Cloud System Engineer

Belay Technologies has been voted Baltimore Business Journal's (BBJ) Best Places to Work 2019, runner up in 2020 and a finalist in 2021!
 
Belay Technologies is seeking a Systems Engineer to join our intel team.  We just got the keys to the kingdom: approval to move our CNO development environment to the cloud!  You will be the technical pioneer architecting how we leap from a patchwork legacy environment to a modern, cloud-native backbone that can support AI-enabled development, FVEY collaboration, and the next generation of CNO development - all while the mission keeps running.

Responsibilities:

• Lead cloud architecture strategy, designing the technical roadmap and reusable patterns that enable teams to leverage cloud solutions where it makes sense. Starting with high-ROI pilots, you'll develop "easy button" templates and common resources for teams to adopt while preserving the flexibility for organizations to continue managing their own on-premise infrastructure when mission demands it.
• Architect end-to-end solutions for complex CNE services, tackling challenges like moving 90%+ capacity services to cloud storage, creating integration patterns between legacy systems and cloud-native services, and ensuring solutions maintain security controls while improving performance and scalability.
• Conduct technical assessments of existing infrastructure, working with stakeholders to unpack services running on aging platforms, document dependencies, evaluate utility, and build prioritization frameworks based on EOL dates, mission impact, cost efficiency, and user pain points.
• Partner with cloud professional services and mission stakeholders, working alongside AWS ProServe teams to scope engagements, validate architectures, and ensure cloud solutions meet the unique requirements of CNE development, testing, and collaboration while reporting directly to the Y12 technical director.
• Design modernized workflows and user experiences, reimagining how CNE developers interact with their development environment - from implementing unified SSO across disparate clients to architecting solutions for large-scale datasets.
• Above all ... make CNO the best place for software development at the agency. Create the development environment that will attract the best talent and keep them here, instead of chasing them away.

Candidates should have the following qualifications: 

• TS/SCI Clearance with polygraph
• 8 yrs., B.S. in a technical discipline or 4 additional yrs. in place of B.S.

Candidates should have the following skills:

• Deep systems engineering expertise - you have built, broken, and rebuilt complex enterprise infrastructure. You understand the realities of legacy environments, know why "lift and shift" usually fails, and can design pragmatic migration paths that keep systems operations during transformation.
• Production AWS/cloud architecture experience - you have architected and deployed cloud solutions in production (not just labs), understand cloud economics and trade-offs, and can confidently navigate VPC design, storage tiers, compute options, and security controls to build scalable solutions.
• Infrastructure modernization experience - you have led technical transformations before, know how to prioritize competing demands, can build ROI models that resonate with leadership, and understand the discipline of incremental migration.
• Technical communication and stakeholder management - you translate effectively between cloud consultants, mission developers, security teams, and executives. You build consensus across technical and non-technical audiences, document architectural decisions clearly, and can advocate for solutions without drowning people in jargon.
• Understanding of agency specific nuances with Cloud Migration, specifically with regards to ATO and the WANDS environment.

This role presents special challenges presented by the somewhat ambiguous and lofty goals of our stakeholders. To be successful, this role more than most others requires alignment with how we work on QC:

• Service mindset - you see yourself as a customer-service professional first. Technology choices serve mission needs, never the other way around
• Collaboration over heroics - you leverage your embedded position through constant communication and iteration with teammates and customers, delivering solutions quickly rather than perfectly
• Mission-driven pragmatism - you understand the strategic goals and build toward that vision while solving today's most pressing issues. Long-term architecture matters, but not at the expense of immediate mission impact. You design for optionality - enabling hybrid approaches where teams can leverage common cloud resources while continuing to manage their own infrastructure when mission requires.
• Team cultivation - you help everyone around you grow, share knowledge generously, and empower others to deliver exceptional service
• Iterative delivery - you recognize the privilege of proximity to mission, and make the most of it through rapid prototyping, tight feedback loops, and incremental wins

Candidates are desired to have the following skills:

• CNO experience - experience in CNO spaces or similar high-side environments is highly valued.
• CNO development experience - understanding what developers actually need makes you a more effective infrastructure architect.
• Enclave experience - you understand what makes restricted environments different - the constraints, the processes, and how security controls impact architecture decisions.
• Cost optimization expertise - experience right-sizing cloud resources, building FinOps practices, or making defensible recommendations about when cloud implementations actually save money vs. when managed service costs spiral.

Perks and Benefits:

• 8 weeks paid leave - 4 weeks of personal leave, 3 Yay! days, take off on your birthday,11 paid holidays and optional leave up to 6 days through Belay's volunteer program
• 10% matching in 401(k) contributions vested on day one
• $5,000 annual training/tuition
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• 100% company-funded HSA
• Rich medical coverage (100% coinsurance)
• Dental coverage including orthodontia
• Up to $420,000 in life insurance, premiums 100% company funded
• Amazon Prime, gym reimbursement, monthly lunches, games and prizes
• Pet adoption program, generous referral bonus program, fun events, and more!

 
At Belay, we are committed to creating an environment where you can thrive both professionally and personally.  We believe in transparency and fairness in compensation. Several factors influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, education, specific skills and competencies and certifications. Belay offers a competitive total compensation package that includes benefits and perks, a flexible work-life balance, and career development.

Salary Range: $105,000 to $200,000

Belay Technologies is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business located in Columbia, Maryland (Baltimore/Washington area). Belay Technologies specializes in systems automation and full stack development. Belay Technologies provides leading technology and engineering solutions to the DoD, as well as state-of-the-art commercial products. We hire software engineers, web designers, test engineers, systems engineers, systems administrators, database engineers and other tech services. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.