Sr. DevOps Engineer

Zachary Piper Solutions; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Sr. DevOps Engineer to design robust CI/CD pipelines and manage cloud migrations from on-prem VMware to AWS. This hybrid role requires onsite work 3–4 days weekly in the DC area with an active TS clearance.

The ideal candidate will lead IaC efforts using Terraform and CloudFormation, administer Nexus and Solr clusters, and ensure secure, scalable systems across hybrid environments.

Qualifications

• 13+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, DevOps, IT Operations, Cloud Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, or related field.
• Hands-on in GitLab CI/CD pipelines, Nexus Repository Manager, and Apache Solr clusters with ZooKeeper in production.
• Strong Windows Server administration and IaC deployment automation.
• Extensive experience with AWS, including EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudFormation, and Terraform.
• Experience implementing security controls across on-premises and cloud environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain GitLab CI/CD pipelines for build, test, release, and deployment across dev, staging, and production.
• Administer Nexus Repository Manager and create IaC solutions with Terraform and AWS CloudFormation.
• Build and optimize Apache Solr clusters with ZooKeeper; manage Windows Server infrastructure utilities.
• Configure and manage AWS infrastructure (EC2, VPC, IAM, S3) and plan migrations from on-prem VMware to AWS.
• Monitor health and performance across hybrid environments; identify and resolve operational issues.
• Design containerization strategies for Java apps and improve platform scalability and efficiency.
• Implement security controls, hardening, and compliance across VMware and AWS in collaboration with teams.

Skills

GitLab CI/CD pipelines

Windows Server administration

Security controls & hardening

Cloud migration planning

Troubleshooting & problem-solving

Tools

Nexus Repository Manager

Apache Solr with ZooKeeper

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

AWS services (EC2, VPC, IAM, S3)

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking an experienced Sr. DevOps Engineer to support the modernization of a mission-critical government information system. This role will be responsible for designing and implementing robust CI/CD pipelines, managing artifact repositories, maintaining enterprise search infrastructure, and leading cloud migration initiatives from on-premises VMware environments to AWS. Hybrid role (1-2 days remote), and candidates must be able to work on-site in either Annapolis Junction, MD, Washington D.C., or Reston, VA. Active Top Secret Clearance Required*

The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in GitLab CI/CD, Nexus Repository, Apache Solrclusters withZooKeeper, Windows Server administration, and AWS cloud services. The successful candidate will play a key role in automating deployment processes, implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), enhancing security controls, and supporting the organization's cloud transformation strategy.

Responsibilities of the Sr. DevOps Engineer:

• Design, develop, and maintain GitLab CI/CD pipelines while automating software build, test, release, and deployment processes across development, staging, and production environments.
• Administer Nexus Repository Manager and develop Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform and AWS CloudFormation to improve deployment efficiency, consistency, and reliability.
• Build, configure, administer, and optimize Apache Solrclusters withZooKeeper, while managing Windows Server infrastructure including patching, upgrades, performance tuning, and overall system administration.
• Configure, deploy, and manage AWS infrastructure, including EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudFormation, and Terraform-managed resources, while planning and executing migrations from on-premises VMware environments to AWS.
• Monitor system health, performance, availability, and capacity across hybrid infrastructure environments, proactively identifying and resolving operational issues.
• Design and implement containerization strategies for Java applications, maintain configuration management and automation frameworks, and collaborate with engineering teams to improve platform scalability and operational efficiency.
• Implement security controls, system hardening, compliance requirements, vulnerability remediation, and security monitoring across VMware and AWS environments while partnering with engineering, operations, and cybersecurity teams to deliver secure, resilient infrastructure.

Qualifications for the Sr. DevOps Engineer:

• 13+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, DevOps, IT Operations, Cloud Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, or a related technical field (Years of experience tradeoff with educational degree).
• Hands-on experience designing and maintaining GitLab CI/CD pipelines, administering Nexus Repository Manager, and building and supporting Apache Solr clusters with ZooKeeper in production environments.
• Strong expertise administering Windows Server environments and implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), configuration management, and deployment automation.
• Extensive experience with AWS technologies, including EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudFormation, and Terraform.
• Experience implementing security controls across on-premises and cloud environments, with strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Active Top Secret (w/ SCI eligibility) clearance, (active TS/SCI with CI Poly preferred).
• Ability and willingness to onsite 3-4 days a week in Washington DC, Annapolis Junction, MD, or Reston, VA.
• Desired:
  • Experience developing containerization strategies for Java applications, administering VMware infrastructure, and supporting migration planning.
  • Knowledge of cloud security frameworks, monitoring/logging/observability platforms, and experience supporting highly available, mission-critical production environments.
  • Experience supporting Federal Government or Intelligence Community (IC) programs.

Compensation for the Sr. DevOps Engineer:

• Salary Range: $150,000 - $230,000 *depending on experience*
• Comprehensive Benefits: Cigna Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Plan, PTO, Holidays, Sick Leave if required by law

This job opens for applications on 07/29. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.