Principal Cloud Architect

Who we are:

Raft ([https://TeamRaft.com>) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in McLean, VA. Our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

We’re looking for an experienced Principal Cloud Architect to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

As Principal Cloud Architect, you should have extensive experience in cloud computing that includes on premise, hybrid, and commercial cloud management. You are capable of mentoring junior developers and engineers. You are able to provision, manage, and secure cloud infrastructure with expertise through infrastructure as code implementations at an Individual Contributor Level and will possess effective communication skills to interact with various stakeholders internal and external to the organization.

What we are looking for:

• Minimum 7 years of relevant hands-on experience
• Proven expertise in software engineering, with significant experience in Python scripting
• Proven expertise in software engineering leveraging large scale cloud infrastructure as their primary application platform
• Demonstrated proficiency building declarative infrastructure using modern Infrastructure as Code techniques
• Two or more examples of successfully leading software, data center, and/or on-premise infrastructure engineering teams in adoption of cloud, hybrid and on-premise cloud-native architecture
• Experience in scripting (PowerShell, JSON, and Python)
• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or comparable industry experience
• Ability to obtain a Security+ within the first 90 days of employment with Raft

Highly preferred:

• Knowledge and experience with GovCloud or AWS networking
• Proficiency in Hashicorp Vault and Immutable Infrastructure concepts
• Experience with Gitlab, its CI/CD pipelines, and familiarity with the CI/CD system landscape

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Secret security clearance

Work Type:

• Remote
• May require up to 10% travel

Salary Range:

• $140,000 - $225,000
• The determination of compensation is predicated upon a candidate's comprehensive experience, demonstrated skill, and proven abilities

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
• Education & training benefits
• Annual budget for your tech/gadgets needs
• Monthly box of yummy snacks to eat while doing meaningful work
• Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options
• Team off-site in fun places!
• Generous Referral Bonuses
• And More!

Our Vision Statement:

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission.

Our Customer Obsession:

We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.

How do we get there?

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is a norm.

Raft’s core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our “nadi” by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration.