Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps)

Bowhead•Dahlgren, VA

2d•$120,000 - $140,000

About The Position

Bowhead is seeking a Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps) to join its team in Dahlgren, Virginia. The role supports the full hardware and software lifecycle, from planning through deployment, and contributes to secure, scalable, and reliable software solutions for mission-critical RDT&E operations. The engineer supports the software development lifecycle, helps shape technical solutions, improves development practices, strengthens system reliability, and enhances operational efficiency. The position calls for a technically versatile, solutions-oriented engineer who can assess complex challenges, recommend architectural improvements, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams. The engineer designs, develops, maintains, and enhances enterprise web applications; contributes to architecture and technical design; integrates applications with data sources and supporting systems; and implements automated testing and secure coding practices. The role also supports application deployment and operations in Microsoft Azure and/or AWS, including cloud infrastructure, hybrid environments, lifecycle planning, and troubleshooting. The position designs and maintains GitLab CI/CD pipelines and automation, supports container deployments using Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm, and applies secure secrets management with HashiCorp Vault. It incorporates cybersecurity practices across development and deployment, supports vulnerability remediation and compliance activities, and collaborates with government stakeholders, engineering personnel, system administrators, and cybersecurity teams. The engineer also provides technical recommendations, investigates complex problems, mentors colleagues, and maintains technical documentation and procedures. The targeted salary range is $120,000 to $140,000 annually, based on qualifications and experience. The role is based in Dahlgren, Virginia. The employee must be able to maintain a Secret clearance and obtain a Top Secret clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for the contract.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Five to eight years of relevant professional experience in software engineering, full-stack development, cloud engineering, DevOps, or a closely related discipline.
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 in Microsoft Azure and/or AWS.
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.
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.
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.
Must be able to maintain a Secret clearance and obtain a Top Secret clearance.
U.S. citizenship is required for this contract.

Nice To Haves

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 in 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, 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 processes.
Experience supporting software development and infrastructure operations in 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.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, maintain, and enhance secure, scalable, high-performance web applications supporting mission-critical RDT&E operations.
Contribute to software architecture and technical design decisions, emphasizing maintainability, reliability, performance, and sustainability.
Develop and maintain application functionality using JavaScript and related full-stack technologies.
Integrate applications with enterprise data sources, analytics platforms, reporting systems, and supporting infrastructure.
Develop and execute automated unit, functional, integration, performance, and acceptance testing.
Conduct code reviews, identify optimization opportunities, and promote software engineering best practices.
Diagnose and resolve application issues through troubleshooting, debugging, and root-cause analysis.
Identify opportunities to modernize legacy applications, streamline development processes, and improve software quality.
Support development, deployment, configuration, and maintenance of applications in Microsoft Azure and AWS environments.
Troubleshoot 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 configure, secure, monitor, and maintain applications.
Support IaaS, virtualization, and hybrid cloud solutions.
Recommend improvements to cloud architectures, deployment strategies, and operational processes.
Assist with application and infrastructure lifecycle planning, deployment coordination, upgrades, and sustainment.
Design, develop, maintain, and optimize GitLab CI/CD pipelines and automation solutions.
Support GitLab version control, repository management, pipeline configuration, and integration of automated testing.
Develop, configure, and maintain Helm charts for containerized deployments.
Support application deployment and troubleshooting in Docker and Kubernetes environments.
Resolve deployment failures, configuration inconsistencies, and pipeline performance issues.
Implement secure configuration and secrets management using HashiCorp Vault.
Collaborate with development, operations, and cybersecurity personnel to strengthen DevSecOps practices.
Reduce manual processes through scripting, automation, and improved engineering workflows.
Incorporate security throughout application design, development, testing, and deployment.
Apply secure coding practices consistent with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements.
Support vulnerability identification, remediation, code validation, and security testing.
Collaborate with cybersecurity professionals on application and infrastructure security concerns.
Support compliance documentation, audit readiness, and adherence to organizational security policies.
Identify opportunities to improve security automation and strengthen application security posture.
Serve as a technical resource and subject matter expert for software engineering, cloud deployment, and DevOps activities.
Collaborate with government stakeholders and technical teams to understand requirements and develop solutions.
Recommend application architecture, deployment strategies, technical risk mitigations, and engineering improvements.
Independently investigate complex technical challenges and develop practical, sustainable resolutions.
Participate in technical planning, design reviews, modernization, and operational improvement discussions.
Mentor colleagues and share technical knowledge 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 operational impacts to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.