About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Overview

Confidential Client (IT) is seeking an entry-level Cloud Platform Engineer to support secure AWS hosting environments for Department of Defense customers. This is a hands-on, operational role on an established platform team where you'll learn from senior engineers, contribute to automation, and grow into increased ownership of platform services.

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What You’ll Do

• Support day-to-day operations of AWS platform services (monitoring, logging, access control, patching, backup, configuration management).
• Resolve operational tickets and escalate complex issues with clear documentation.
• Automate recurring manual tasks using scripting and standardized deployment patterns.
• Contribute to Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or CloudFormation) under senior engineer guidance.
• Help onboard workloads to platform services and apply standard deployment patterns.
• Maintain accurate runbooks, procedures, and system documentation.
• Collaborate with Cloud Engineers, Solutions Architects, and Cybersecurity staff to meet DoD security and compliance requirements.

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Minimum Qualifications

• 0–3 years experience in cloud, DevOps, systems administration, IT infrastructure, or a related field (internships, labs, and military experience count).
• Working knowledge of core AWS services (EC2, S3, IAM, VPC, CloudWatch).
• Basic scripting ability in Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
• Familiarity with Linux and Git-based workflows.
• AWS certification, or ability to obtain one within 90 days.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust determination or equivalent security eligibility.

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Preferred Qualifications

• AWS Associate-level certification (AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Developer, or SysOps).
• CompTIA Security+ or similar cybersecurity certification.
• Hands-on Terraform or CloudFormation experience (personal, academic, or professional projects).
• Exposure to container tooling (Docker) and container services (ECS/EKS).
• Experience with CI/CD tools (GitLab CI, Jenkins, etc.).
• Prior work in a federal or DoD environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field — or equivalent experience.

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Compensation & Benefits

• Anticipated salary range: $70,000–$110,000 per year (dependent on experience, certifications, and qualifications).
• Benefits include:
  • Medical, Dental & Vision insurance
  • Retirement plan (401k / IRA)
  • Life insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
  • Paid time off (vacation, sick, public holidays)
  • Family leave (maternity & paternity)
  • Short-term & long-term disability
  • Training & professional development
  • Wellness resources

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Location & Clearance

• Location: Fairfax, VA (on-site / hybrid as required by the client and contract).
• Security: Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust determination is required. Preference given to candidates with prior federal/DoD security environment experience.

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Keywords & Candidate Fit

This role is optimized for entry-level cloud engineers who want to build operational and automation skills on AWS, learn Infrastructure as Code, and support secure DoD-focused platform services. Ideal candidates are proactive, eager to automate repeatable work, and comfortable working with senior engineers and cybersecurity teams.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.