Automation Engineer - Top Secret Clearance | Charleston, SC

Automation Engineer - Top Secret Clearance | Charleston, SC

Cambridge International Systems, Inc.

Join a dynamic global team united by shared values: commitment, integrity, and perseverance. At Cambridge, you'll work alongside top talent worldwide, tackling some of today's most complex and critical challenges in defense and security.

We are currently seeking an Automation Engineer to support operations in Charleston, SC. This is a full-time CONUS position requiring an active DoD Top Secret clearance.

What You'll Do

As an Automation Engineer, you will play a critical role in designing, automating, and securing scalable cloud infrastructure and deployment pipelines, that support U.S. government missions and enterprise operations. This role falls under Computer Software Engineer within our compensation framework. You will:

• Develops, researches, designs, implements, tests, and evaluates software and systems, in conjunction with hardware product development, that enable computers to perform their applications, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis.
• Excludes paraprofessional positions.
• Analyzes software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
• Consults with hardware engineers and other engineering staff to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
• Formulates and designs software system, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcome and consequences of design.
• Develops and directs software system testing procedures, programming, and documentation.
• Consults with customer concerning maintenance of software system.
• May coordinate installation of software system.
• Design and maintain scalable cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Build and manage CI/CD pipelines to enable automated testing, deployment, and rollback (GitLab CI, AWS CodePipeline)
• Implement monitoring, logging, and alerting solutions (CloudWatch, AWS Config, Splunk) to ensure system reliability and rapid issue resolution
• Support hybrid cloud environments, integrating AWS services with existing on-prem infrastructure
• Lead automation initiatives and mentor junior engineers

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications:

• Education & Experience:
  
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer, Electrical or Electronics Engineering or Mathematics with field of concentration in computer science.
  • 10 years of experience with Masters or 14 years with Bachelors in Computer Engineering or Computer Science from an ABET-accredited program.
  • Federal Standards: Working knowledge of FISMA and NIST 800-53.
  • Security Best Practices: Implementation of IAM policies, encryption, logging, and monitoring.
  • Risk Mitigation: Ability to assess and mitigate risks in cloud environments specifically to meet evolving government requirements.
  • Access Control: Strict adherence to federal security protocols and identity management.

• Technical Expertise:
  
  • Cloud Platforms: Deep expertise in AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, IAM, VPC, RDS).
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Advanced proficiency in CloudFormation and Terraform.
  • Scripting & Development: Expert-level Python, Bash, or PowerShell; experience with AWS SDKs and CLI.
  • Networking: Strong knowledge of VPC peering, Transit Gateway, Route 53, VPNs, and firewall management.
  • Configuration Management: Experience with Ansible and AWS Systems Manager.
  • Containers (Preferred): Familiarity with Docker, ECS, EKS, and Kubernetes.
  • Tooling: Hands-on experience with GitLab CI, CloudWatch, and either Python or Bash.
• Certifications:
  
  • Certification/training in accordance with DoD 8570.1M / 8140 (e.g., Security+ CE, CISSP, Network+ CE).
  • Must have a current and active DoD Top Secret security clearance.
  • Proficient with modern IT tools and infrastructure technologies

Preferred (Nice to Have):

• Professional AWS Certifications: DevOps Engineer Professional or Solutions Architect Professional.

• Associate AWS Certifications: SysOps Administrator or Solutions Architect Associate.

• Project/Process Certifications: ITIL or PMP.

Travel & Passport

• Some overnight stays possible.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Periods of prolonged sitting and/or standing, including desk-based computer work.

• Travel between work locations, including company offices, customer sites, and government installations.

• Occasional extended work hours, including evenings or weekends, as needed.

• Transport and use of work equipment, such as laptops and job-related tools, during site visits.

• Work is performed in a secure facility where personal electronic devices (including Bluetooth- or Wi-Fi-enabled devices) may be restricted.

• Communication with team members, customers, and stakeholders through verbal and written methods.

• Ability to manage competing priorities, work under deadlines, and maintain attention to detail.

• Interaction with others in dynamic environments, including situations requiring problem-solving and conflict resolution.
• Compliance with applicable medical or travel requirements for certain assignments, including domestic or international travel, as required by governing authorities.
• Compliance with vaccination and medical requirements for TDY/OCONUS roles as per Vaccine Recommendations by AOR | Health.mil.

Background & Security

• Employment is contingent upon successful background investigation

• Alcohol and Drug screening may be required for federal contract compliance

Benefits & Perks

We believe in investing in our team-both professionally and personally:

• Medical, dental, vision, life, accident, and critical illness insurance

• 401(k) immediate vesting and match

• Paid time off and company holidays

• Generous tuition & training support

• Relocation assistance

• Sign-on and performance-based bonuses

• Employee referral program

• Access to Tickets at Work, EAP, wellness initiatives, and more

Join Us

If you're driven by mission, technology, and teamwork-we want to hear from you. Cambridge is growing, and this position is just one of many opportunities on our global team. Know someone perfect for the role? Referrals are welcome-both employees and non-employees may qualify for a bonus.

Apply today and help shape the future of secure cloud computing for national security.

About Cambridge International Systems

At Cambridge, we recognize innovation and agility grow through teamwork. By working collaboratively, listening proactively, and engaging across functions we create solutions that build on the best ideas our employees bring to the table. We are committed to one another, to persevere in order to get the job done, and to do so with integrity every time. Learn more at

We are an equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to any protected status under applicable law or other similar factors that are not job-related. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment. Selected applicants may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.

We provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with federal, state, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or to perform the essential functions of the position, please contact our Recruiting Team at [email protected].