Lead AWS Cloud Engineer

Next Phase Solutions & Services, Inc.

Join a trusted leader in national security & federal IT. Our team supports top federal agencies with innovative, security‑first approaches.

We are seeking a highly skilled and hands‑on Lead AWS Cloud Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will lead technical efforts while actively contributing to the design, development, and implementation of cloud solutions. You will guide infrastructure and integration teams, ensuring compliance with technical, security, and IT policy guidelines, while remaining deeply engaged in engineering work.

• Serve as a technical lead while maintaining active, hands‑on involvement in building and delivering solutions
• Oversee requirements gathering, design, development, testing, implementation, and documentation of enhancements
• Guide infrastructure and integration teams using expertise in Java, CI/CD (Jenkins), Kubernetes, infrastructure and code automation, monitoring and alerting tools, application and infrastructure logging, security tools, Git Hub, code quality tools, and secrets management, AWS services suite
• Apply Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles to enhance system reliability, scalability, and performance
• Evaluate technical trends and make architecture and technology recommendations aligned with business objectives
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement within the technical landscape

This is not a 100% remote opportunity. Primary work will be performed on‑site at either the Next Phase Solutions & Services office in Columbia, MD, or at a designated government facility within the region, as directed by the client.

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Experience supporting federal agencies (e.g., USCIS, DHS)
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
• Proven experience leading and contributing hands‑on to cloud engineering projects, with strong expertise in AWS services
• In‑depth experience with Java, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and cloud security practices
• Strong understanding of federal security and IT compliance requirements
• Excellent problem‑solving, communication, and team collaboration skills

• AWS or Kubernetes certifications

• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize workload based on client needs
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and frequent changes in priorities
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Excellent technical writing skills and proven experience in systems with complex requirements
• Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with others to meet project objectives
• Understanding of the system development lifecycle as implemented with Agile; SAFe knowledge a plus

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to navigate in an office setting unassisted
• Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds
• Strong speaking skills, including the ability to articulate thoughts in a clear manner and excellent word enunciation skills, are required

• Employees must adhere to all information security requirements as documented in company policies and procedures
• Hybrid work environment: three days in the office per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and two days remote
• Opportunities for advancement and exposure to exciting projects and initiatives
• Position suited for candidates within commuting distance to Columbia, MD, not eligible for fully remote schedule
• Competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and professional growth opportunities

$170,000 – $195,000 per year, with performance‑based incentives and comprehensive benefits.

• Choose from three medical healthcare plans
• Dental and vision insurance plans
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company‑sponsored Wellness Program
• Life insurance, accidental death, and dismemberment (AD&D), short‑term and long‑term disability insurance—paid by company
• Paid time off, including 11 holidays and maternity leave for recovering mothers
• 401(k) plan with 5%…