Principal Cloud Engineer

Coalfire; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Certification & training reimbursement

Digital mental health support

Comprehensive insurance options

Job summary

Coalfire seeks a senior cloud security architect to own the FedRAMP reference architectures across AWS, Azure, and GCP, guiding security design and delivery for federal programs. You will set standards, review solutions, and mentor engineers to ensure scalable, compliant architectures for clients nationwide.

You will collaborate with delivery and sales teams, stay current on FedRAMP and DoD controls, and help advance continuous delivery improvements within the Cloud Services group.

Qualifications

• BS in IT or related field and/or equivalent experience
• 10+ years in cloud security engineering and architecture (principal- or staff-level)
• Hands-on FedRAMP authorization experience
• Design-authority experience: owning standards & arch review
• Deep expertise in infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, policy-as-code, and automation
• Cloud-platform depth on two of AWS, Azure, GCP
• Fluency in NIST 800-53 and FedRAMP, plus DoD/CMMC standards
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Strong documentation skills with diagrams and written descriptions
• Ability to work independently and in a team with professional demeanor

Responsibilities

• Own the technical integrity of FedRAMP reference architectures across AWS, Azure, GCP and across certification levels
• Set engineering standards for architecture patterns, baselines, automation, evidence collection
• Review and approve custom architecture decisions; promote improvements into reference architectures
• Serve as a technical escalation point for architecture and security questions
• Keep reference architectures current with evolving FedRAMP requirements and OSCAL/JSON formats
• Mentor engagement architects and senior engineers; raise the technical bar
• Partner with sales on solution shaping for strategic pursuits
• Represent Coalfire’s technical point of view in FedRAMP community and forums

Skills

Cloud security engineering

Design authority

FedRAMP experience

Terraform

CI/CD pipelines

Policy as code

NIST 800-53

Documentation

Communication skills

Independent work

Education

BS in IT or related field

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Coalfire is on a mission to make the world a safer place by solving our clients’ hardest cybersecurity challenges. We work at the cutting edge of technology to advise, assess, automate, and ultimately help companies navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. We are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with offices across the U.S. and U.K., and we support clients around the world.

But that’s not who we are - that’s just what we do.

We are thought leaders, consultants, and cybersecurity experts, but above all else, we are a team of passionate problem-solvers who are hungry to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Why Join Us

FedRAMP’s 2026 modernization replaces narrative compliance documentation with measurable security outcomes, validated through automation and evidenced continuously. Coalfire delivers FedRAMP environments against standardized reference architecture, and this role owns those architectures and the capabilities that deliver them. This is the top of our engineering individual-contributor track: a design-authority role with no direct reports, whose influence comes from technical judgment and expertise. The standards you set are what dozens of engineers build against, at every client, every day. You’ll take on the most strategic and technical implementations our clients require and support the Cloud Services organization on continuous delivery improvements through client engagements. If you’re driven by a desire to innovate, excel at operational excellence, and thrive in a collaborative environment, come be part of a team committed to making the world a safer place.

About Coalfire

Coalfire is on a mission to make the world a safer place by solving our clients’ hardest cybersecurity challenges. We work at the cutting edge of technology to advise, assess, automate, and ultimately help companies navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. We are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with offices across the U.S. and U.K., and we support clients around the world. But that’s not who we are - that’s just what we do. We are thought leaders, consultants, and cybersecurity experts, but above all else, we are a team of passionate problem-solvers who are hungry to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Why Join Us

FedRAMP’s 2026 modernization replaces narrative compliance documentation with measurable security outcomes, validated through automation and evidenced continuously. Coalfire delivers FedRAMP environments against standardized reference architecture, and this role owns those architectures and the capabilities that deliver them. This is the top of our engineering individual-contributor track: a design-authority role with no direct reports, whose influence comes from technical judgment and expertise. The standards you set are what dozens of engineers build against, at every client, every day. You’ll take on the most strategic and technical implementations our clients require and support the Cloud Services organization on continuous delivery improvements through client engagements. If you’re driven by a desire to innovate, excel at operational excellence, and thrive in a collaborative environment, come be part of a team committed to making the world a safer place.

What You\'ll Do

• Own the technical integrity of Coalfire’s FedRAMP reference architectures and capabilities across AWS, Azure, and GCP, and across certification levels.
• Set the engineering standards delivery teams build against—architecture patterns, security baselines, automation frameworks, and evidence-collection approaches.
• Review and approve custom architecture decisions when client requirements fall outside the standard; promote recurring customizations into the reference architecture so the standard improves every quarter.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for delivery teams on architecture and security design questions to improve client outcomes.
• Keep reference architectures current with evolving FedRAMP requirements, including machine-readable compliance packaging (OSCAL or JSON) and continuous-monitoring mandates.
• Mentor engagement architects and senior engineers; raise the technical bar across the delivery organization.
• Partner with the sales organization on solution shape for the most strategic pursuits.
• Represent Coalfire’s technical point of view in the FedRAMP community—working groups, public comment, and industry forums.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/TRAVEL REQUIRED

Travel: Approximately 10-15%

U.S. citizenship is required, as this position supports federal compliance programs.

What You\'ll Bring

• BS or above in a related Information Technology field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 10+ years in cloud security engineering and architecture, including principal- or staff-level scope
• Hands-on FedRAMP authorization experience—building, operating, or assessing FedRAMP environments
• Demonstrated design-authority experience: owning standards, running architecture review, and documenting decisions in a form other engineers build from
• Deep expertise in infrastructure-as-code (Terraform or equivalent), CI/CD, policy-as-code, and compliance automation
• Architecture depth on at least two of the three major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Fluency in NIST 800-53 and the FedRAMP control framework, as well as CMMC and DoD compliance standards
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Effective documentation skills, including technical diagrams and written descriptions
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with a professional attitude and demeanor
• Critical thinking, and the ability to balance security requirements with mission needs

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

• Professional/Expert-level certification in at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

Bonus Points

• Familiarity with FedRAMP 20x, Key Security Indicators (KSIs), and machine-readable evidence (OSCAL, JSON)
• Experience designing productized or repeatable delivery models for professional services
• Published writing, conference talks, or open-source work in cloud security or compliance automation
• CISSP, CISM, or CISA certifications
• Familiarity with configuration baseline standards such as CIS Benchmarks & DISA STIG

Why You\’ll Want to Join Us

At Coalfire, you’ll find the support you need to thrive personally and professionally. In many cases, we provide a flexible work model that empowers you to choose when and where you’ll work most effectively - whether you’re at home or an office.

Regardless of location, you’ll experience a company that prioritizes connection and wellbeing and be part of a team where people care about each other and our communities. You’ll have opportunities to join employee resource groups, participate in in-person and virtual events, and more. And you’ll enjoy competitive perks and benefits to support you and your family, like paid parental leave, flexible time off, certification and training reimbursement, digital mental health and wellbeing support membership, and comprehensive insurance options.

At Coalfire, equal opportunity and pay equity is integral to the way we do business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Coalfire is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact our Human Resources team [e-mail].

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.