Cloud Architect-Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

NextBigWhat; Missouri; Hybrid; USD 119,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal/Master Principal Cloud Architect-Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to be embedded with a single Intelligence Community customer in a hybrid role near St. Louis, MO.

You will own the technical success from architecture to production deployment, ensuring secure, scalable cloud solutions and direct mission impact. You will build and operate OCI-based environments, implement IaC, and coordinate with operators, engineers and leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting or working within the U.S. Intelligence Community.
• MUST possess or have the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI with Poly.
• Strong hands-on cloud engineering and infrastructure experience.
• Experience deploying and operating solutions inside customer environments.
• Deep knowledge of cloud architecture, automation, and platform operations.
• Infrastructure-as-Code expertise using Terraform, OCI Resource Manager, Ansible, or similar technologies.
• Scripting and automation experience using Python, Shell, or comparable languages.
• Ability to work on-site with customers for extended engagements.
• minimum of 6+ years of cloud, infrastructure, or platform engineering experience.
• Independently leads customer deployments from architecture through production.
• Executes complex implementations with minimal oversight.
• Owns delivery outcomes for assigned engagements.

Responsibilities

• Embed full-time with a dedicated Intelligence Community customer.
• Architect and deploy OCI-based solutions directly within customer environments.
• Transform complex mission requirements into scalable cloud architectures.
• Build and configure infrastructure across OCI IaaS and PaaS services.
• Design secure, resilient, production-grade environments.
• Implement Infrastructure-as-Code and automation frameworks.
• Configure networking, identity, security, observability, databases, storage, and container platforms.
• Harden pilot deployments into operational production systems.
• Lead troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and performance optimization efforts.
• Partner closely with customer operators, engineers, and leadership teams.
• Drive adoption, knowledge transfer, and long-term customer success.
• Capture field learnings and influence future product and engineering direction across Oracle.

Skills

Cloud engineering

Infrastructure as Code

OCI deployment

Security & compliance

Automation scripting

Tools

Terraform

OCI Resource Manager

Ansible

Python

Shell

Job description

Description

Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence has an exciting opportunity for a Principal / Master Principal Cloud Architect-Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

This is a HYBRID position that involves a combination of remote, in-office work and meetings at the client site. Candidates must be based in or live a commutable distance to St. Louis MO

Build What Others Only Design

Some engineers advise. Some architects create diagrams.

Forward Deployed Engineers build the solution, deploy it inside the customer's environment, and stay until it succeeds.

Oracle is seeking experienced cloud architects and infrastructure engineers to join an elite team supporting the U.S. Intelligence Community. As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you will be embedded full-time with a single customer, partnering directly with operators, technical leaders, and mission stakeholders to architect, deploy, secure, and operationalize cloud solutions that solve real-world national security challenges.

This is not a traditional consulting role. It is not a presales role.

You will own the technical success of a high-priority customer engagement from initial architecture through production deployment and operational adoption.

If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy solving difficult infrastructure problems, and want to see your work directly impact mission outcomes, this role was built for you.

• Must possess or have the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI with Poly

Responsibilities

What You'll Do

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you become the customer's trusted technical partner and lead architect.

You will:

• Embed full-time with a dedicated Intelligence Community customer
• Architect and deploy OCI-based solutions directly within customer environments
• Transform complex mission requirements into scalable cloud architectures
• Build and configure infrastructure across OCI IaaS and PaaS services
• Design secure, resilient, production-grade environments
• Implement Infrastructure-as-Code and automation frameworks
• Configure networking, identity, security, observability, databases, storage, and container platforms
• Harden pilot deployments into operational production systems
• Lead troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and performance optimization efforts
• Partner closely with customer operators, engineers, and leadership teams
• Drive adoption, knowledge transfer, and long-term customer success
• Capture field learnings and influence future product and engineering direction across Oracle

Why This Role Is Different

Most cloud architects support many customers.

Forward Deployed Engineers focus deeply on one.

You are not handing off recommendations and moving to the next account. You are responsible for getting the deployment operational, secure, and successful.

You will work alongside the customer through every phase:

Architect → Build → Deploy → Harden → Operate → Transition

This model gives you the opportunity to:

• Solve technically demanding problems end-to-end
• Work directly on mission-critical environments
• Influence both customer outcomes and Oracle product evolution
• Build lasting technical credibility with senior government stakeholders
• Become a recognized expert in OCI deployment and cloud modernization

What You'll Build

Depending on customer needs, you may work across:

• OCI Compute Services
• Virtual Cloud Networks (VCN)
• Identity & Access Management (IAM)
• OCI Kubernetes Engine (OKE)
• Containers and microservices architectures
• Databases and data platforms
• Storage and backup architectures
• Security and encryption solutions
• Monitoring, logging, and observability platforms
• High Availability and Disaster Recovery architectures
• Cloud-native modernization initiatives
• Large-scale mission applications and analytics platforms

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Experience supporting or working within the U.S. Intelligence Community
• MUST possess or have the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI with Poly
• Strong hands-on cloud engineering and infrastructure experience
• Experience deploying and operating solutions inside customer environments
• Deep knowledge of cloud architecture, automation, and platform operations
• Experience designing secure, highly available, scalable environments
• Infrastructure-as-Code expertise using Terraform, OCI Resource Manager, Ansible, or similar technologies
• Scripting and automation experience using Python, Shell, or comparable languages
• Strong communication skills across technical and executive audiences
• Ability to work on-site with customers for extended engagements
• minimum of 6+ years of cloud, infrastructure, or platform engineering experience
• Independently leads customer deployments from architecture through production
• Executes complex implementations with minimal oversight
• Owns delivery outcomes for assigned engagements

Preferred Qualifications

• OCI Architect Associate or Professional certification
• Experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
• Kubernetes and container orchestration expertise
• Experience rearchitecting legacy systems into cloud-native solutions
• Knowledge of security accreditation and compliance processes within government environments

Why Oracle

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is powering some of the world's most demanding workloads across government, defense, and intelligence organizations.

As an FDE, you won't simply help customers adopt cloud technology—you'll help them transform mission outcomes through secure, scalable, production-ready cloud solutions.

You’ll join a team of engineers who thrive on ownership, technical excellence, and solving problems that matter.

If you want to build, deploy, and operate systems where success is measured by mission impact—not slide decks,we'd like to talk with you.

Join Oracle and help shape the future of cloud innovation for the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Qualifications

Disclaimer

Certain U.S. based or U.S. customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization/occupational health mandates, and/or drug testing requirements.

Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations only

US: Hiring Range in USD from: $118,700 to $194,400 per annum. May be eligible for equity. Eligible for commission with an estimated pay mix of 70/30.

Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:

• 1. Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion
• 2. Short term disability and long term disability
• 3. Life insurance and AD&D
• 4. Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)
• 5. Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 6. Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits
• 7. 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match
• 8. Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.
• 9. 11 paid holidays
• 10. Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.
• 11. Paid parental leave
• 12. Adoption assistance
• 13. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• 14. Financial planning and group legal
• 15. Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insurance

The role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.

As part of Oracle's onboarding process and consistent with applicable law, US-based employees are required to complete identity verification, which involves the collection and processing of their biometric information. Accommodations to this requirement may be granted following an individualized assessment.