Sr. DevOps Engineer

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.This is a 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 Solr clusters with ZooKeeper, 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 Solr clusters with ZooKeeper, 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.

Keywords: Systems Engineering, DevOps, DevOps Engineer, Senior DevOps Engineer, Cloud Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, IT Operations, GitLab, GitLab CI/CD, CI/CD Pipelines, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, DevSecOps, Nexus Repository, Nexus Repository Manager, Artifact Repository, Apache Solr, Solr, ZooKeeper, Apache ZooKeeper, Enterprise Search, Windows Server, Windows Administration, Windows Infrastructure, AWS, Amazon Web Services, EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, CloudFormation, Terraform, Infrastructure as Code, IaC, Configuration Management, Deployment Automation, Automation, Infrastructure Automation, VMware, VMware Migration, Cloud Migration, Hybrid Cloud, AWS Migration, Containerization, Docker, Java, Java Applications, Security Hardening, Security Controls, Vulnerability Remediation, Cloud Security, Monitoring, Logging, Observability, System Administration, Performance Tuning, Capacity Planning, Production Support, Mission-Critical Systems, Hybrid Infrastructure, Top Secret Clearance, TS/SCI Eligible, TS/SCI, Intelligence Community, IC, Federal Government, DoD, Government Contractor, Systems Automation, Release Management, Build Automation, Production Environments, DevOps Best Practices, Troubleshooting, Root Cause Analysis