DevSecOps Lead Chief Engineer

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Zantech is looking for a talented DevSecOps Lead / Chief Engineer to contribute to the success of our upcoming Applied and Emerging Technology Support project for a Hybrid role based out of Camp Springs MD.

The DevSecOps Lead serves as the technical authority for all DevSecOps engineering activities across USCIS OIT portfolios bridging gaps between programs with varying levels of DevSecOps maturity. This role requires a hands-on technical leader who can design implement and optimize CI/CD pipelines infrastructure automation and containerized environments while ensuring compliance with DHS Zero Trust principles. The DevSecOps Lead will establish and disseminate best practices that accelerate secure reliable digital transformation across the USCIS enterprise.

Responsibilities include but will not be limited to:

• DevSecOps Engineering & Architecture
• Design and implement enterprise CI/CD pipelines with integrated security controls and automated gates
• Architect cloud-native solutions using containers microservices and serverless technologies
• Develop infrastructure-as-code (IaC) templates and reusable deployment patterns
• Implement continuous monitoring and observability solutions across applications and infrastructure
• Guide migration from monolithic to decomposed microservices-based architectures
• Establish reference implementations for high-performing scalable platform designs
• Security Integration
• Integrate security scanning tools (SAST DAST SCA container scanning) into CI/CD pipelines
• Implement application and workload security controls aligned with Zero Trust architecture
• Ensure compliance with DHS security requirements FedRAMP and FISMA standards
• Automate security testing and vulnerability remediation workflows
• Establish security gates and governance controls within deployment pipelines
• Conduct threat modeling and security risk assessments for USCIS applications
• CI/CD Pipeline Optimization
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins GitLab CI/CD GitHub Actions
• Automate build test and deployment processes to enable Team Managed Deployment (TMD)
• Reduce deployment cycle times while improving reliability and security
• Implement blue-green canary and rolling deployment strategies
• Establish automated rollback mechanisms and disaster recovery procedures
• Optimize pipeline performance and resource utilization
• Infrastructure & Platform Management
• Manage containerized environments using Kubernetes Docker and OpenShift
• Implement service mesh technologies for microservices communication
• Design and maintain cloud infrastructure in AWS GovCloud
• Automate environment provisioning and configuration management
• Implement infrastructure monitoring logging and alerting solutions
• Ensure high availability scalability and disaster recovery capabilities
• USCIS Enterprise Tool Integration
• Maximize utilization of USCIS-developed enterprise platforms:
• USCIS Backstage: Developer portal integration and plugin development
• Container Compliance Dashboard (CCD): Integrate pipeline reporting and compliance metrics
• Enterprise Ready Deployment Services (ERDS): Standardize deployment orchestration
• Common Microservices Initializer (CMI): Establish patterns for new service creation
• Contribute enhancements and feedback to USCIS platform teams
• Develop documentation and training materials for enterprise tool adoption
• Best Practices & Standards
• Establish agency-wide DevSecOps principles and guidelines supporting Agile practices
• Promote GitOps workflows and declarative configuration management
• Implement trunk-based development and feature flagging strategies
• Standardize logging monitoring and observability practices
• Reduce dependencies on proprietary software; promote open-source adoption
• Foster collaboration between development security and operations teams
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship
• Lead DevSecOps engineering team of 8-12 engineers
• Provide technical guidance to USCIS product/portfolio teams
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide recommendations for improvement
• Mentor junior engineers in DevSecOps practices and automation techniques
• Stay current with emerging tools and technologies; conduct proof-of-concept evaluations
• Present technical topics to USCIS stakeholders and leadership

Required Experience or Knowledge of the following technologies/functions:

• Experience:
• Minimum 10 years of IT engineering experience
• Minimum 5 years in DevSecOps DevOps or Platform Engineering roles
• Minimum 3 years of federal government experience preferably DHS or civilian agencies
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing enterprise CI/CD solutions
• Experience with cloud-native application development and deployment
• Track record of successful DevSecOps transformations in complex enterprise environments
• Technical Skills (Required):
• Expert-level knowledge of CI/CD tools (Jenkins GitLab CI/CD GitHub Actions or similar)
• Deep expertise with container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes OpenShift EKS ECS)
• Advanced proficiency with Infrastructure-as-Code tools (Terraform CloudFormation Ansible)
• Strong scripting abilities (Python Bash PowerShell Go)
• Extensive experience with AWS cloud services (EC2 S3 Lambda RDS VPC IAM etc.)
• Expert knowledge of Git workflows and version control strategies
• Proficiency with security scanning tools (SonarQube Veracode Checkmarx Twistlock Aqua)
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus Grafana ELK Stack Datadog Splunk)
• Technical Skills (Highly Desired):
• Experience with service mesh technologies (Istio Linkerd)
• Knowledge of policy-as-code tools (OPA Kyverno Sentinel)
• Familiarity with (especially relevant for USCIS Backstage)
• Experience with API gateway and management solutions
• Knowledge of secrets management tools (Vault AWS Secrets Manager)
• Understanding of software bill of materials (SBOM) and supply chain security
• Federal & DHS-Specific Knowledge:
• Understanding of Zero Trust Architecture principles and implementation
• Knowledge of FedRAMP FISMA and NIST frameworks ()
• Familiarity with DHS security requirements and authorization processes
• Understanding of Section 508 compliance requirements
• Experience with AWS GovCloud and FedRAMP-authorized services
• Knowledge of continuous ATO (cATO) processes

Preferred Experience or Knowledge of the following technologies/functions:

• USCIS-Specific Experience (Highly Desired):
• Hands-on experience with USCIS Backstage CCD ERDS or CMI
• Experience supporting USCIS immigration systems (ELIS CIS CLAIMS RAPS)
• Understanding of USCIS OIT architecture standards and approved technology stack
• Familiarity with USCIS Team Managed Deployment (TMD) criteria and processes
• Knowledge of USCIS governance review processes

Required Education/Certifications:

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science Information Technology Business Administration or related field
• Masters degree preferred
• Certifications (Required - Minimum 2):
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional OR Associate
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) OR Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
• One of: HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible
• Certifications (Highly Desired):
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional
• AWS Certified Security - Specialty
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• GIAC Cloud Security Automation (GCSA)
• Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
• GitLab Certified CI/CD Specialist

Required Security Clearance:

• US Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain an active Public Trust or higher clearance per contract requirements.

Outstanding PerformanceAlways!

Our corporate motto represents our commitment to build long-term relationships with both our clients and our employees by providing the highest quality service in everything we do. We strive for excellence for our clients and for each other. We embrace the opportunity to hire individuals with new talents and fresh perspectives. Zantech offers competitive compensation strong benefits and a vacation package as well as a fast-paced and exciting work environment. Come join our team!