Head of Platform Engineering

Provide capabilities and support for modern, efficient software development, Engineering, and Operations across STScI Lead the strategy, maturity, and execution of the Platform Engineering Division Foster embedded collaboration and knowledge sharing with capability development teams in other divisions Establish developer discovery and self-service resources, including an internal developer portal with common libraries, IaC, and CI/CD pipelines Lead Cloud-first and Kubernetes-first strategy adoption across the Institute Partner with the Cloud Center of Excellence and IT on frameworks, governance, and containerizing existing on-premises workloads Drive consistent DevSecOps practices and shared infrastructure across the Institute Lead modernization, automation, and Agile integration into Systems Engineering and Integration and Test disciplines Evolve infrastructure supporting AI integration into business processes, information systems, and operational workloads Balance strategic transformation with practical execution and measurable operational outcomes Champion organizational change management for engineering methods, toolchains, and ways of working Partner with Institute leadership, program and project teams, science and mission stakeholders, and engineering organizations Develop and manage divisional goals, roadmaps, priorities, budgets, staffing plans, and operating metrics Represent Platform Engineering as a senior leader across the Institute and shape policies, investment decisions, and long-range engineering strategy Requirements Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, systems engineering, or a related technical field 7+ years leadership experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or a related technical discipline, including responsibility for managers and multi-team organizations Demonstrated experience leading large-scale organizational, engineering, or digital transformation initiatives across multiple teams or departments Experience establishing or scaling engineering platforms, toolchains, standards, and operating models that serve a broad internal engineering community Strong understanding of Agile development methodologies, modern engineering collaboration models and internal developer platforms Familiarity with Digital Engineering and Model-Based Systems Engineering concepts, practices, and standards such as SysML v2 Experience with engineering lifecycle traceability, testing and verification frameworks, and integration of Agile delivery practices with structured engineering controls 5+ years experience with cloud-native architectures on AWS, Kubernetes-based platforms, CI/CD automation, and DevSecOps software delivery practices Strong people leadership skills, including coaching leaders, developing organizations, setting direction, and aligning teams through change Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leadership, technical staff, and cross-functional partners U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency is required due to ITAR constraints Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to MD, VA, DC, PA, DE, or WV Preferred: Experience in scientific, aerospace, research, government, or mission-driven technical environments Core Competencies Demonstrates expertise in leading software and platform engineering initiatives, with a strong focus on Agile methodologies, cloud-native architectures, and DevSecOps practices. Capable of driving organizational change and fostering collaboration across technical teams to achieve strategic goals. Highest-signal resume keywords Leadership Experience in Software Engineering Agile Development Methodologies Cloud-Native Architectures on AWS DevSecOps Software Delivery Practices Digital Engineering and Model-Based Systems Engineering Hard Skills Software Engineering Platform Engineering Agile Methodologies CI/CD Automation Kubernetes DevSecOps Engineering Lifecycle Traceability Testing and Verification Frameworks Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Organizational Change Management Soft Skills People Leadership Communication Skills Stakeholder Management Collaboration Coaching Industry Keywords Scientific Environments Aerospace Research Government Mission-Driven Technical Environments Tools & Technologies Internal Developer Portal Cloud Center of Excellence Containerization Tools Operating Models Engineering Toolchains #J-18808-Ljbffr Jobtailor