Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer
WFA Digital Insight
The demand for skilled DevOps engineers is on the rise, with a 25% increase in job postings over the past year. As government agencies shift towards digital transformation, professionals with expertise in areas like networking, security, and test automation are in high demand. Skylight, a pioneer in civic tech, is at the forefront of this movement. With a strong focus on public interest technologists, this company offers a unique opportunity for engineers to make a real impact. Before applying, candidates should be aware of the strict security and compliance requirements that come with working on federal systems, and be prepared to bring their expertise in lean-agile engineering practices to the table.
Job Description
About the Role
As a Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer at Skylight, you will play a critical role in the company's mission to help government agencies deliver better public services through design and technology. Your primary focus will be on ensuring the reliability, security, and efficiency of the systems that handle sensitive personal data. You will work closely with software engineers to bridge the gap between development and operations, and provide expertise in areas such as networking, security, and test automation.The role entails working on a contract that supports a federal agency in the health and civilian space. The systems involved handle sensitive personal data that millions of people rely on, making it essential to treat this data with care while keeping the experience clear and humane. As a DevOps engineer on this team, you will build and maintain the infrastructure, pipelines, and security controls that enable the team to deliver continuously while meeting strict compliance and data-protection requirements.
What You Will Do
- Engineer a great experience for developers working in web-based environments through automation, virtualization, and process improvement
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines that let the team reliably and repeatedly release to production on demand
- Manage cloud infrastructure and create and maintain infrastructure as code, standardizing deployment processes
- Protect sensitive data by applying security and privacy best practices, conducting audits and risk analyses, and planning and implementing remediations that meet federal security standards
- Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering practices such as simple design and automated testing
- Build up the organization’s engineering capacity through coaching, knowledge sharing, and other enablement practices
- Collaborate with software engineers to instrument applications and configure infrastructure for monitoring, metrics, alerting, logging, auditability, and compliance
- Ensure the availability, reliability, and resiliency of disparate, interconnected systems
- Enable teams to deliver value to users and the business continuously through the implementation of CI/CD pipelines
- Work with software engineers to build secure, compliant applications and defend against common vulnerabilities
What We Are Looking For
- Minimum qualifications: understand the general concepts of modern software development and can work closely with software engineers
- Ability to work in a cloud-centric world, including managing disparate, interconnected systems and ensuring their availability, reliability, and resiliency
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and the ability to enable teams to deliver value to users and the business continuously
- Knowledge of how to build secure, compliant applications and defend against common vulnerabilities
- Experience working with software engineers to instrument applications and configure infrastructure for monitoring, metrics, alerting, logging, auditability, and compliance
- Ability to create and maintain infrastructure as code and standardize deployment processes
- Experience mentoring engineers and raising the operational bar across a team or product
- Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment
- Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services
- A mindset and work approach that aligns with our core values
Nice to Have
- Experience working in regulated or compliance-driven environments, such as FedRAMP or FISMA
- Experience with AWS GovCloud or other government cloud environments
- Experience supporting systems that handle sensitive personal data, such as tax, financial, or benefits information
- Prior experience working in the civic tech space
- Experience working in a remote-team environment
Benefits and Perks
- Opportunity to work on high-impact projects that make a real difference in people's lives
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment with a team of experienced professionals
- Professional development opportunities, including training and mentorship
- Flexible working hours and remote work options
- Access to the latest tools and technologies
- Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans
- Competitive salary and bonus structure
- Opportunity to work with a company that is committed to creating better public outcomes through great government services
How to Stand Out
- Make sure to highlight your experience with cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines in your resume and cover letter.
- Be prepared to provide specific examples of how you have applied security and privacy best practices in previous roles.
- Show a passion for creating better public outcomes through great government services, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with this mission.
- Consider creating a portfolio that showcases your experience with infrastructure as code and automated testing.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions during the interview process, such as what a typical day looks like in this role, or what opportunities there are for professional development.
- Research the company's core values and be prepared to discuss how your own work approach and mindset align with them.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience working in a remote-team environment, and how you stay connected and motivated while working remotely.
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