Senior Principal Cloud Architect with Security Clearance

Nightwing; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 122,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Nightwing is seeking an experienced Cloud Solutions Architect to lead the creation of a unified AWS GovCloud development environment and migrate multiple networks into a single, scalable workspace. The role emphasizes automated, repeatable workflows, secure configurations, and collaboration with DevOps to strengthen CI/CD pipelines.

Ideal candidates will have 8+ years in cloud architecture, AWS GovCloud experience, and a strong security/compliance background for mission-critical operations.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required and active TS/SCI clearance.
• 8+ years of directly relevant experience in cloud architecture.
• 5+ years designing cloud architectures, preferably on AWS.
• Strong expertise in AWS services (EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, Lambda, CloudFormation).
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible).
• Deep understanding of cloud security and compliance for classified environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and architecture of a consolidated AWS GovCloud development environment.
• Plan and execute migration of separate networks into a unified environment.
• Develop automation frameworks and IaC templates for provisioning and deployment.
• Provide systems engineering leadership for a large development effort.
• Interface with customer and stakeholders to derive migration specs.
• Implement encryption, hardened configurations, and compliance safeguards.
• Collaborate with DevOps to enhance CI/CD pipelines.
• Support risk assessments and create mitigation strategies during migration.
• Conduct architecture reviews and guide implementation teams.
• Evaluate new cloud services to improve operations.

Skills

AWS architecture

AWS GovCloud

Infrastructure as code

Cloud security/compliance

Leadership

Agile

Scripting (Python/Bash)

Networking/VPC

Education

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Ansible

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Cloud Architect - AWS GovCloud Development Environment Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Cloud Solutions Architect to lead a critical program effort to establish a unified software development environment in AWS GovCloud and migrate existing separate development networks into a single, common development environment. This role focuses on designing scalable, secure, and high-performance cloud architectures that consolidate disparate development infrastructures while maintaining the rigor, consistency, and reliability required for mission-critical operations. The ideal candidate fundamentally favors automated, repeatable workflows over repetitive manual operational tasks, trusting mature automated resources to deploy systems more accurately and consistently than manual deployment.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and architecture of a consolidated, maintainable cloud development environment in AWS GovCloud aligned with program and mission requirements

• Plan and execute the migration of our separate development networks into a single, unified development environment
• Develop automation frameworks and infrastructure-as-code templates to streamline provisioning, deployment, and network consolidation
• Provide systems engineering project leadership in support of a large, leading-edge development effort
• Interface directly with the customer, stakeholders, and end-users regarding priorities, capability architectures, requirements, and use cases to derive and decompose migration specifications
• Implement security controls including encryption, hardened configurations, and compliance safeguards appropriate for a classified environment
• Collaborate with DevOps engineers to enhance CI/CD pipelines within the consolidated environment
• Support risk assessments and develop risk mitigation countermeasures during network migration and consolidation
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide technical guidance to implementation teams
• Evaluate and recommend new cloud services and technologies to improve operational capabilities
• Support troubleshooting of complex architectural issues during migration and active operations

Required Skills

• U.S. Citizenship
• Active TS/SCI clearance
• 8+ years of directly relevant experience
• 5+ years of experience designing cloud architectures, preferably on AWS
• Strong expertise in AWS services including EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, Lambda, and CloudFormation
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, etc.)
• Deep understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements
• Proven ability to design scalable, resilient, and cost-effective solutions
• Demonstrated experience leading migration and consolidation of multiple networks or environments
• Proven leadership skills and meaningful experience successfully leading teams
• Experience working in an Agile development environment
• Strong documentation and technical communication skills
• Experience with automation and scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell)
• Working networking knowledge - network infrastructure, protocols, TLS encryption, and VPC firewall management

Desired Skills

• Prior experience working in AWS GovCloud environments
• Experience designing solutions for cybersecurity or incident response operations
• Knowledge of multi-cloud or hybrid cloud architectures
• Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes, ECS)
• Experience and familiarity with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and security and privacy controls (NIST 800-37 and NIST 800-53)
• Background in systems engineering, system administration, or DevOps
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automation

Desired Certifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
• AWS Cloud-related certifications

Salary & Benefits

The salary associated with this position ($122,000-$253,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards. Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances. Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.