Information Technology Specialist (Cloud Operation Support)

Summary

This position is located in GAOs Science Technology Assessment & Analytics (STAA) Team. STAA is devoted to enhancing & expanding its support to Congress in conducting technology assessments oversight of federal science and technology programs & development of innovative analytical techniques in carrying out audits and evaluations. To learn more visit: STAA

Duties

The STAA team is seeking an experienced professional to plan design and manage cloud infrastructure and operational processes; and provide expert guidance to leadership project teams and cross-organizational stakeholders to advance GAOs capabilities. Specifically the incumbent will:

• Lead the design implementation and continuous optimization of Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure across the Innovation Labs multi-account and multi-tenant environment including Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and other evolving as-a-service capabilities.
• Architect and implement AWS Service Catalog portfolios products and constraints to enable secure standardized and repeatable provisioning of cloud resources across accounts and teams.
• Design and implement infrastructure-as-code (IaC) solutions using tools such as AWS CloudFormation Terraform or AWS CDK to automate the provisioning configuration and management of cloud environments.
• Evaluate emerging AWS services tools and third-party solutions and make authoritative recommendations to leadership on adoption integration or retirement of cloud capabilities.
• Design and manage identity and access management (IAM) strategies across cloud services cloud infrastructure and Innovation Lab tools ensuring alignment with federal security standards and GAO cybersecurity policies.
• Develop and implement automated compliance monitoring and security controls using AWS-native services (e.g. AWS Config CloudTrail GuardDuty Security Hub) and recommend remediation strategies for identified vulnerabilities.
• Lead the coordination reporting and documentation of cybersecurity events and incidents with the incident response team and across matrixed stakeholders conducting root cause analysis and implementing preventive measures.
• Supports cloud financial management (FinOps) practices by analyzing resource utilization across services through AWS billing cost management and optimization tools (e.g. Cost Explorer Trusted Advisor Compute Optimizer). Develop actionable strategies for cost optimization and present findings and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Establish and maintain cloud budgeting frameworks forecasting models and chargeback/showback mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability of cloud expenditures.
• Facilitate and drive Agile ceremonies including sprint planning retrospectives and program increment (PI) planning sessions within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) ensuring alignment of technical execution with strategic objectives.
• Define and continuously improve Agile processes and operational workflows to increase delivery velocity quality and cross-team coordination. Identify and resolve impediments that affect delivery across release trains and sprints.
• Coordinate and integrate external stakeholder inputs into Agile planning processes balancing competing priorities and negotiating scope and timeline adjustments with project teams and leadership.
• Serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) with responsibility for overseeing high-value and technically complex contracts. Execute the full range of contract administration activities including developing and refining Statements of Work (SOWs) and Performance Work Statements (PWSs) evaluating contractor performance leading in-scope and performance discussions and planning for renewal option exercise or recompete actions.
• Conduct market research and analysis to inform acquisition strategies. Advise leadership on acquisition approaches contract vehicles and sourcing decisions that align with the Innovation Labs strategic objectives and GAO procurement policies.
• Monitor contractor activities to ensure compliance with contract provisions deliverable quality and alignment with technical requirements. Identify and resolve contract performance issues as appropriate.
• Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) and principal technical advisor to Innovation Lab leadership on cloud operations DevSecOps and IT infrastructure matters.
• Represent the Innovation Lab in cross-organizational working groups governance boards and agency-level forums involving internal and external stakeholders. Advocate for the Labs technical requirements and contribute to enterprise-wide cloud and IT strategies.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior staff detailees and contractor personnel on cloud technologies operational processes and best practices.
• Lead operational activities of the Innovation Lab including strategic event planning outreach to mission and operation teams schedule alignment across programs training management and compliance assessments. Develop and implement operational policies and standard operating procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must meet all qualification requirements before the announcement closes.

Qualifications

You must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower band or level equivalent to the GS-13 in the federal service or comparable private or public sector experience which has equipped you with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

• Implementing AWS cloud infrastructure across a multi-account and multi-tenant environment;
• Facilitating Agile ceremonies driving process improvement and managing complex technical programs across multiple teams;
• Implementing security controls and compliance monitoring in a federal cloud environment; and
• Applying FinOps principles and cloud financial management practices including cost allocation optimization strategies budgeting and forecasting for enterprise cloud environments.

Additionally you must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces including the general public individuals who work in the agency other agencies or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs provide information or assistance resolve their problems or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example technical sensitive controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others attends to nonverbal cues and responds appropriately.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives and to make recommendations.

NOTE: Your application should clearly show your possession of the specialized experience qualification requirement and the four competencies listed above.

You must meet all qualifications requirements BEFORE the closing date of the announcement.

Education

There is no education requirement for this position.

Additional information

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Based on the staffing needs additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

If you have an approved Flexible Work Agreement and are selected you must complete and submit a new flexible work application for approval. Your new flexible work arrangement will be reviewed and decided based on Agency policy governing these arrangements. You may have a 90-day waiting period to submit a new arrangement.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.

GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation please email

GAOs policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race religion color sex (including pregnancy) national origin age disability genetic information sexual orientation or gender identity.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Required Experience:

IC