System Engineer - 2 (Cloud Infrastructure Architect)

Akina • Annapolis Junction, MD

12h • $200,000 - $230,000 • Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a technical pioneer responsible for architecting the migration of a CNO development environment to a modern, cloud-native backbone. The goal is to support AI-enabled development, FVEY collaboration, and the next generation of CNO development, all while maintaining ongoing mission operations. The position involves transforming a patchwork legacy environment into a robust cloud infrastructure.

Requirements

• TS/SCI - Polygraph required
• 5+ years of deep systems engineering and cloud architecture experience, with a proven track record of building, breaking, and rebuilding complex enterprise infrastructure.
• Demonstrated expertise in AWS production environments, including hands-on experience with serverless technologies (AWS Lambda, AWS Fargate, Route 53, API Gateway, Amazon Cloudwatch, S3) and cloud storage tiers.
• Prior experience leading infrastructure modernization and technical transformations, specifically executing incremental migrations rather than "lift and shift" approaches.
• Familiarity with agency-specific cloud compliance nuances, particularly the processes surrounding ATO (Authority to Operate) and operations within the WANDS environment.
• Strong background in corporate services and stakeholder management, with the ability to build ROI models and translate technical decisions for executives, security teams, and mission developers.
• Service-Oriented Mindset: You view yourself as a customer-service professional first, ensuring technology choices always serve the mission needs.
• Mission-Driven Pragmatist: You build toward a strategic vision while solving today's most pressing issues, designing for optionality and rapid, incremental wins.
• Collaborative Leader: You value collaboration over "heroics," thriving in an embedded position where you can share knowledge generously and empower teammates to grow.
• At least four years of hands-on experience, specifically with AWS.
• 8 years of experience with a B.S. degree or 4 additional years of experience in place of a B.S. degree.

Nice To Haves

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (or Professional).
• CNO experience - experience in CNO spaces or similar high-side environments is highly valued.
• CNO development experience - understanding what developers actually need makes you a more effective infrastructure architect.
• Enclave experience - you understand what makes restricted environments different - the constraints, the processes, and how security controls impact architecture decisions.
• Cost optimization expertise - experience right-sizing cloud resources, building FinOps practices, or making defensible recommendations about when cloud implementations actually save money vs. when managed service costs spiral.

Responsibilities

• Lead cloud architecture strategy, designing the technical roadmap and reusable patterns that enable teams to leverage cloud solutions where it makes sense.
• Develop "easy button" templates and common resources for teams to adopt while preserving the flexibility for organizations to continue managing their own on-premise infrastructure when the mission demands it.
• Architect end-to-end solutions for complex CNE services, tackling challenges like moving 90%+ capacity services to cloud storage, creating integration patterns between legacy systems and cloud-native services, and ensuring solutions maintain security controls while improving performance and scalability.
• Conduct technical assessments of existing infrastructure, working with stakeholders to unpack services running on aging platforms, document dependencies, evaluate utility, and build prioritization frameworks based on EOL dates, mission impact, cost efficiency, and user pain points.
• Partner with cloud professional services and mission stakeholders, working alongside AWS ProServe teams to scope engagements, validate architectures, and ensure cloud solutions meet the unique requirements of CNE development, testing, and collaboration while reporting directly to the Y12 technical director.
• Design modernized workflows and user experiences, reimagining how CNE developers interact with their development environment - from implementing unified SSO across disparate clients to architecting solutions for large-scale datasets.
• Make CNO the best place for software development at the agency.
• Create a development environment that will attract the best talent and keep them here, instead of chasing them away.

Benefits

• 24 days PTO accrued annually
• 11 federal holidays
• 401k is 100% vested on your start date and the company makes a direct contribution worth 10% of your salary.
• Akina covers 100% of healthcare costs for employees and 50% toward dependents.
• Educational assistance towards college classes
• Cover costs associated with job related training and certifications

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees