Lead Google Cloud Platform Engineer

LightFeather is seeking a Lead Cloud Engineer – GCP to take a pivotal role in architecting, automating, and managing secure cloud infrastructure within Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for high-impact federal programs. This is a leadership position focused on driving infrastructure automation, security, compliance, and cloud optimization across enterprise applications. As a hands-on technical leader, you will define the strategy for scalable GCP implementations, lead DevOps and automation initiatives, and work closely with cross-functional teams in a high-security, mission-critical environment.

• Location: In-Person (5 days/week) in Washington, DC
• Job Type: Full Time
• Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship Required
• Clearance Requirement: Active Secret/Top Secret Security Clearance Required

Responsibilities:

Cloud Infrastructure Architecture & Management:

• Architect, deploy, and maintain scalable and secure GCP environments to support mission-critical enterprise applications.
• Lead the design and implementation of resilient cloud architectures that meet high-availability and disaster recovery requirements.

Infrastructure as Code & Automation:

• Develop and maintain automation scripts and templates using Terraform, Packer, Jenkins, and GitHub workflows.
• Champion Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices to streamline provisioning, configuration, and deployment.

Security & Compliance:

• Enforce federal cloud security requirements by implementing IAM best practices, encryption, and monitoring tools such as GCP Security Command Center.
• Ensure full compliance with frameworks such as FedRAMP, FISMA, and NIST 800-53.

Networking & Hybrid Connectivity:

• Configure and manage VPCs, subnets, load balancers, Cloud Interconnect, and VPNs to support secure and high-performance connectivity.
• Design and troubleshoot hybrid and multi-cloud network architectures.

DevOps & CI/CD Pipeline Development:

• Lead CI/CD integration using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Terraform, and Azure DevOps to support continuous delivery and infrastructure lifecycle management.
• Monitor infrastructure performance, automate deployments, and improve release velocity.

Cloud Optimization & Cost Management:

• Utilize tools like Harness Cloud Costs, Google Cloud Operations Suite (Stackdriver), and cost analytics to track usage and optimize cloud spend.

Incident Response & Troubleshooting:

• Serve as the SME for incident response, system recovery, and root cause analysis across GCP infrastructure and applications.

Collaboration & Technical Leadership:

• Partner with development, operations, and security teams to align cloud capabilities with business and mission goals.
• Mentor junior engineers, fostering growth in GCP tools, DevOps practices, and automation strategies.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Active Secret or Top Secret Security Clearance.
• 7+ years of experience in cloud engineering, systems administration, or DevOps with a strong focus on GCP.
• Expertise in Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub, and Azure DevOps.
• Advanced knowledge of GCP IAM, encryption, monitoring, and compliance standards.
• Strong experience configuring GCP VPCs, Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud Interconnect, and hybrid network solutions.
• Proficiency in scripting languages including PowerShell, Bash, Python, and working with JSON/YAML.
• Experience with cross-cloud integrations involving AWS and Azure.

Preferred:

• GCP Certifications such as Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure.
• Experience with Kubernetes (GKE), Cloud Functions, App Engine, or Anthos.
• Knowledge of serverless computing and container orchestration frameworks.
• Familiarity with disaster recovery strategies and high-availability cloud architectures.

Why Join LightFeather?
You'll be part of a team dedicated to meaningful impact, working on solutions that address mission-critical needs. Experience variety, fulfillment, and the opportunity to work with some of the best in the industry. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone is valued and respected.