Cloud Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation's space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you'll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Job Summary  

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a talented and motivated Cloud Engineer (Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer Staff IV/V) to join our Computational Services team. In this role, you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and optimizing cloud services utilizing your expertise in Linux, cloud, Infrastructure-as-Code / programming / scripting, and cloud security in both classified and unclassified cloud environments. You will work alongside rocket scientists and engineers, tackling complex space enterprise challenges and contributing directly to the success of critical national space assets. We value a collaborative, proactive mindset and a shared commitment to engineering excellence.  

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Chantilly, VA; El Segundo, CA; or Colorado Springs, CO.

What You'll Be Doing 

• Own and engineer Amazon Web Services (AWS) & Azure production services, solving full-stack engineering problems independently in multi-account organization
• Provide engineering and architecture cloud expertise, including security, to onboard production & R&D cloud projects 
• Assist scientists and engineers with running workloads and applications in AWS / Azure 
• Manage AWS & Azure production environments with full deployment, upgrade, and backup responsibilities 
• Develop Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) to automate cloud operations 
• Provide after-hours support for AWS infrastructure during critical large scale launch trajectory simulation events 
• Regularly perform security patching across all AWS / Azure infrastructure layers while maintaining high uptime 

What You Need to be Successful 

Minimum Requirements for the Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer IV include: 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, STEM, or IT or equivalent experience 
• 5 years of experience in Amazon Web Services (AWS) 
• 1 years of experience in Azure or Azure certification, e.g. Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) 
• 5 years of experience in Linux administration 
• 1 year experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) such as AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and AWS Lambda 
• Certification, at least: AWS Solutions Architect – Associate or CloudOps Engineer – Associate or preferred AWS Developer - Associate 
• CompTIA Security+ CE certification or equivalent that meets DoD m requirements for IAT Level II personnel 
• Experience regularly performing security patching across all AWS / Azure infrastructure layers while maintaining high uptime 
• Willing to travel occasionally to alternate site (El Segundo or Chantilly) work location approximately 2% if required 
• This position requires a TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer V include: 

• 7+ years of experience in AWS, Linux, and IaC 
• Certification: AWS DevOps Engineer – Professional or Solutions Architect – Professional 
• 1 year experience with multiple AWS security tools and mitigating findings 
• 3 years of experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) such as AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and AWS Lambda and automation of large-scale deployments or major processes on AWS 
• Implementation of robust fault-tolerant cloud services 
• Implementation and responsibility for monitoring and availability of cloud services including upgrades, backups 
• 2 years Azure experience or Azure certification: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) 

How You Can Stand Out 

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• Experience with AWS Parallel Computing Service (AWS ParallelCluster). 
• Certification: AWS Security - Specialty 
• Azure certifications: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) 
• Linux certification: RHCSA or preferred Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) 
• Proficiency with automation tools such as Puppet or Ansible 
• 1 year experience programming / coding / scripting / software development 
• Experience with cloud AI / ML / LLM tools 
• Proficiency with Kubernetes 
• An active IC TS/SCI clearance with CI Polygraph 

We offer a competitive compensation package where you'll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. 

(Min - Max)

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you're an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at or by email at  . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.