Cloud Infrastructure Specialist

Company Overview

Riverside Research is a distinguished independent nonprofit organization focused on national security, dedicated to advancing research and development in the public interest. We offer top-tier technical services, innovative research, and prototype solutions to address some of the most complex technical challenges faced by our nation. All opportunities at Riverside Research require U.S. Citizenship.

Position Overview

The Riverside Research Software Applications Team (SWAT) is on the lookout for a full-time, highly proficient, and driven Cloud Systems Administrator. The selected candidate will oversee the management and maintenance of cloud infrastructure on Amazon GovCloud, ensuring optimal availability, security, and performance of our applications. This role demands a proactive and detail-oriented professional with a robust background in cloud computing and system administration.

The SWAT team is a dynamic group of seasoned software experts who develop and deploy effective and desirable software solutions swiftly. Our mission is to partner with clients to identify and resolve their challenges through open communication, innovative thinking, and skilled prototyping and deployment. We cultivate a culture grounded in smart work, trust, autonomy, and a balanced work-life environment. Our core values include commitment, growth, and resourcefulness. We employ proven methodologies such as design thinking, rapid prototyping, and agile practices to meet market demands and enhance user adoption. Successful team members typically exhibit traits such as proactivity, patience, perseverance, and professionalism.

Key Responsibilities

• Cloud Infrastructure Management: Configure, manage, and optimize the Amazon GovCloud environment to ensure peak performance and reliability.
• Monitoring and Maintenance: Continuously oversee cloud systems for performance, security, and availability, performing regular maintenance and updates.
• Security and Compliance: Implement and manage security protocols to safeguard data and applications in the cloud, ensuring adherence to relevant regulations and policies.
• Backup and Recovery: Develop and manage backup and disaster recovery strategies to maintain data integrity and availability.
• Automation and Scripting: Automate repetitive tasks and processes using scripting languages and infrastructure-as-code tools to enhance efficiency and minimize manual intervention.
• Cost Management: Monitor and optimize cloud resource utilization to effectively manage costs.
• Support and Troubleshooting: Provide technical support to the development team, resolving issues related to cloud services, including incident management and root cause analysis.
• Documentation: Create and maintain thorough documentation for configurations, processes, and procedures.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Eligibility to obtain a Top Secret clearance with SCI adjudication.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3-5 years of experience in cloud system administration.
• Proven experience managing environments on Amazon Web Services (AWS), particularly Amazon GovCloud.
• Strong understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency in cloud platforms, especially AWS.
• Expertise in automation tools and scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash, PowerShell).
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and configuration management tools (Ansible, Chef, Puppet).
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
• Knowledge of monitoring and performance optimization tools.
• Understanding of backup and disaster recovery solutions.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.
• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to managing cloud environments.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Desired Qualifications:

• Top Secret clearance with SCI adjudication.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Advanced knowledge of multi-cloud environments, serverless architecture (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions), and networking concepts (VPC, VPN, subnetting).
• Experience with cloud databases (Amazon RDS, DynamoDB) and application performance management tools (New Relic, AppDynamics).
• Knowledge of compliance standards, cloud cost management tools, and security best practices.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, proficiency with collaboration tools, and the ability to mentor junior team members.

Compensation

$78,000 - $120,000. This range represents the typical compensation for this position based on experience, location, and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense organization, where our mission is to serve our customers and support our staff. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. We offer comprehensive compensation and benefits packages to our employees, basing employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications, and other job-related criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran's status, or any other status legally protected by applicable laws.