Dark Wolf is seeking a Cloud Systems Operation Engineer to join our team and play a crucial role in maintaining, securing, and optimizing our cloud infrastructure and deployment pipelines. The candidate will be responsible for Tier 3 maintenance, automating routine system administration tasks, and ensuring our cloud environments remain compliant with stringent security standards. Our engineers are asked to solve challenging operational and security problems for unique customers and have a direct impact on the reliability, resilience, and security of systems used by those customers. Key Responsibilities: • Providing Tier 3 (T3) maintenance and advanced technical support for cloud systems and infrastructure. • Executing monthly and emergency system patching, specifically addressing Information Assurance Vulnerability Alerts (IAVA) and Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV). • Driving vulnerability remediation efforts across cloud environments and provide accurate, timely input for Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M). • Ensuring continuous STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) compliance and oversee the creation, deployment, and management of hardened system images. • Automating routine maintenance tasks and system/user onboarding processes to improve operational efficiency. • Building, maintaining, and securing automated CI/CD pipelines specifically tailored for system patching and configuration management using GitLab. • Collaborating with development and security teams to ensure patches and updates are seamlessly integrated without disrupting active services. Required Qualifications: • 5+ years of proven experience in cloud operations, cloud engineering, or a related field. • Hands-on experience operating and managing infrastructure within Amazon Web Services (AWS). • Experience building, maintaining, and utilizing CI/CD pipelines, specifically with GitLab. • Proven capability in Tier 3 technical support, system troubleshooting, and root cause analysis. • Experience applying security remediations, performing IAVA/KEV patching, and managing POA&Ms. • Strong understanding of STIG compliance and experience working with hardened machine images. • Experience scripting and automating routine system maintenance and administrative tasks. • US Citizenship and an active Top Secret security clearance. Desired Qualifications: • Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation) to assist in pipeline automation. • Familiarity with programming or scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) to enhance automation capabilities. • Advanced AWS certifications (e.g., SysOps Administrator, DevOps Engineer). • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.  The estimated salary range for this position is $90,000.00 - $150,000.00, commensurate on experience and technical skillset.  We are strictly looking for direct, full-time W2 employees. We do not engage with third-party staffing agencies, C2C, or 1099 independent contractors for this role. We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories.   In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity, confirm US Citizenship, and complete the required employment eligibility verification upon hire.