Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer, On-Prem (HHS)

Skylight
Full_time$150k-203k/year (USD)United States

📍 Job Overview

  • Job Title: Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer, On-Prem (HHS)
  • Company: Skylight
  • Location: United States (Remote)
  • Job Type: Full-Time
  • Category: DevOps Engineer
  • Date Posted: 2025-08-02

🚀 Role Summary

Skylight, a digital consultancy dedicated to improving public services, is seeking a Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer to develop and maintain robust, secure on-premises infrastructure solutions for critical public health tools. This role involves collaborating with developers to ensure code can be reliably and repeatedly released, with a focus on quality, security, and compliance.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

  • Infrastructure Development: Develop and maintain on-premises infrastructure solutions to support critical public health tooling for state, local, territorial, and tribal partners.
  • Developer Experience: Engineer a great experience for developers working in web-based environments such as Ruby, Python, Java, and Node.js through automation, virtualization, and process improvement.
  • Technical Excellence: Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering principles and practices such as simple design and automated testing.
  • Security & Compliance: Protect sensitive data by applying security and privacy best practices, conducting security audits and risk analyses, and planning and implementing remediations.
  • Tool Selection: Select and use the right tools, frameworks, languages, and technologies for the job, with a preference for open-source solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in DevOps, with a strong background in infrastructure as code, preferably with Terraform.

Required Skills:

  • Proven experience building and maintaining robust, secure on-premises infrastructure solutions.
  • Hands-on experience with infrastructure-as-code tools, particularly Terraform.
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Ability to engage directly with end users and client stakeholders to understand needs and communicate solutions.
  • Ability to clearly articulate technical, design, and business tradeoffs when making decisions.
  • Demonstrated ability to learn, understand, and modernize legacy systems.
  • Understanding of the general concepts of modern software development and ability to work closely with software engineers.
  • Comfort with developing infrastructure that is intended for handoff to customers or other partners.
  • Ability to build solutions that interface with cloud systems in a cloud-centric world.
  • Ability to enable teams to deliver value to users and the business continuously (e.g., CI/CD pipelines).
  • Knowledge of how to build secure, compliant applications and defend against common vulnerabilities.
  • Ability to work with software engineers to instrument applications and configure infrastructures for monitoring, metrics, alerting, logging, auditability, and compliance.
  • Knowledge of how to create and maintain infrastructure as code and standardize deployment processes.
  • Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients).
  • Passion for creating better public outcomes through great government services.
  • Alignment with Skylight's core values.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience flexing into software development tasks as part of a delivery team.
  • Experience with legacy system modernization efforts.
  • Experience with Docker and containerized services, including Kubernetes.
  • Comfort working in a variety of cloud platforms.
  • Knowledge of how to operate in highly regulated government environments (FedRAMP, FISMA, etc.).
  • Familiarity with healthcare technology and standards (HL7, FHIR, etc.).
  • Prior experience working in the civic tech space.
  • Experience working in a remote team environment.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A portfolio showcasing your experience with infrastructure as code, Terraform, and on-premises infrastructure solutions.
  • Examples of your ability to collaborate with developers and ensure code can be reliably and repeatedly released.
  • Demonstrations of your security and compliance expertise, including audits, risk analyses, and remediation plans.
  • Documentation of your experience with cloud systems, monitoring, and alerting.

Technical Documentation:

  • Code quality, commenting, and documentation standards for infrastructure as code.
  • Version control, deployment processes, and server configuration best practices.
  • Testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques for infrastructure solutions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $170,000 - $203,000 per year, with the potential for additional performance-based rewards.

Benefits:

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
  • Life and AD&D insurance.
  • Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, and health savings account.
  • Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period.
  • Flexible paid-time-off policy, plus 11 paid federal holidays.
  • Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents.
  • Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options.
  • Business development/sales bonuses and referral bonuses.
  • Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development.
  • Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases.
  • Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more).
  • Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year.
  • Flexible, remote-friendly work environment.
  • An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Consultancy, focusing on public services and government agencies.

Company Size: Medium (100-250 employees).

Founded: 2012.

Team Structure:

  • Collaborative, cross-functional teams consisting of developers, designers, and product managers.
  • A dedicated DevOps team responsible for infrastructure, security, and compliance.
  • A culture that values user-centered design, agile methodologies, and continuous improvement.

Development Methodology:

  • Agile/Scrum methodologies and sprint planning for web projects.
  • Code review, testing, and quality assurance practices.
  • Deployment strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and server management.

Company Website: Skylight.

📝 Enhancement Note: Skylight's culture emphasizes user-centered design, agile methodologies, and continuous improvement, with a focus on delivering better public services through technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer, with a focus on on-premises infrastructure solutions and cloud integration.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Director of Engineering or a similar role, depending on the team structure.

Technical Impact: Responsible for ensuring the reliability, security, and compliance of critical public health tooling, with a significant influence on user experience and public health outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Technical leadership potential, including architecture decisions and team management.
  • Specialization in emerging technologies, such as containerization, microservices, and serverless architectures.
  • Career progression to Principal DevOps Engineer or other senior leadership roles within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Skylight offers significant growth opportunities for technical leadership, with a clear path to senior roles and a focus on emerging technologies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-friendly, with occasional in-person meetings and events.

Office Location(s): United States (remote work).

Workspace Context:

  • A remote-friendly work environment with flexible hours and the ability to work from home.
  • Access to necessary tools, software, and hardware to perform job duties effectively.
  • Regular team meetings and check-ins to ensure collaboration and communication.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible hours and the ability to work remotely.

📝 Enhancement Note: Skylight's remote-friendly work environment offers flexibility and the ability to work from home, with regular team meetings to ensure collaboration and communication.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

  1. Phone Screen: A brief call to discuss your background, experience, and interest in the role.
  2. Technical Assessment: A hands-on assessment of your infrastructure as code, Terraform, and on-premises infrastructure skills.
  3. Behavioral Interview: A conversation to assess your communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
  4. Final Interview: A meeting with senior leadership to discuss your fit for the role and the team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight your experience with infrastructure as code, Terraform, and on-premises infrastructure solutions.
  • Include examples of your security and compliance expertise, as well as your ability to collaborate with developers.
  • Showcase your understanding of cloud systems, monitoring, and alerting.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

  • Brush up on your Terraform skills, including modules, variables, and state management.
  • Familiarize yourself with on-premises infrastructure solutions and best practices.
  • Prepare for questions about security, compliance, and cloud integration.

ATS Keywords: Infrastructure as Code, Terraform, On-Premises, Security, Compliance, Cloud Integration, DevOps, Agile, Scrum, Collaboration, User-Centered Design, Public Services, Government Agencies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Skylight's interview process focuses on assessing your technical skills, communication, and collaboration abilities, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure as code, Terraform, and on-premises infrastructure solutions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior/Staff DevOps Engineer, On-Prem (HHS) position at Skylight:

  1. Submit your application through the application link.
  2. Customize your resume to highlight your infrastructure as code, Terraform, and on-premises infrastructure experience.
  3. Prepare a portfolio showcasing your relevant projects, security expertise, and collaboration skills.
  4. Research Skylight's company culture, values, and mission to demonstrate your alignment with their goals.
  5. Practice for the technical assessment and interviews, focusing on your Terraform, infrastructure, and security skills.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Skylight before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

Candidates should have experience with on-premises infrastructure and infrastructure-as-code tools, particularly Terraform. Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical audiences are essential.