Principal Cloud engineer

Principal Cloud Engineer
Dallas, TX (Hybrid)

Position Summary

The Principal Cloud Engineer is responsible for designing and delivering strategic, cloud-native, and multi-cloud platforms. This role leads initiatives leveraging Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), Kubernetes, and Zero Trust architectures to build resilient, scalable, and secure systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, drive innovation through automation and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices, and mentor engineers to elevate overall cloud capability and performance.

Specialized Skills and Technologies

• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure
• Infrastructure-as-Code: Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible
• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
• Monitoring & Observability: Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, ELK Stack
• Scripting: Python, Go, Bash
• Architecture: Zero Trust, Cloud-Native, Multi-Cloud

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design & Implementation: Lead the design, deployment, and management of cloud-based solutions using IaC tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible.
• Full Lifecycle Ownership: Engage in the complete lifecycle of cloud platform engineering from architecture and implementation to documentation and operational support.
• Architecture Optimization: Develop and enforce best practices for performance, cost efficiency, and security across AWS, Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform environments.
• Collaboration: Partner with software development teams to integrate cloud services into CI/CD pipelines using Docker, Kubernetes, and modern DevOps methodologies.
• Monitoring & Compliance: Conduct regular cloud audits with tools such as Splunk, Prometheus, Grafana, or native cloud monitoring solutions to ensure compliance and reliability.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Provide technical leadership and mentorship to cloud engineers, fostering a strong understanding of networking, automation, and cloud security principles.
• Automation: Champion an automation-first culture, simplifying provisioning, deployment, configuration, and monitoring through advanced scripting and tooling.
• Innovation: Evaluate emerging cloud technologies to enhance platform capabilities and drive continuous innovation.
• Incident Response: Lead troubleshooting and incident resolution efforts, applying strong analytical and problem-solving skills in high-pressure environments.
• Stakeholder Communication: Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to translate requirements into actionable cloud solutions, presenting complex ideas clearly and effectively.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 9+ years of experience in cloud infrastructure design, implementation, and management.
• Proven expertise with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform).
• Hands-on experience designing architectures with Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation.
• Background in microservices or full-stack infrastructure using IaC best practices.
• Familiarity with secure software development methodologies and a Code-First mindset.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, integration, and debugging.
• Deep expertise with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes).
• Proficiency with monitoring and logging tools (ELK Stack, Prometheus, Grafana).
• Strong scripting skills in Python, Go, or Bash.
• Solid knowledge of networking, security protocols, and cloud security best practices.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams DevSecOps, data engineering, infrastructure, and IT operations.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with attention to detail.