IT Specialist (Cloud Engineer)

General Job Information

There is only one city in the country that can say it is the Nation's Capital - Washington, D.C. Given that distinction, The Metropolitan Police Department is the premiere law enforcement organization in the city. We receive over 22 million visitors a year, have almost 700,000 residents, and 21,000 private business. The Department consists of more than 4,200 members: approximately 3,550 sworn members and over 650 civilian employees. We are one of the most diverse and highly trained departments in the country. We have the honor of safeguarding and protecting not only our nation's residents, but also people from all over the world.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) offers an attractive benefits package. The benefits package includes competitive compensation, health insurance, prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, short and long term disability and life insurance, as well a strong retirement benefit and savings options. Employees are also eligible for our employer contributed 401a plan after one year of employment. Additional perks such as discounts on wireless carriers, gym memberships, amusement park tickets and much more! Additional information can be found at: DCHR Benefits

This position is located in the District of Columbia, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Technical and Analytical Services Bureau (TASB). The purpose of the position is to provide Cloud engineering technical support and administration to deliver IT services for MPD and partner law enforcement agencies. It is the mission of the Metropolitan Police Department to safeguard the District of Columbia and protect its residents and visitors by providing the highest quality of police service with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to innovation that integrates people, technology and progressive business systems.

This IT Specialist (Cloud Engineer) position is covered under the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) bargaining unit and you may be required to pay an agency fee through direct payroll deductions.

This position works with our cloud engineering team to optimize, implement, and maintain our organization's cloud-based systems. The IT Specialist (Cloud Engineer) leads MPD projects and related tasks. Establishes and verifies the process and plans in support of MPD IT supported efforts. Specifically, the incumbent:

• Designs, develops, and deploys cloud-based systems on AWS (Amazon Web Services), Azure and hybrid environment.

• Develops and maintains Cloud solutions in accordance with best practices.

• Ensures efficient functioning of data storage and process functions in accordance with company security policies and best practices in cloud security.

• Identifies, analyzes, and resolves infrastructure vulnerabilities and application deployment issues.

• Regularly reviews existing public and hybrid cloud systems and makes recommendations for improvements.

The incumbent monitors performance of all supported computer systems and schedules application programs and system utilities to ensure system integrity. Ensures the rigorous application of information security/information assurance policies, principles, and practices in the delivery of network services.

The incumbent participates and leads hybrid cloud development and cloud connectivity with on prem datacenters. Works with multidisciplinary teams of cloud engineering, networking and security to design and configure direct connect, IPsec VPN, customer gateway devices in a multi accounts environment.

The incumbent provides support in a manner that minimizes interruptions in customers' ability to carry out critical business activities. Duties specific to this business area are as follows:

• Designs, builds and manages highly secure, scalable and available architectures on the cloud.

• Configures cloud infrastructure components like networking and security services. Develops infrastructure as Code (IAAC).

• Creates applications and database systems that perform on the cloud.

• Monitors cloud management and data storage services.

• Builds, releases, and manages the configuration of all production systems.

• Manages a continuous integration and deployment methodology (CI/CD).

• Optimizes cost-control, scalability, etc. Monitors compute, memory storage in cloud platform for most cost-effective utilization.

• Identifies and defines a new process and/or system improvement opportunities.

• Builds process automation using cloud technologies.

• Develops ETL jobs using AWS cloud data analytics technologies such as Glue, S3, Red shift. Participates in MPD's data lake formation. Develops data pipelines to intake data, process data and deliver data to end users.

In addition, the Cloud Engineer:

• Troubleshoots all computer-related problems and provides the necessary technical corrective action or forwards to management. Conducts maintenance and support of agency network and network applications. Provides technical support to the MPDC Change Control Board and other agency technical staff on the issues related to inter/intra-agency connectivity.

• Analyzes business and technical requirements for cloud network infrastructure and manage key projects related to the data center move.

• Designs and develops monitoring systems that provide proactive, rather than reactive notifications to key business units and IT members.

• Designs, configures, and implements production preproduction proof of concept (POC) environment. Establishes documents and maintains builds and turns-over standard operating procedures.

• Mentors and cross-trains peers on best practices and how to efficiently maintain the systems.

• Performs on-going day to day cloud operation.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Mastery of, and skill in applying network management systems; network architectures; IT security; and project management methods.

• Expert knowledge and experience with Automated deployments, infrastructure as a code (IAAC) using tools like CloudFormation or Terraform.

• Knowledge of and skill in developing Glue, redshift and lambda functions to automate system functionalities and pipelines.

• Ability to manage and automate CI/CD systems.

• Ability to design and build environments on AWS, which includes working with AWS services such as EC2, ELB, RDS, and S3.

• Ability to build and maintain cloud-native applications.

• Ability to troubleshoot distributed systems.

• Proficiency in script development and scripting languages such as python.

• Troubleshooting and analytical skills.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

• Ability to be a team player.

• Ability to research and evaluate emerging technology for future applications.

• Ability to establish, document, and maintain build and turn-over standard operating procedures.

Licensures, Certifications and other requirements

The incumbent is required to possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

Applicants with Azure, AWS, and GCP certifications are preferred.

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred in Computer Science, Information Science, Information Systems Management, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, or Engineering, or course work that required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to a major in the computer field.

Work Experience

Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized IT-related experience equivalent to the CS-13 grade level in the District of Columbia government, or its non-District equivalent, gained from public or private sector.

Specialized experience for this position includes: experience in one or more of the following areas AWS public cloud, Azure public cloud, hybrid cloud, and systems engineering; at least three (3) years of proven work experience as a Cloud Engineer or similar role; five (5) years of experience with SysOps; two (2) years of experience with CI/CD systems; two (2) years of experience with ETL and data pipeline development; experience in integrating with LADP /Active directory and SSO; two (2) years of experience with Automated deployments, infrastructure as a code (IAAC) using tools like CloudFormation or Terraform; two (2) years of experience in developing Glue, redshift and lambda functions to automate system functionalities and pipelines; three (3) years of experience designing and building environments on AWS, which includes working with AWS services such as EC2, ELB, RDS, and S3; two (2) years of experience building and maintaining cloud-native applications; and experience in troubleshooting distributed systems. Containerization experience and experience in writing and optimizing SQL preferred.

Work Environment

Work location is in an office environment. Work is sedentary and may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel and attendance at meeting and conferences away from the work site and carrying light items, such as laptops, papers, books, small parts, and driving an automobile.

Other Significant Factors

This position operates within the confines of a 24/7 operation. Incumbent of this position is required to provide after-hours on call technical support including weekends and holidays. Incumbent may also be subjected to rotating shifts, weekend work and changes in days off.

A background investigation, to include a criminal, traffic and credit check are required for positions with the Metropolitan Police Department.

The incumbent is required to possess and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's permit.

If the position you are applying for is in the Career, Management Supervisory, or Educational Service at an annual salary of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) or more, you must establish residency in the District of Columbia within one hundred eighty (180) days of the effective date of the appointment and continue to maintain residency within the District of Columbia throughout the duration of the appointment.

The District of Columbia Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer: all qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, which is also prohibited. In addition, harassment based on any of the above-protected categories is prohibited.

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