Position Overview

Ardigent Consulting is seeking an experienced Sr. AWS Cloud Engineer to serve as the primary technical lead and subject matter expert for a complex Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment supporting a federal-adjacent organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for cloud architecture, operations, security, compliance, cost optimization, modernization initiatives, and stakeholder coordination.

This role requires a hands-on engineer who can operate at both strategic and technical levels, ensuring that cloud services remain secure, compliant, highly available, and aligned with organizational mission objectives.

Must be US citizen willing to undergo background check.

Key Responsibilities

AWS Cloud Administration & Governance

• Serve as the primary administrator and technical lead for AWS accounts and cloud services.
• Manage AWS account structures, resource allocation, billing, budgeting, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Implement and maintain Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, role-based access controls, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
• Develop and maintain AWS governance standards, operational procedures, and cloud best practices.

Infrastructure Operations & Maintenance

• Administer and support AWS infrastructure, including AWS EC2, S3, Lambda, CloudFront, Route 53
• Perform routine maintenance, patching, upgrades, and system health monitoring.
• Monitor performance, availability, utilization, and security events across cloud resources.
• Troubleshoot and resolve infrastructure and application issues.

Cloud Architecture & Modernization

• Design scalable, resilient, and secure cloud architectures.
• Develop cloud roadmaps and modernization strategies.
• Lead migration, optimization, and cloud transformation initiatives.
• Support disaster recovery planning, business continuity, and resiliency efforts.
• Recommend improvements to increase performance, security, and operational efficiency.

Security & Compliance

• Collaborate with cybersecurity leadership to implement and maintain cloud security controls.
• Ensure compliance with:
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• NIST SP 800-53
• FISMA
• FedRAMP
• Support security assessments, audits, vulnerability remediation, and Authority to Operate (ATO) activities.
• Address findings from cloud posture management and security monitoring tools.
• Implement Zero Trust and least-privilege access principles.
• Maintain security documentation, evidence repositories, and compliance artifacts.

Stakeholder & Vendor Coordination

• Serve as the primary AWS point of contact for technical and business stakeholders.
• Coordinate activities with internal teams, external vendors, and government partners.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide status reporting, risk assessments, and executive-level recommendations.

Documentation & Reporting

• Develop and maintain:
• Cloud architecture diagrams
• System inventories
• Operational runbooks
• Disaster recovery plans
• Security and compliance documentation
• Produce monthly operational, security, and cost-management reports.
• Prepare incident reports and root cause analyses.
• Deliver recommendations for cloud optimization and modernization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of IT infrastructure and cloud engineering experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on AWS engineering and administration experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing enterprise AWS environments.
• Experience supporting federal, federal-adjacent, or highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, identity management, networking, and automation.
• Experience implementing MFA, IAM governance, and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience supporting security audits, compliance assessments, and ATO processes.
• Excellent written, verbal, and stakeholder communication skills.

Required Certifications

Candidates must possess current certifications in good standing:

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

Preferred Certifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
• AWS Certified Security – Specialty
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Desired Technical Skills

• IAM
• EC2
• S3
• Lambda
• CloudFront
• Route 53
• CloudWatch
• Systems Manager
• VPC Design and Administration
• Security Hub
• GuardDuty
• CloudTrail
• AWS Backup
• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform and/or CloudFormation)
• Automation and scripting (Python, PowerShell, Bash)

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting NIST 800-53 control implementations.
• Experience with FedRAMP-authorized cloud environments.
• Experience in cybersecurity risk management and compliance programs.
• Experience supporting museums, non-profits, federal agencies, or mission-focused organizations.
• Experience creating cloud governance frameworks and operational standards.

Work Location

• Hybrid work arrangement.
• Regular onsite presence required in Washington, DC.
• Occasional after-hours support may be required for maintenance windows or critical incidents.

Key Success Metrics

• Cloud environment availability and reliability.
• Security and compliance posture.
• Incident response effectiveness.
• Quality and timeliness of documentation.
• Cost optimization and resource efficiency.
• Stakeholder satisfaction and responsiveness.

Why Join Ardigent

At Ardigent, you will work with mission-driven organizations solving complex cloud, cybersecurity, and modernization challenges. We value technical excellence, innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to delivering secure and reliable solutions that make a meaningful impact.

Pay: $118,758.46 - $143,020.94 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• AWS Cloud Engineering: 5 years (Required)
• NIST SP 800-53 / FedRAMP: 2 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• AWS SolArch - Assos. (Required)

Security clearance:

• Confidential (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Washington, DC 20024 (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC 20024