CDAO - War Data Platform - Senior Cloud Engineer

Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering is seeking a Senior Cloud Engineer for the War Data Platform in Arlington, VA. You will lead cloud infrastructure design, modernization, and secure deployments supporting AI/ML workloads and warfighting analytics.

Responsibilities include building scalable cloud ecosystems, implementing IaC with Terraform and Ansible, and ensuring compliance with security standards.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and deploying scalable cloud infrastructure.
• Proficiency with Terraform and Ansible for provisioning and config automation.
• Familiarity with DoW cybersecurity frameworks and STIGs for continuous authorization.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and manage scalable, secure cloud infrastructure across security enclaves.
• Develop and maintain IaC to automate provisioning and lifecycle management.
• Monitor health, performance, and cost; optimize resources and spend.
• Collaborate with DevSecOps, security, and app teams to meet accreditation requirements.
• Support migrations, technology refreshes, and CI/CD improvements.
• Oversee mixed civilian and contractor engineering teams across the platform lifecycle.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Cloud architecture

DevSecOps

Automation

Leadership

Security compliance

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

CI/CD

Job description

CDAO - War Data Platform - Senior Cloud Engineer

Application Deadline: 21 September 2026

Department: War Data Platform

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Arlington, VA

Description

Job Title: Senior Cloud Engineer - War Data Platform

JOA: CDAO-2026-000114

Pay Scale: $139,395-$197,200

Open Date: 31 August 2026

Close Date:21 September 2026

About the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) mission is to accelerate the adoption of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) across the Department of War (DoW). The CDAO works across the Military Departments and Services, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands (CCMDs), Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), and other DoW Components to design, develop, field, and scale technologies, capabilities, strategies, policies, and other guidance related to data, analytics, and AI in support of DoW's warfighting and business functions, including responding to crises and emerging challenges. The CDAO has three broad goals of enabling, speeding, and scaling adoption of AI in the DoW.

War Data Platform (WDP) expands the legacy (Advana) Department of War core data integration layer to provide standardized, high-quality data essential for accelerating decision advantage for the warfighter and powers analytics across the DoW. WDP partners with 55+ DoW organizations and empowers DoW users, systems, and agents by providing data products and analytics using over 700+ data sources. In direct support of the Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Department of War, the War Data Platform is one of DoW’s most vital data platforms for AI exploitation and mission advantage.

As a Senior Cloud Engineer for the War Data Platform (WDP), you will serve as a technical authority applying advanced computing concepts, cloud architecture, and modern DevSecOps practices to build and sustain enterprise-grade infrastructure. You will provide expert guidance to senior leadership, resolve novel technical challenges, and drive modernization efforts across multi-enclave cloud environments supporting AI/ML workflows and warfighter analytics.

This position is covered by the Department of War (DoW) Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). The position is located in Washington, DC. The pay plan and broadband level for this role is NH-2210-IV, which is equivalent to the GS-14/15 grade level. This role will close for submissions at 11:59pm on September 21st, 2026.

What you'll do here:

• Design, deploy, and manage scalable, secure, and highly available cloud infrastructure across security enclaves, leveraging cloud-native and open-source compute, storage, networking, and containerization services to support mission-critical workloads.
• Develop and maintain IaC using tools such as Terraform and Ansible to automate provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management, ensuring repeatable, consistent, and compliant deployments.
• Monitor infrastructure health, performance, and cost utilization; implement optimization strategies (rightsizing, auto-scaling, intelligent storage tiering) to maximize efficiency and reduce operational expenditures.
• Collaborate with DevSecOps, security, and application development teams to implement cloud architectures aligned with DoW cybersecurity frameworks, accreditation requirements, and Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) to maintain continuous authorization.
• Support cloud migrations, technology refresh cycles, and platform modernization by evaluating emerging technologies, improving CI/CD deployment pipelines, and providing technical expertise for acquisition strategies.
• Oversee mixed civilian and contractor engineering teams executing cloud engineering and infrastructure initiatives across the platform lifecycle.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Candidate is encouraged to provide e-portfolio, project samples, Github, etc. to their submission package.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration
• This position is subject to provisions of the WHS/OSW Priority Placement Program (please see details below)
• A three-year trial period may be required if not previously completed a trial or probationary period in the excepted or competitive service
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program.
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
• We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
• Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives may be authorized based on the availability of funds.
• This position requires a Top Secret/ Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance.
• If you are a veteran claiming veteran's preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.
• This position may require work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or mandatory overtime.
• This position may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station via military or commercial aircraft.

Priority Placement Program Details

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. https://acpol2.army.mil/chra_dodea/PPP_MSP_self_certification_checklist.pdf

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician preference. https://www.dcpas.osd.mil/sites/default/files/military_reserve_and_guard_tech_ppp_self_cert_checklist.pdf

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians Receiving Disability Retirement PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians receiving disability retirement PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability preference. https://www.dcpas.osd.mil/sites/default/files/military_reserve_and_guard_disability_ppp_self_cert_checklist.pdf

Retained Grade PPP Eligible: Retained Grade PPP applicants, must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Retained Grade preference. https://www.dcpas.osd.mil/sites/default/files/retained_grade_ppp_self_cert_checklist.pdf