Lead Software Engineer – DevOps Architect (TS/SCI with Poly)
📍 Location: Palm Bay, FL (100% Onsite)
🏢 Industry: Aerospace & Defense
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
🗓️ Work Schedule: 9/80 Schedule (Every Other Friday Off)
🔒 Security Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph
🚫 Visa Sponsorship: Not Available
🚚 Relocation Assistance: Available
✈️ Interview Travel: Reimbursed
💰 Compensation: $140,000 – $180,000 Base Salary
Overview
A leading aerospace and defense organization is seeking a Lead Software Engineer – DevOps Architect to lead the design, modernization, and long-term evolution of a containerized microservices platform supporting mission-critical applications.
This is a highly technical architecture role focused on DevOps engineering, containerization, CI/CD, infrastructure automation, and platform modernization. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across architecture, implementation, and engineering best practices while partnering closely with software engineering, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and program stakeholders.
This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced DevOps Architect, Platform Architect, Software Architect, or Cloud Infrastructure Architect who enjoys designing scalable, secure, and resilient distributed systems.
Key Responsibilities
DevOps & Platform Architecture
Lead the architecture and design of Docker-based microservices platforms.
Develop scalable, secure, and resilient distributed system architectures.
Define platform roadmaps and long-term modernization strategies.
Establish architecture standards and engineering best practices.
Containerization & Orchestration
Design and implement containerized application environments.
Drive technical decisions around container orchestration platforms.
Improve platform scalability, availability, and operational resilience.
Guide platform standardization across engineering teams.
CI/CD & Infrastructure Automation
Design modern CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies.
Drive Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation initiatives.
Improve build, release, deployment, and monitoring processes.
Promote DevOps best practices across the software lifecycle.
Software Architecture
Produce detailed architectural designs and interface specifications.
Define deployment models and technical design documentation.
Support API integration and service-to-service communication.
Evaluate architecture tradeoffs and recommend improvements.
Technical Leadership
Lead architecture and design reviews.
Mentor engineering teams and provide technical guidance.
Identify technical risks and mitigation strategies.
Collaborate with software, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and program leadership.
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
Bachelor's Degree with 9+ years of relevant experience
OR
Master's Degree with 7+ years of relevant experience
OR
13+ years of related experience in lieu of a degree
Security Clearance
✔ Active TS/SCI with Polygraph (Required)
Required Technical Expertise
DevOps & Platform Engineering
DevOps Architecture
Platform Engineering
Distributed Systems Architecture
Microservices Architecture
Docker
CI/CD & Automation
Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Configuration Management
Automated Deployments
Container Technologies
Docker
Kubernetes
OpenShift (or similar orchestration platforms)
Software Architecture
API Design
Service-to-Service Communication
Distributed Systems
Platform Modernization
Security & Reliability
Secure Platform Engineering
Scalability & Performance Optimization
System Reliability & Observability
Infrastructure Resilience
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with:
Kubernetes
OpenShift
Docker Enterprise
Infrastructure Automation
Platform Modernization
Enterprise DevOps
Cloud-Native Platforms
Large-Scale Distributed Systems
Strong experience producing:
Architecture documentation
Technical design artifacts
Interface specifications
Engineering decision records
Must-Have Skills
Architecture
Docker-Based Architecture
Microservices
Distributed Systems
Platform Engineering
DevOps
CI/CD Pipelines
Infrastructure as Code
Configuration Management
Deployment Automation
Leadership
Technical Leadership
Architecture Reviews
Engineering Mentorship
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Infrastructure
Kubernetes / OpenShift
API Integration
Secure Platform Engineering
Monitoring & Observability
Screening Questions
Do you currently hold an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph?
How many years of experience do you have in DevOps engineering, software architecture, or platform architecture?
Have you designed and implemented Docker-based microservices architectures?
What experience do you have with container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or OpenShift?
Have you designed and implemented enterprise CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code solutions?
Have you produced detailed architectural documentation, technical designs, and deployment models?
Do you have experience designing secure distributed systems, APIs, and service-to-service communication patterns?
Have you led architecture reviews, mentored engineering teams, and driven technical direction?
What tools or technologies have you used for infrastructure automation and configuration management?
Are you able to work onsite full-time in Palm Bay, Florida?
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will:
Hold an active TS/SCI with Polygraph.
Be an experienced DevOps or Platform Architect with deep expertise in distributed systems.
Have extensive experience designing Docker-based microservices platforms.
Possess strong Kubernetes or OpenShift experience.
Be comfortable defining enterprise architecture standards and long-term technology roadmaps.
Thrive in highly collaborative engineering environments.
Demonstrate strong mentoring, communication, and technical leadership skills.
Balance hands-on engineering with strategic architectural decision-making.
Candidate Snapshot
Requirement
Details
Clearance
Active TS/SCI with Polygraph
Experience
10–15+ Years
Architecture
DevOps, Platform & Microservices
Containerization
Docker
Orchestration
Kubernetes / OpenShift
DevOps
CI/CD, IaC, Configuration Management
Software
API Design, Distributed Systems
Location
Palm Bay, FL
Work Arrangement
100% Onsite
Schedule
9/80 (Every Other Friday Off)
Compensation
$140K – $180K
Relocation
Available
What Makes Someone Successful in This Role?
Deep expertise in DevOps architecture and distributed systems.
Strong experience designing Docker-based microservices platforms.
Ability to architect scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solutions.
Proven success implementing CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and automation strategies.
Strong technical leadership with experience mentoring engineering teams.
Excellent communication skills, capable of presenting architectural concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to drive platform modernization while ensuring operational reliability and long-term maintainability.