Software Engineer (Cloud & DevOps) (RDTE)

Location: Dahlgren, VA, US; onsite. US citizenship is required, and the role must maintain a Secret clearance and obtain a Top Secret clearance.

Salary: $120,000–$140,000 annually, based on qualifications and experience.

Company

Bowhead supports mission-critical government and R&D technology programs.

What you will do

• Design, develop, maintain, and modernize secure, scalable, high-performance web applications supporting mission-critical RDT&E operations.
• Contribute to software architecture, application integration, lifecycle planning, and technical design decisions.
• Deploy, configure, monitor, troubleshoot, and sustain applications across Microsoft Azure, AWS, hybrid cloud, virtualization, and IaaS environments.
• Design and optimize GitLab CI/CD pipelines, automation workflows, Helm charts, and containerized deployments using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Apply secure coding, vulnerability remediation, compliance, audit-readiness, and DevSecOps practices for cloud and containerized systems.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders, engineering, infrastructure, operations, and cybersecurity teams; provide technical recommendations, documentation, and mentoring.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 5–8 years of relevant professional experience in software engineering, full-stack development, cloud engineering, DevOps, or closely related disciplines.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting enterprise-level web applications; strong knowledge of JavaScript and modern software development principles.
• Hands-on experience supporting applications or infrastructure in Microsoft Azure and/or AWS.
• Experience with GitLab version control, CI/CD pipeline development, configuration, optimization, automation, and automated testing integration.
• Experience implementing automated software testing and validation processes.
• Working knowledge of containerized application deployment with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm.
• Experience with HashiCorp Vault or comparable secure secrets management technologies.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, application integration, software development lifecycle, secure coding, cybersecurity compliance, vulnerability remediation, and technical troubleshooting across software, infrastructure, and cloud environments.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, participate in technical design discussions, recommend improvements, and work directly with customers or technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
• US citizenship and ability to maintain a Secret clearance and obtain a Top Secret clearance.

Nice to have

• Experience with Vue.js, Python Flask, Java Spring, TypeScript, and HTML.
• Advanced Kubernetes administration and troubleshooting experience, including enterprise Helm charts.
• Experience designing cloud architectures in Azure or AWS and supporting hybrid cloud, on-premises infrastructure, virtualization, identity management, and storage.
• Familiarity with monitoring, logging, observability, networking, TCP/IP, routing, VPNs, VLANs, peering, and load balancing.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code, configuration management, infrastructure automation, automated security testing, and compliance validation in CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with DoD cybersecurity requirements, secure development environments, RMF processes, and regulated or federal environments.
• Relevant cloud, software development, Kubernetes, DevOps, or cybersecurity certifications.

Culture & Benefits

• Work involves technical ownership, independent problem-solving, engineering leadership, continuous improvement, customer focus, and security awareness.
• Regular collaboration with government stakeholders and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Physical duties include lifting up to 15 pounds or more and standing, walking, twisting, bending, and squatting periodically.