Cloud Solutions Architect (AWS)

Join our team at Core One! Our mission is to be at the forefront of devising analytical, operational and technical solutions to our Nation's most complex national security challenges. In order to achieve our mission, Core One values people first! We are committed to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top talent! We offer a competitive total compensation package that sets us apart from our competition. Core One is a team-oriented, dynamic, and growing company that values exceptional performance!

Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph

Salary Range: $250,000 - $270,000

Position Overview

We are seeking a Cloud Solutions Architect to lead the design, implementation, and governance of cloud-based solutions supporting mission-critical applications within an AWS environment. This role serves as the technical authority responsible for ensuring that cloud architecture aligns with operational requirements, cybersecurity mandates, scalability objectives, and Intelligence Community (IC) compliance standards.

The Cloud Solutions Architect will work closely with Front-End Developers, Back-End Developers, Database Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Security Analysts, Requirements Managers, and program leadership to design and maintain secure, resilient, and highly available cloud solutions that support both pilot operations and full operational deployment.

The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in AWS cloud architecture, DevSecOps, cloud security, enterprise integration patterns, and federal compliance frameworks including NIST RMF, FedRAMP, and ICD 503.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture & Solution Design

• Lead the design and implementation of AWS cloud architectures supporting enterprise applications.
• Develop scalable, resilient, and secure architectures aligned with mission objectives.
• Define cloud adoption strategies, reference architectures, and technical standards.
• Establish architecture patterns for:
• Web applications
• APIs and microservices
• Data platforms
• Analytics and reporting solutions
• Security monitoring systems
• Ensure solutions support future scalability and operational growth.

AWS Infrastructure Design

Design and manage AWS services including:

Compute

• EC2
• Auto Scaling Groups
• ECS
• EKS
• AWS Lambda

Storage

• S3
• EFS
• FSx

Databases

• RDS
• Aurora
• DynamoDB
• ElastiCache

Networking

• VPC
• Transit Gateway
• Route 53
• Load Balancers
• PrivateLink
• VPN and Direct Connect

Security

• IAM
• KMS
• CloudTrail
• GuardDuty
• Security Hub
• AWS Config

Cloud Security & Compliance

• Ensure cloud solutions meet:
• NIST SP 800-53
• NIST RMF (800-37)
• FedRAMP Moderate/High
• ICD 503
• Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles
• Collaborate with Security Analysts to:
• Implement security controls
• Support ATO efforts
• Reduce cybersecurity risk
• Design:
• Encryption solutions
• Access control models
• Logging and monitoring architectures
• Ensure security controls are integrated into cloud-native services.

DevSecOps & Automation

• Partner with DevOps Engineers to implement:
• CI/CD pipelines
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Automated compliance validation
• Establish standards for:
• Terraform
• CloudFormation
• GitOps workflows
• Enable automated deployment and governance controls.

Application & Data Architecture

Front-End Collaboration

• Ensure architecture supports:
• Modern web applications
• Dashboarding capabilities
• Responsive user experiences

Back-End Collaboration

• Define API architectures and service integration patterns.
• Support microservices and event-driven architectures.

Database Collaboration

• Design cloud-native data solutions.
• Define:
• Data storage strategies
• Backup and recovery models
• Disaster recovery capabilities

Operational Resilience & Reliability

• Design highly available and fault-tolerant systems.
• Establish:
• Multi-AZ architectures
• Disaster recovery strategies
• Business continuity plans
• Define service-level objectives (SLOs) and availability targets.

Monitoring & Observability

• Design enterprise observability solutions utilizing:
• CloudWatch
• AWS X-Ray
• Splunk
• Datadog
• Prometheus
• Grafana
• Ensure operational visibility across infrastructure and applications.
• Define monitoring standards and alerting strategies.

Requirements & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with Requirements Managers to:
• Translate mission needs into technical architecture
• Assess feasibility and risk
• Support:
• Architecture reviews
• Technical roadmaps
• Executive briefings
• Present technical solutions to Government stakeholders and leadership.

Governance & Architecture Review

• Lead architecture review boards and technical design reviews.
• Establish:
• Cloud governance standards
• Security architecture standards
• Solution review processes
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategies.

Documentation & Knowledge Sharing

• Develop and maintain:
• Cloud architecture diagrams
• Technical reference architectures
• Cloud standards and policies
• Collaborate with Technical Writers and Knowledge Managers to ensure architecture documentation remains current and accessible.

Mentorship & Technical Leadership

• Mentor engineers and architects across the program.
• Promote engineering excellence and cloud best practices.
• Serve as the senior technical advisor for cloud-related decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with Polygraph
• Bachelor's Degree in: Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or Related technical discipline
• 8+ years of experience in IT systems engineering, cloud engineering, or architecture roles.
• 5+ years of AWS architecture experience.
• Experience designing enterprise cloud solutions supporting mission-critical applications.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Cloud-native architectures
  • Microservices
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • DevSecOps practices
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

Desired Qualifications

• Experience supporting Intelligence Community programs
• Experience with:
  • AWS GovCloud
  • FedRAMP-authorized environments
  • Cross-domain architectures
  • Zero Trust initiatives
• Familiarity with:
  • SAFe Agile methodologies
  • ITIL practices
  • Enterprise architecture frameworks

Core One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.