Principal Cloud Engineer

Space Telescope Science Institute

. Lead cloud security automation initiatives for NASA flagship space telescope missions .

Posted 9/22/2026full-timeUnited StatesLead💰 $160,000 - $175,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive expertise in AWS cloud security and automation, with a strong focus on deploying and securing Amazon EKS workloads. Proven ability to implement infrastructure as code and automated security testing within CI/CD pipelines while collaborating effectively across engineering and security teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

AWS Cloud SecurityAmazon EKS DeploymentInfrastructure As CodeAutomated Incident ResponseDevOps Principles

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Cloud Security AutomationPlatform Engineering PracticesAutomated Security TestingSecurity Controls ImplementationCI/CD Pipeline IntegrationAgentic AI CapabilitiesWorkload Identity ManagementCluster HardeningAdmission ControlRuntime Protection

Soft Skills

Stakeholder EngagementIndependent Problem Solving

Tools & Technologies

CloudFormationTerraformCDKOktaAuth0DatadogELK

Certifications & Qualifications

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – ProfessionalAWS Certified Solutions Architect – ProfessionalCKACKS

Industry Keywords

ITAR ClearanceCloud Security Best PracticesSelf-Service ToolingAutomated Incident Response WorkflowsSecurity Guardrails

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudTerraform

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead cloud security automation initiatives for NASA flagship space telescope missions
Design, implement, and operate security controls, guardrails, and monitoring systems across AWS cloud applications and environments
Build secure-by-default paved-road tooling for mission and science teams
Own solutions from concept through production
Serve as technical lead for cloud security automation and partner with software, security, and DevOps engineers
Design, deploy, and secure Amazon EKS workloads, including cluster hardening, workload identity, admission control, and runtime protection
Build reusable platform engineering modules and self-service capabilities
Build and maintain infrastructure as code with security controls and guardrails expressed as code
Embed automated security testing and policy enforcement into CI/CD pipelines
Build and operate automated incident response workflows covering detection, triage, containment, and remediation
Evaluate and implement agentic AI capabilities for security engineering and operational tasks with guardrails and human review
Collaborate across engineering, IT, and security teams and engage internal customers to identify needs and increase impact

Requirements

What you’ll need

Minimum of 10 years of experience as a Software Developer, System Development Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, or DevOps Engineer
Minimum of 7 years of experience as a Cloud Security Automation Engineer or Cloud DevSecOps Engineer
Hands-on experience deploying and operating Amazon EKS in production
Demonstrated experience implementing platform engineering practices, including internal developer platforms or self-service tooling
Deep expertise in AWS cloud security and automation
Expertise with infrastructure as code using CloudFormation, Terraform, or CDK
Experience designing and operating automated incident response
Strong grounding in DevOps principles and automated security testing within CI/CD
Applied knowledge of cloud security best practices and control frameworks
Proven ability to work independently and drive solutions to completion through active stakeholder engagement
U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency required
ITAR clearance required
Candidates must reside in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, or West Virginia
Preferred: Experience with single sign-on platforms such as Okta, Auth0, or similar
Preferred: Experience with log management and dashboarding using Datadog, ELK, or similar platforms
Preferred: Experience implementing agentic AI or LLM-based automation in an engineering or security context
Preferred: Professional-level certifications such as AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, CKA, or CKS

Benefits

Comp & perks

Excellent and generous benefits package
Tuition reimbursement
Flexible work schedules
Stimulating and diverse work environment