Cloud Engineer, AWS at thinkahead

As an AWS Cloud Engineer – Level 2, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing scalable, secure, and reliable cloud infrastructure solutions on Amazon Web Services (AWS). You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality cloud environments, automate infrastructure deployment, and ensure operational excellence in accordance with best practices. This role is ideal for someone who has strong hands-on experience in AWS, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and scripting—along with a strong understanding of cloud networking, security, and governance. You will also support cloud migrations, troubleshooting, and optimization initiatives to help our clients achieve efficiency and innovation through AWS technologies. Key Responsibilities • Design, deploy, and manage AWS cloud infrastructure following AWS Well-Architected Framework and security best practices. • Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, CloudFormation, or CDK to ensure repeatability and automation. • Perform cloud migrations of workloads, applications, and data to AWS, ensuring minimal downtime and security compliance. • Automate operations using scripting languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell. • Monitor and optimize AWS resources using CloudWatch, CloudTrail, AWS Config, and third-party tools such as Datadog, Prometheus, or Grafana. • Work closely with customers to understand business goals, translate them into technical solutions, and implement cloud architectures accordingly. • Support CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or AWS CodePipeline) and integrate DevOps best practices into deployment workflows. • Implement and manage identity and access controls (IAM, AWS Organizations, SCPs) and maintain strong governance and compliance posture. • Participate in incident response, problem management, and performance tuning for AWS-hosted environments. • Collaborate with internal stakeholders and contribute to knowledge-sharing and documentation within the team. • Stay current with new AWS services and emerging technologies to enhance solution quality and efficiency. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • 3–5 years of hands-on experience with AWS cloud platform. • Proven experience in infrastructure deployment, configuration management, and automation. • Strong proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python, Bash, PowerShell). • Solid understanding of networking fundamentals—VPC, Subnets, Route Tables, Security Groups, NACLs, and VPN. • Experience managing EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, ECS/EKS, and CloudFront. • Familiarity with monitoring and logging tools (CloudWatch, Datadog, ELK, Prometheus). • Good understanding of security and compliance controls in AWS (IAM, KMS, GuardDuty, Security Hub). • Experience integrating AWS environments with CI/CD pipelines and automation frameworks. • Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills. • Strong communication and documentation abilities. Preferred Qualifications / Nice to Have • Exposure to multi-cloud environments (Azure, GCP). • Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes – EKS preferred). • Working knowledge of DevOps tools (Ansible, Jenkins, Git, Terraform Cloud). • Understanding of disaster recovery, backup, and high availability strategies in AWS. • Hands-on experience with serverless architectures and event-driven design (Lambda, Step Functions, SNS/SQS). Certifications (Required or Preferred) • Required (at least one): • AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate • AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate • Preferred: • AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional • AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional • HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate • Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Soft Skills • Strong collaboration and teamwork abilities. • Analytical mindset with keen attention to detail. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills. • Self-motivated and proactive with a learning attitude. • Ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Expectations • Engage professionally in client meetings, demos, and technical discussions, representing AHEAD’s standards of excellence. • Prepare comprehensive documentation and deliver effective knowledge transfer sessions to peers and junior engineers. • Stay current with evolving AWS technologies, continuously enhancing skills and maintaining up-to-date certifications. • Provide support during scheduled maintenance windows and on-call rotations as required. • Collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams to achieve customer business objectives and technical outcomes. • Contribute to the creation of written deliverables and technical documentation within assigned areas of expertise. • Demonstrate initiative by identifying and completing tasks proactively, even during non-scheduled work hours. • Prioritize, manage, and deliver work independently meeting or exceeding deadlines with consistent quality. • Support development, configuration, and testing activities as part of project execution. • Maintain and elevate team standards by contributing to continuous improvement of methodologies, best practices, and overall delivery quality. • Continuously seek opportunities to improve operational processes, enhance team performance, and drive overall efficiency.