communities. For more information, please visit www.koniag-gs.com. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. Shareholder Preference in accordance with Public Law 88-352

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
At least 15 years of experience providing technical and/or management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments involving DevSecOps and technical architectures.
At least 7 years of hands-on experience architecting and designing enterprise solutions across two or more of the major cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).
At least 5 years of experience in a senior or principal architect role, leading multi-cloud architecture strategy and governance across enterprise programs.
At least 5 years of experience developing DevSecOps solutions, including Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD Pipelines, and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, and/or Python).
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) OR AWS Certified Developer – Associate OR Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer
Active Secret Clearance or higher.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect
Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer.
Experience working in a federal government IT environment.
Hands-on experience across all three major cloud platforms: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Professional or expert-level certifications across two or more major cloud platforms.
Experience with multi-cloud management and governance platforms such as HashiCorp Terraform Cloud, Prisma Cloud, or comparable tools.
Familiarity with containerized environments and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes, Amazon EKS, Azure AKS, or Google GKE.
Experience with additional CI/CD toolsets such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or comparable pipeline tools.
Experience with cloud-native security services across platforms, including Azure Security Center, AWS Security Hub, Google Cloud Security Command Center, and Cloud Armor.
Familiarity with additional IaC tools such as Ansible or Pulumi.
Knowledge of single sign-on (SSO) concepts using SAML and OAuth2, including integrations across Azure Active Directory, AWS IAM Identity Center, and Google Cloud Identity.
Experience with multi-account and multi-project cloud organization strategies, including AWS Organizations, Azure Management Groups, and GCP Organization hierarchies.
Familiarity with FinOps principles and cloud cost optimization strategies across multi-cloud environments.
Experience with cloud-native data and analytics services across platforms, including Azure Synapse, AWS Redshift, and Google BigQuery.
Experience with service mesh technologies and API gateway solutions in multi-cloud environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior technical subject matter expert (SME) and authority for multi-cloud architecture strategy, design, governance, and support across Azure, AWS, and GCP enterprise environments.
Define and drive enterprise-wide cloud architecture standards, best practices, and governance frameworks across all three major cloud platforms.
Design and implement security-driven multi-cloud enterprise architectures, including enterprise systems, service-oriented architectures (SOA), microservices, and interoperability frameworks.
Provide senior architectural expertise in the design of services and systems supporting customer applications across multiple cloud platforms, including service specifications, integration specifications, and associated DevSecOps models.
Lead the evaluation, selection, and adoption of cloud platforms, tools, and technologies to best meet mission and business requirements.
Architect high-performing, flexible, scalable, and highly available enterprise systems leveraging Cloud Native and Hybrid Cloud architectures across Azure, AWS, and GCP.
Oversee and guide the development and implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools such as HashiCorp Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Google Cloud Deployment Manager, and/or Azure Resource Manager (ARM) across non-containerized and containerized environments.
Provide strategic direction for the build and maintenance of fully automated CI/CD pipelines across multiple platforms, including Azure DevOps, AWS CodePipeline, Google Cloud Build, and GitLab CI.
Establish and enforce cloud security best practices, leveraging native security tools across Azure Security Center, AWS Security Hub, and Google Cloud Security Command Center.
Lead the identification of constraints and bottlenecks across engineering lifecycles and drive the implementation of automation solutions to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort.
Translate complex multi-cloud system and component architectures into clear, concise presentations and documentation for executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
Foster and champion a culture of collaboration, transparency, innovation, and automation across technical teams and the broader organization.
Operate within and champion Agile development environments, applying methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and Test-Driven Development (TDD).
Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to cloud architects, engineers, and DevSecOps teams across all cloud platforms.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, program managers, and government customers to ensure cloud architecture aligns with mission objectives, security requirements, and compliance frameworks.
Develop and maintain enterprise cloud architecture roadmaps, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and emerging cloud technologies.
Lead cloud cost optimization strategies and governance initiatives across multi-cloud environments.
Drive the adoption of Zero Trust Architecture principles and ensure compliance with federal security frameworks such as FedRAMP and NIST 800-53.