What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Data Platform Engineer position at Karthik Consulting?
New
Posted: June 25, 2026
I. Position Summary
The Senior Data Platform Engineer serves as the foundational systems engineering and modernization engine for the cloud-hosting and data-sharing infrastructure across the Air Force Intelligence Community (AF IC) Information Environment. Operating directly at the Headquarters Air Force (HAF) staff level, this role evaluates technical feasibility, designs secure target-state data architectures, and aligns commercial classified cloud platforms with evolving mission capabilities. The position is responsible for orchestrating robust DevSecOps automation frameworks and MLOps pipeline considerations to securely integrate multi-cloud hosting solutions. By interconnecting elastic virtualized compute, storage, and software-defined network environments, this role provides the resilient digital backbone necessary to test, deploy, and scale advanced data analytics tools globally at the speed of relevance.
Work Environment
Karthik Consulting is committed to providing competitive compensation based on the responsibilities of the role, required qualifications, security clearance level, relevant experience, certifications, customer requirements, geographic location, and overall business needs. The salary range listed for this position represents a good-faith estimate of the current compensation range for this role.
At Karthik Consulting, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range. Final compensation decisions are based on the facts and circumstances of each candidate’s experience, qualifications, certifications, clearance level, contract requirements, and overall alignment with the role.
A reasonable estimate of the current salary range for this position is $165,000 to $185,000 annually.
Employees may be eligible for company benefits and additional compensation programs, subject to company policy, contract requirements, and individual eligibility.
II. Program Context
Program Description
This role supports the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Digital Infrastructure Transformation. The mission focuses on modernizing, designing, and sustaining an integrated digital environment that transitions from historical hardware-based industrial constraints to software-defined digital processes. This modern enterprise architecture interconnects physical and virtual technologies across Data and Analytics, Sense-Making, Automation, Augmentation, and Artificial Intelligence (AAA), Hybrid/Multi-Cloud environments, Networks, and Zero Trust security frameworks to safely deliver intelligence to warfighters at the speed of relevance.
Program Scope
The role operates within the operational oversight of the AF IC Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Data Officer (CDO), IT Risk Management Framework Authorizing Official (AO), and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The work spans the entire spectrum of Air Force ISR Information Environment operations, encompassing infrastructure layer integration, multi-cloud optimization, platform-level security configuration, and automated data sharing across secure NIPR, SIPR, and JWICS networks.
III. Key Responsibilities
Data Sharing Platform & Infrastructure Design
Education
Posted: June 25, 2026
I. Position Summary
The Senior Data Platform Engineer serves as the foundational systems engineering and modernization engine for the cloud-hosting and data-sharing infrastructure across the Air Force Intelligence Community (AF IC) Information Environment. Operating directly at the Headquarters Air Force (HAF) staff level, this role evaluates technical feasibility, designs secure target-state data architectures, and aligns commercial classified cloud platforms with evolving mission capabilities. The position is responsible for orchestrating robust DevSecOps automation frameworks and MLOps pipeline considerations to securely integrate multi-cloud hosting solutions. By interconnecting elastic virtualized compute, storage, and software-defined network environments, this role provides the resilient digital backbone necessary to test, deploy, and scale advanced data analytics tools globally at the speed of relevance.
Work Environment
- Work Location: [Hybrid- Colorado Denver/Colorado Springs or National Capital Region (NCR)]
- Security Clearance: [TS/SCI]
- Travel Requirements: [TDY’s as required by the Government]
Karthik Consulting is committed to providing competitive compensation based on the responsibilities of the role, required qualifications, security clearance level, relevant experience, certifications, customer requirements, geographic location, and overall business needs. The salary range listed for this position represents a good-faith estimate of the current compensation range for this role.
At Karthik Consulting, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range. Final compensation decisions are based on the facts and circumstances of each candidate’s experience, qualifications, certifications, clearance level, contract requirements, and overall alignment with the role.
A reasonable estimate of the current salary range for this position is $165,000 to $185,000 annually.
Employees may be eligible for company benefits and additional compensation programs, subject to company policy, contract requirements, and individual eligibility.
II. Program Context
Program Description
This role supports the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Digital Infrastructure Transformation. The mission focuses on modernizing, designing, and sustaining an integrated digital environment that transitions from historical hardware-based industrial constraints to software-defined digital processes. This modern enterprise architecture interconnects physical and virtual technologies across Data and Analytics, Sense-Making, Automation, Augmentation, and Artificial Intelligence (AAA), Hybrid/Multi-Cloud environments, Networks, and Zero Trust security frameworks to safely deliver intelligence to warfighters at the speed of relevance.
