Senior Cloud Architect

Peraton

$135K — $216K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years of experience in IT; 10+ years with a Master's; 7+ years with a Ph.D.; or 16+ years with a high school diploma
  • 3+ years in classified, air-gapped, or disconnected cloud environments
  • In-depth knowledge of NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and ATO processes
  • Experience with Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation, Terraform)
  • Familiarity with DevOps tools like Docker, Jenkins, and GitHub
  • Proven leadership in coordinating with senior government stakeholders
  • Strong understanding of cloud security practices

Responsibilities

  • Own enterprise Landing Zone design and operational readiness for TS/SCI environments
  • Lead ATO gap analysis and implement remediation strategies
  • Architect secure AWS environments, ensuring hybrid connectivity and controlled data flow
  • Implement automated cyber monitoring and anomaly detection tools for cloud systems
  • Provide technical direction for AI/LLM initiatives in classified cloud settings
  • Drive cost optimization and enhance mission delivery through enterprise cloud strategies
  • Coordinate technical efforts across government agencies and contractor teams

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work within classified and secure environments
  • Engagement in multifaceted cloud architecture projects
  • Leadership opportunities in mentoring and team management
  • Access to pioneering technologies like AI/ML within secure frameworks
  • Collaborative work with national laboratories and government stakeholders
  • A mission-driven role supporting critical governmental operations
Full Job Description
Responsibilities

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Cloud Architect to serve as a technical authority for enterprise cloud operations within classified (TS/SCI) environments. This role combines strategic architecture, hands-on engineering, and program leadership to deliver mission-critical cloud capabilities across federal agencies. The ideal candidate will lead Landing Zone design, drive ATO readiness, and architect secure cloud solutions in air-gapped and hybrid environments-coordinating across government stakeholders, national laboratories, and cloud service providers.

Key Responsibilities
  • Serve as Cloud Architect for TS/SCI classified enclaves, owning enterprise Landing Zone design, security posture, and operational readiness
  • Lead ATO gap analysis and remediation strategies, aligning cloud architecture to NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and agency-specific security controls
  • Architect and oversee secure, air-gapped AWS environments, including hybrid connectivity, cross-domain solutions, and controlled data flows
  • Develop and implement automated cyber monitoring, anomaly detection, and alerting tools for cloud infrastructure and network activity
  • Provide technical leadership for AI/LLM initiatives within classified cloud environments, including secure deployment patterns, data governance, and model lifecycle management
  • Drive enterprise cloud optimization strategies to improve cost efficiency, operational performance, and mission delivery
  • Architect backup, disaster recovery, and high-availability solutions for large-scale, mission-critical data environments
  • Develop automation frameworks using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for provisioning, compliance enforcement, and operational efficiency
  • Coordinate across government agencies, national labs, CSP(s), and contractor teams as the primary technical authority and point of escalation
  • Support DevOps and CI/CD pipeline development for microservices architectures, including container orchestration and monitoring
  • Mentor and lead teams of cloud engineers, fostering technical excellence and knowledge sharing


Qualifications

Required Qualifications
  • Minimum of 12 years with BS/BA; Minimum of 10 years with MS/MA; Minimum of 7 years with Ph.D., 16 years with a HS diploma
  • 3+ years of experience operating in classified, air-gapped, or disconnected cloud environments
  • Strong knowledge of federal security frameworks including NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and ATO processes
  • Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation, Terraform, or equivalent)
  • Experience with DevOps toolchains including Docker, Jenkins, GitHub, and CI/CD pipeline design
  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and coordinate with senior government stakeholders
  • Strong understanding of cloud security principles, including zero-trust architectures, encryption, and access management
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • Active TS/SCI or Q/SCI

Preferred Qualifications
  • AWS Solutions Architect certification (Associate or Professional)
  • Demonstrated expertise in AWS Landing Zone / Control Tower architecture and enterprise-scale multi-account strategies
  • Hands-on experience with core AWS services: EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, Lambda, EKS, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, RDS, and networking constructs
  • PMP (Project Management Professional) certification
  • Experience supporting DOE, DOW, or IC agency missions
  • Expertise in AI/ML and LLM deployment within secure or classified environments
  • Experience with big data and analytics platforms
  • Familiarity with container orchestration at scale in restricted environments
  • Background in enterprise cost optimization delivering measurable savings
  • Experience with cross-domain solutions and hybrid cloud networking
  • Proficiency in Python for automation, scripting, and tooling development
  • Track record of leading teams of 5+ engineers on complex cloud delivery programs


Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

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