DevOps Engineer

Job Title: DevOps Engineer
Clearance Required: Public Trust 
Work Location: Remote, Asheville, NC; Silver Spring, MD; Stennis, MS; Boulder, CO.  

 Alpha Omega is recruiting to staff an award for the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Data Stewardship Division (DSD), which works with NOAA and the broader community to provide and maintain the core tools, systems, services, policies, and procedures that enable long-term information preservation, dissemination, and service delivery in a cost-effective, efficient, and reliable manner. Its four branches, Data Operations, Archive, Software Engineering, and Data Access, ensure conformance with the principles, activities, and responsibilities of an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model Archive (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, 2012; ISO 14721); follow established NOAA, Department of Commerce, and Executive Office policies; and maintain a reliable and effective infrastructure of hardware, software, processes, and procedures to ensure the long-term preservation of NOAA’s information products and services.   

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced DevOps Engineer to join our dynamic team at Alpha Omega. As a DevOps Engineer, you will play a crucial role in guaranteeing the availability of our country’s environmental data to a wide variety of users.  This position with NCEI’s Data Access Branch requires expertise in maintaining and updating programming code, investigating and resolving production-related errors, and engineering the automation of manual processes, where possible, through BASH and other scripting. The successful candidate will be familiar with a variety of concepts, practices, and procedures in the field, demonstrating a high degree of creativity and latitude in problem-solving. 

Key Responsibilities:

• 6+ years of relevant experience.
• Monitor various on-premises and cloud-based systems for proper operation through daily analysis and monitoring of diverse web applications, websites, server processes, and logs. 
• Identify and exploit opportunities for process improvement and automation. 
• Manually order and publish data that are not automated. 
• Compile and report data availability statistics for various datasets deemed of interest by NCEI leadership. 
• Manage and triage ticketing queues. 
• Troubleshoot application issues and failures. 
• Maintain and refactor programming code, primarily to remediate security concerns caused by deprecated language features, libraries, and operating systems. 
• Java (with emphasis on Spring libraries) 
• Python 
• Perl 
• Bash 

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• A bachelor's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience. 

Experience/Skills:

• The ability to think logically and analytically, and to approach problem solving strategically.   
• A strong understanding of using basic Unix/Linux commands to move about in a hierarchical file system, find and manipulate information, copy and move files, create or delete directories, and understand and modify file permissions.  
• An understanding of SSH, SCP, and networking, with the ability to log onto a network computer or Virtual Machine and transfer files between computer systems on a network.  
• An understanding of basic computer software application troubleshooting, including reading and analyzing log files, checking processes, etc.  
• Familiarity with electronic data download mechanisms such as FTP, SCP, HTTP(S), and cloud-based object storage (AWS S3, Ceph ) tools like the AWS S3 API and RCLONE. 
• Understanding of TCP/IP and computer addressing, including domain names, IP addresses, and port numbering. 
• Knowledge of web concepts, including HTML, CSS, URLs, static HTML, and JSP. 
• Knowledge of basic web applications and types, where code runs or is rendered in relation to A browser or web server.  
• The ability to write shell scripts to move and manipulate files by name and type. 
• Specific Basic Linux:  
• Determining what processes are running. 
• SUDO– running programs and commands using elevated security privileges. 
• Finding and monitoring - GREP, FIND, TAIL, HEAD, MORE, etc.  
• Running scripts - NOHUP, foreground/background processing. 
• Using shell editors: Vi / Emacs. 
• Checking file systems and capacities - DF, DU. 
• Understanding control files: /etc/fstab, /etc/passwd, .etm. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• A basic understanding of operational software application support within a customer focused environment.  
• Ability to understand workflows, create detailed process steps, and develop algorithms for moving and manipulating data based on stakeholder and subject matter expert input.  
• Be able to understand regular expressions (regex) and syntax, with the ability to use expressions for pattern matching in tools, such as SED and AWK, and languages such as Python and Perl. 
• The ability to read, understand, and interpret documentation related to scientific and climatological data to organize, process, and publish data for public use.  
• The ability to read, understand, update, and write technical documentation or instructions related to data processing and publishing. 
• A knowledge of the software development lifecycle and agile scrum planning practices. 
• Knowledge of software version control and tools, like GitLab and GitHub, and the ability to work with pipelines, containers, and artifacts in relation to software repositories, versioning, testing, and deployment. 

