Junior Cloud Engineer with Security Clearance
The Junior Cloud Engineer supports cloud service offerings for a federal agency's cloud modernization and migration efforts, working under senior engineers to design, implement, and maintain cloud solutions across major platforms like Azure, AWS, and GCP. This role involves assisting with automation, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, and operational support within a secure, agile government environment requiring an active Secret Clearance. It offers growth opportunities in cloud technologies and DevOps practices while contributing to mission-critical federal projects.
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 (Federal Government Services).
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
What You’ll Do
Confidential Client is hiring a Junior Cloud Engineer with an active Secret Clearance to support cloud modernization and migration efforts for a federal customer. You will work on a small, focused team under senior engineering guidance to help design, implement, automate, and operate cloud solutions across one or more major public cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, and/or GCP).
- Assist in support and maintenance of cloud service offerings operating at FISMA Moderate and FISMA High security levels
- Collaborate with senior engineers, security engineers, and Scrum personnel to build and improve cloud services
- Help implement proofs of concept and pilot solutions under senior engineer direction
- Contribute to operational and implementation plans, runbooks, and technical documentation
- Build and maintain YAML-based CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, CircleCI, etc.)
- Support Infrastructure as Code (IaC) efforts (Terraform, Pulumi, Ansible, CloudFormation) under guidance
- Develop and maintain basic automation scripts (PowerShell, Bash, Python) for operational tasks
- Troubleshoot automation and operational issues with senior staff and operations teams
- Participate in Change and Configuration Management activities and Agile ceremonies (daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives)
- Research emerging cloud technologies and present findings to the team as directed
Where you’ll work
- Location: Washington, DC — role supports a federal customer (on-site or as required by contract)
- Clearance: Active Secret Clearance required (must be maintained for continued employment)
- Employment type: Full-time
Compensation & Benefits
- Estimated base: $97,161 per year (estimated)
- Competitive benefits package including:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Paid holidays and three weeks paid time off (PTO)
- Other standard benefits
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or related field from an accredited institution
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in a cloud computing or cloud engineering role using Azure, AWS, and/or GCP
- Active Secret Clearance or higher
- Minimum of one entry-level cloud certification (examples):
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Google Cloud Certified: Cloud Digital Leader or Associate Cloud Engineer
- Or equivalent entry-level certification from a recognized provider
Desired / Preferred Qualifications
- Associate-level or higher cloud certification (AZ-104, AWS Solutions Architect Associate, Google Associate Cloud Engineer)
- Experience supporting federal government IT environments
- Familiarity with FISMA Moderate and FISMA High compliance requirements
- Experience with Terraform in CI/CD workflows and multi-cloud/hybrid environments
- Exposure to Kanban or other Agile frameworks
- Foundational knowledge of cloud security best practices and federal compliance frameworks
Skills & Competencies
- Foundational understanding of cloud concepts (IaaS, PaaS) on Azure, AWS, or GCP
- Basic experience or exposure to YAML-based CI/CD pipelines and IaC tools
- Scripting fundamentals in PowerShell, Bash, or Python (if/else, loops, error handling)
- Familiarity with DevOps lifecycle, Change & Configuration Management, and Agile (Scrum)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
- Team-oriented, eager to learn, and willing to take increasing technical responsibility
Why this role
- Work on mission-driven federal cloud modernization projects
- Grow technical skills across cloud platforms, IaC, and CI/CD under senior mentorship
- Join a collaborative team focused on continuous improvement and automation
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.
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