Cloud Platforms Engineer

Job Description
Everforth ECS is seeking an experienced Cloud Platforms Engineer specializing in Containerization and Orchestration to work in our Fairfax, VA office in a hybrid capacity.

Everforth ECS is seeking a Cloud Platforms Engineer specializing in Containerization and Orchestration to deploy and support Azure cloud environments for multiple coalition Mission Partner Network enclaves in support of the DoW community. This role is hands-on and focused on platforms containerization and orchestration in Microsoft Azure, building and operating containers and Kubernetes, including authoring Dockerfiles, Helm/Kustomize configurations, GitLab CI/CD pipelines, and Terraform code. This includes writing infrastructure code, improving deployment pipelines, and helping teams operate more efficiently in the cloud.

The position works closely with engineering and security teams to deliver consistent, repeatable infrastructure and deployment patterns. The focus is on doing the work, solving problems, and improving how cloud environments are built and maintained over time.

Responsibilities include:

• Build and operate containerized platforms and Kubernetes environments in Microsoft Azure.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize Dockerfiles for application containerization.
• Author and maintain Helm charts and Kustomize configurations for Kubernetes deployments.
• Build and improve GitLab CI/CD pipelines to automate application and infrastructure deployments.
• Develop and maintain Terraform Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for Azure resources and platform services.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and deployment processes.
• Improve deployment pipelines to increase reliability, repeatability, and operational efficiency.
• Support the ongoing operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of container and Kubernetes platforms.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Salary Range: $180,000-210,000

Please note, Salary is commensurate with skillset, qualifications, experience, and educational background.
Required Skills

• U. S. Citizen.
• Active DoD Secret security clearance.
• Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of related work experience.
• Ability to obtain a DoD 8140 IAT Level II Security+ (or higher) within 60 days of hire.
• Ability to work in a hybrid capacity in Fairfax, VA (up to 3 days in office).
• Ability to travel <20% throughout the lifespan of the Program to CONUS / OCONUS customer sites and government installations.
• Containers: Author Dockerfiles from scratch, including multi-stage/hardened builds, non-root containers, proper ENTRYPOINT / CMD , and deterministic dependency installation.
• Container Registries: Experience with image tagging/versioning, immutable tags, authentication, pull secrets, and image scanning/remediation.
• Kubernetes: Strong knowledge of Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs, Services, Ingress, ConfigMaps, Secrets, PVCs, ServiceAccounts, RBAC, NetworkPolicies, and scheduling.
• Kubernetes Troubleshooting: Diagnose workload failures using kubectl , logs, events, describe , exec , resource status, and evidence-based troubleshooting rather than trial and error.
• Reliability & Security: Resource requests/limits, probes, PDBs, rollout strategies, security contexts, non-root execution, node affinity/taints, and storage concepts.
• Helm: Author and maintain charts, templates, values, subcharts, overrides, and environment-specific configurations; use helm template , --dry-run , upgrades, and rollbacks.
• Kustomize: Build bases and overlays; use patches, image transformations, namespaces, and generators; understand when to use Helm versus Kustomize.
• GitLab CI/CD: Author .gitlab-ci.yml pipelines with stages, needs , rules , reusable templates, artifacts, caching, variables/secrets, approvals, environments, and quality gates.
• CI Image Builds: Build and scan container images in restricted CI environments using Kaniko, BuildKit, or equivalent tools.
• GitOps: Hands-on experience with Flux or Argo CD, including reconciliation, deployments, drift, health status, and troubleshooting failed reconciliations.
• Terraform: Author Terraform code from scratch, including resources, variables, outputs, modules, data sources, dependencies, for_each / count , provider configuration, and remote state. Understand plans, state, dependency graphs, unknown values, and reusable module design.
• Git/YAML: Strong Git and YAML skills, including branching, merging/rebasing, troubleshooting, and maintainable configuration.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, with a proven ability to weigh the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and identify the most appropriate solution.
• Highly developed interpersonal and oral/written communication skills, with the ability to effectively and professionally interact with a diverse set of stakeholders (from peers to end-users to executive management).

Desired Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Networking, Computer Security, or other Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) discipline.
• Big Bang / DoD: Big Bang, Iron Bank, hardened/STIG images, restricted or air-gapped environments, and DoD/RMF/FedRAMP experience.
• AWS/GovCloud: EKS, IAM/IRSA or Pod Identity, EBS/EFS, RDS, ALB/NLB, Route 53, KMS, and Secrets Manager.
• Advanced Terraform: Module design, multi-environment deployments, state management, and provider dependencies
• Service Mesh & Policy: Istio, Kyverno, and OPA/Gatekeeper.
• Security & Identity: SOPS, Sealed Secrets, External Secrets, cert-manager, OIDC/SAML, and Azure Entra ID

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ECS Federal LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis any characteristic protected by law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local jurisdiction law.

is the federal segment of , a $4B global organization with over 10,000 employees. Our nearly 3,500 professionals deliver advanced technology solutions in data and AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation, serving defense, intelligence, and federal civilian agencies.

Our work powers mission-critical outcomes, strengthens technology partnerships, and creates meaningful opportunities for our people. We are defined by a commitment to excellence in delivery, a culture of innovation, and an environment where talent can thrive and grow.

We value:

• Attracting and developing top talent and high-performing teams
• Fostering a culture that is engaging, accountable, and mission-driven

Meet the challenge. Make a difference with Everforth ECS!