Program Scope
The role operates within the operational oversight of the AF IC Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Data Officer (CDO), IT Risk Management Framework Authorizing Official (AO), and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The work spans the entire spectrum of Air Force ISR Information Environment operations, encompassing infrastructure layer integration, multi-cloud optimization, platform-level security configuration, and automated data sharing across secure NIPR, SIPR, and JWICS networks.
III. Key Responsibilities
Data Sharing Platform & Infrastructure Design
- Lead the evaluation of current AF IC Information Environment infrastructure capabilities against operational requirements to identify modernization and cost-efficiency opportunities.
- Design conceptual and logical target-state architectures for high-capacity data integration, secure multi-domain data sharing, and full-lifecycle data management.
- Provide specialized engineering support to bring together, configure, and interconnect physical and virtual technologies across the data, application, compute, and storage layers.
- Conduct exhaustive technical feasibility analyses on emerging software-defined capabilities and modern commercial tools to determine operational risk profiles.
- Create model-based systems engineering graphical models, technical implementation recommendations, and formal platform architecture reports for HAF C-suite deliberation.
- Lead the development of best-in-class cloud strategies to build innovative, multi-cloud environments that maintain sustainable growth.
- Align platform engineering activities with the Intelligence Community, Federal Cloud Smart Strategy, and modern commercial best practices.
- Evaluate historical Air Force ISR cloud transition plans and propose technical modifications to ensure streamlined, transparent, and responsive infrastructure modernizations.
- Coordinate standard platform engineering metrics across NIPR, SIPR, and JWICS cloud services to safeguard the performance and availability of elastic solutions-as-a-service.
- Govern the delivery of underlying foundational capabilities through the implementation of agile Software, Platform, and Infrastructure as a Service (SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS) frameworks.
- Design and implement a collaborative infrastructure hosting model based on unified IC, DoD, and commercial DevSecOps best practices.
- Build and manage continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) automated pipelines to optimize the end-to-end IT service-delivery pipeline.
- Ensure strict data platform compliance by embedding automated security components, policy validation checks, and compliance filters into all stages of the System Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
- Collaborate closely with MAJCOM cybersecurity teams and the Risk Executive Function to streamline platform authorizations and preempt field operational impacts.
- Develop, distribute, and maintain standard operating procedures and technical implementation instructions concerning secure cloud platform environments.
- Define and coordinate underlying infrastructure and platform-level considerations required to host scalable AI, Machine Learning (ML), neural networks, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) workflows.
- Partner with data engineers and operational stakeholders to deploy scalable MLOps infrastructure frameworks that facilitate fast model training, preparation, and secure validation.
- Integrate emerging Software-Defined Networking (SDN) concepts and Zero-Trust Architecture principles further into theater to build a resilient, high-speed mesh network.
- Optimize network routing protocols to securely sustain data platform availability during Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, or Limited (DDIL) operations at the tactical edge.
- Deliver expert technical knowledge for official program reviews concerning platform performance, cloud security baselines, and cross-domain network transport configuration.
Education
- Required: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM-related or analytical field.
- Preferred: Master’s Degree in a STEM-related or management field.
- Required: CompTIA Security CE (or equivalent DoD 8570.01-M / DoD 8140 IAT Level II baseline certification).
- Preferred: AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional), Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, or Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP).
- Experience: 6–12 years of professional cloud infrastructure engineering, platform architecture, DevSecOps pipeline design, or systems engineering experience within the DoD or Intelligence Community.
- Clearance: Final, verified TOP SECRET / SCI clearance day-one.
- Infrastructure Mastery: Comprehensive knowledge of cloud computing deployment models across private, public, and hybrid environments, alongside the structural differences between on-premises and off-premises resources.
- Networking Protocol Depth: Advanced knowledge of computer networking concepts, communication protocols, network security methodologies, and identity/access management frameworks (e.g., PKI).
- Headquarters Staff Support: Experience compiling technical summaries, briefings, and platform engineering options for HAF, MAJCOM, OSD, Joint Staff, or CCMD corporate staffs.
- Practical experience coordinating infrastructure support for advanced analytics, big data applications, and MLOps environments.
- Deep understanding of IC and DoD IT risk management processes, including the implementation of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) inside secure cloud boundaries.
- Familiarity with the AF ISR enterprise, including standard data transport architectures over the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS).
- Demonstrated ability to perform technical needs analysis to determine structural opportunities for software-defined networking and zero-trust integrations.
Salary : $165,000 - $185,000