Cloud Infrastructure Engineer (Zero Trust Focus)

Nakupuna Consulting; Honolulu (HI); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Nakupuna Companies is seeking an experienced Cloud Infrastructure Engineer to design, build, and operate enterprise cloud environments with a Zero Trust focus. You will implement secure, scalable infrastructure, automate operations, and drive security across DoD-authorized clouds.

Ideal candidate has hands-on cloud engineering experience, strong scripting abilities, and familiarity with CI/CD security practices. On-site work in Arlington, VA or Honolulu, HI with some travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM or equivalent
• 5+ years of IT experience with cloud infrastructure
• Experience in DoD or Federal IT environments preferred

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain secure cloud infrastructure using IaC (Terraform, AWS CDK, or Bicep).
• Apply Zero Trust by implementing IAM, network segmentation, and monitoring across cloud environments.
• Manage advanced cloud networking services (VPCs, transit gateways, private endpoints, hybrid connectivity).
• Build containerized workloads with Kubernetes or Docker; implement container security best practices.
• Develop automation scripts (Python/PowerShell) to improve efficiency and security.
• Contribute to cloud governance with security policies, compliance controls, and cost guards.
• Act as escalation point for complex infra, networking, and security issues.
• Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines supporting DevSecOps.

Skills

AWS/Azure

IAM/RBAC

IaC/Scripting

Kubernetes/Docker

DevSecOps/CI-CD

Troubleshooting

DoD GovCloud

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

Terraform

AWS CDK

Bicep

Kubernetes

Docker

PowerShell

Python

Job description

Cloud Infrastructure Engineer (Zero Trust Focus)

Job Locations

US-VA-Arlington | US-HI-Honolulu

Overview

Nakupuna Companies is seeking an experienced and hands-on Cloud Infrastructure Engineer to help design, build, and operate our customer's enterprise cloud environments with a focus on Zero Trust principles. This engineer will be a key technical contributor, responsible for implementing and managing cloud infrastructure, strengthening security, and driving automation within DoD-authorized cloud environments. This position is ideal for a proactive engineer who excels at building and securing cloud solutions, can independently troubleshoot complex issues, and can contribute to the strategic direction of the cloud platform.

Responsibilities

The following reflects management's definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

• Design, implement, and maintain secure and scalable cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, AWS CDK, or Bicep.
• Apply Zero Trust principles by implementing robust identity and access controls, network segmentation, and continuous monitoring across the cloud environment.
• Implement and manage advanced cloud networking services, including VPCs, transit gateways, private endpoints, and hybrid connectivity.
• Build and operate containerized workloads using services like Amazon EKS or Azure Kubernetes Service, including the implementation of container security best practices.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts (e.g., using Python or PowerShell) to improve operational efficiency, security compliance, and infrastructure management.
• Contribute to the cloud governance framework by implementing and monitoring security policies, compliance controls, and cost management guardrails.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex infrastructure, networking, and security issues, providing expert-level troubleshooting and resolution.
• Integrate security and compliance controls into CI/CD pipelines, supporting DevSecOps practices and enabling automated, secure deployments.
• Evaluate and recommend new cloud services and technologies to improve security posture, operational effectiveness, and performance.
• Collaborate with architects and stakeholders to contribute to the cloud technology roadmap and translate architectural designs into functional implementations.

Qualifications

Skills/Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience deploying, administering, and troubleshooting solutions within a major commercial cloud platform (AWS or Microsoft Azure).
• Proficient in core cloud infrastructure concepts, including compute, storage, networking, IAM, and security.
• Demonstrated experience implementing cloud security and Zero Trust principles, including IAM/RBAC, least-privilege access, secrets management, and segmentation.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and scripting using technologies such as Terraform, Python, or PowerShell.
• Experience deploying or managing containerized applications using Kubernetes, Docker, or similar technologies.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and integrating security into engineering workflows.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex issues across cloud infrastructure, networking, and security layers.
• Experience with AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or supporting DoD environments is highly preferred.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional IT experience, including at least four (4) years of hands-on experience supporting cloud infrastructure, cloud engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Experience supporting DoD or other Federal IT environments is preferred.

Certification

• Required:
  • Active certification satisfying DoD Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II requirements, such as CompTIA Security+.
• Preferred:
  • An associate or professional-level cloud certification from a major cloud service provider (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate).

Clearance Requirements

Must currently have at least a Secret level security clearance (if located in HI) or Top Secret (if located in Virginia). Must be a U.S. citizen.

Work Location

• Position is based in Arlington, VA or Honolulu, HI.
• Preferred: on-site four (4) days per week. Will consider fewer days on-site for the correct candidate.
• Occasional travel (approximately 1-2 weeks per year) within the Continental U.S. or to Hawaii may be required.
• Occasional work outside normal business hours may be required to support planned maintenance, deployments, upgrades, or incident-response activities.

Physical Requirements

The ideal candidate must at a minimum be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and working on a computer.

The Nakupuna Companies use a market-based compensation strategy to ensure that our employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including but not limited to the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location. The projected compensation range for this position is $130,000.00 to $160,000.00 (annualized USD). The salary range displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Nakupuna Companies total compensation package for employees.