Software Engineer - Cloud & DevSecOps with Security Clearance

Software Engineer – Cloud & DevSecOps (RDT&E)

Location: Dahlgren, VA

Full-Time with benefits

Salary Range: $120K-$140K Position Overview:

Strategic Data Systems is seeking an experienced Software Engineer – Cloud & DevOps to support the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) environment in Dahlgren, Virginia.

This position offers an opportunity for an accomplished software engineering professional to contribute to the design, development, integration, deployment, and modernization of mission-critical applications and supporting infrastructure within a complex Department of Defense (DoD) technical environment.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will bring a strong combination of software development expertise, cloud engineering experience, DevOps automation capabilities, and advanced technical troubleshooting skills.
• This individual will support the complete software development lifecycle while helping shape technical solutions, improve development practices, strengthen system reliability, and enhance operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

Software Engineering and Application Development

• Design, develop, maintain, and enhance secure, scalable, and high-performance web applications supporting mission-critical RDT&E operations.
• Contribute to software architecture and technical design decisions, emphasizing maintainability, reliability, performance, and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and maintain application functionality using modern programming languages and frameworks, including JavaScript and related full-stack technologies.
• Support the integration of applications with enterprise data sources, analytics platforms, reporting systems, and supporting infrastructure.
• Develop and execute comprehensive automated testing strategies, including unit, functional, integration, performance, and acceptance testing.
• Conduct code reviews, identify opportunities for optimization, and promote software engineering best practices.
• Diagnose and resolve complex application issues through systematic troubleshooting, debugging, and root-cause analysis.
• Identify opportunities to modernize legacy applications, streamline development processes, and improve overall software quality. Cloud Engineering and Infrastructure Support
• Support the development, deployment, configuration, and maintenance of applications operating within Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments.
• Troubleshoot complex technical 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 ensure applications are properly configured, secured, monitored, and maintained.
• Support Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), virtualization, and hybrid cloud solutions.
• Recommend improvements to cloud architectures, deployment strategies, and operational processes to enhance reliability and scalability.
• Assist with application and infrastructure lifecycle planning, deployment coordination, upgrades, and sustainment activities. DevSecOps, Automation, and Containerization
• Design, develop, maintain, and optimize Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using GitLab.
• Implement automation solutions that improve development efficiency, deployment consistency, and software delivery reliability.
• Support GitLab version control, repository management, pipeline configuration, and automated testing integration.
• Develop, configure, and maintain Helm charts supporting containerized application deployments.
• Support application deployment and troubleshooting within Docker and Kubernetes environments.
• Identify and resolve deployment failures, configuration inconsistencies, and pipeline performance issues.
• Implement secure configuration and secrets management practices utilizing HashiCorp Vault.
• Collaborate with development, operations, and cybersecurity personnel to strengthen DevSecOps practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Evaluate opportunities to reduce manual processes through scripting, automation, and improved engineering workflows. Cybersecurity and Secure Software Development
• Incorporate security considerations throughout application design, development, testing, and deployment activities.
• Apply secure coding standards and development practices consistent with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements.
• Support vulnerability identification, remediation, code validation, and security testing activities.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity professionals to address application and infrastructure security concerns.
• Maintain awareness of security requirements affecting cloud-hosted applications, containerized environments, and software deployment processes.
• Support compliance documentation, audit readiness, and adherence to organizational security policies.
• Identify opportunities to improve security automation and strengthen the overall security posture of supported applications. Technical Leadership and Customer Engagement
• Serve as a trusted technical resource and subject matter expert for software engineering, cloud deployment, and DevOps-related activities.
• Collaborate directly with government stakeholders, engineering personnel, system administrators, and cybersecurity teams to understand requirements and develop effective technical solutions.
• Provide informed recommendations regarding application architecture, deployment strategies, technical risks, and engineering improvements.
• Independently investigate complex technical challenges and develop practical, sustainable resolutions.
• Participate in technical planning sessions, design reviews, and discussions concerning system modernization and operational improvements.
• Mentor and share technical knowledge with other team members 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 potential operational impacts clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders. Required Qualifications:
• Five to eight (5–8) years of relevant professional experience in software engineering, full-stack development, cloud engineering, DevOps, or closely related technical disciplines.
• IAT Level 2 certification such as CompTIA Security+
• Top Secret security clearance
• 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 within Microsoft Azure and/or AWS cloud environments.
• 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.
• Demonstrated 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.
• Demonstrated 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. Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 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 within 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 (IaC), 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 (RMF) processes.
• Experience supporting software development and infrastructure operations within 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.