Certification(s):

• Industry-accepted Scrum Master certification (Preferred). 
• AWS Certification (Preferred). 

Salary and Benefit Information:

The likely salary range for this position is $xxx- $120K. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position and could fall outside of this range.

Application Deadline: 4/27/20025

Joining the Alpha Omega team entitles you to participate in all retirement benefits, plans of deferred compensation, health and insurance benefits, and other such benefits as set forth in the company’s policy and benefits manuals. See below, to name a few:

• PTO including paid parental, military, and bereavement leave
• Eleven (11) paid Federal holidays, five of which are floating holidays (as designated by the company’s holiday schedule each year)
• Health and Dental Insurance (including 100% employer paid premiums for employee coverage under the HDHP health plan)
• Life Insurance, STD/LTD term disability coverage, with employer paid premiums
• 401 (k) plan with a match that is 100% vested after you complete two years of service
• FSA/DFSA/HSA flexible benefit plans
• Annual Tuition & Professional Development Reimbursement benefit

We regularly review our Total Rewards package to ensure our offerings are competitive and reflect what our employees have told us they value most.

Culture and Values:

Alpha Omega's Core Values are (H) harmony, (E) engagement, (A) accountability, (R) resourcefulness, and (T) tenacity - collectively they are an acrostic reminder of the values that guide the work we do. We have H.E.A.R.T.!

We foster a culture that recognizes and rewards hard work. Our H.E.A.R.T. program invites colleagues and managers from across the organization to recognize each other for living out our core values. Spotlighted employees enjoy a detailed nomination about their core-values-aligned actions which are then shared with their manager.

Our Company:

Alpha Omega is an award-winning Federal IT Solutions provider. Since our inception in 2016, we have grown our revenues to $140 million and our employee population to almost 500 people located across the U.S.

At the heart of Alpha Omega’s mission lies a comprehensive approach to addressing the most critical domains shaping our world today. Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology, the company is committed to delivering mission-enabling solutions that transcend boundaries and propel progress in key areas. We deliver mission-focused solutions in our domain areas of national security, foreign affairs and climate science leveraging our expertise in cybersecurity, data and AI, and digital modernization.

Our consistent growth has fostered a series of accolades including Inc. 5000 and Washington Technology’s Fast 50 awards for five consecutive years, Virginia Business Best Places to Work seven years in a row, and USA Today and Washington Post Top Workplaces. 

Alpha Omega places significant emphasis on bolstering national security efforts in collaboration with key government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Through our National Security domain, we provide innovative solutions and strategic partnerships, the company is committed to safeguarding America’s safety and prosperity. From implementing advanced cybersecurity protocols to strengthening critical infrastructure resilience, Alpha Omega’s contributions are instrumental in defending the nation against evolving threats. Furthermore, our dedication extends to protecting the interests of our service members within the Coast Guard, recognizing their integral role in the broader national security framework. This comprehensive approach underscores Alpha Omega’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the United States.

Climate science is integral to our national security strategy, as it provides crucial insights into environmental threats that can destabilize regions, exacerbate conflicts, and compromise vital resources essential for the safety and stability of our nation. Moreover, Alpha Omega recognizes the urgency of addressing climate change and its far-reaching implications. Through initiatives like the integration of advanced climate modeling within National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supporting agricultural production and conservation efforts within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the company actively contributes to the fight against climate crisis. By leveraging technology to drive sustainability and resilience, Alpha Omega underscores its commitment to preserving our planet for future generations.

In addition to its domestic endeavors, our Foreign Affairs domain is deeply engaged in navigating complex foreign affairs and promoting U.S. diplomacy on the global stage. Through collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and other international partners, the company advances national interests while fostering cooperation and mutual understanding. By leveraging technological innovation, Alpha Omega strengthens America’s position as a global leader and promotes stability in an increasingly interconnected world.

Alpha Omega Integration, LLC (Alpha Omega) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.