Site Reliability Engineer - Master

About the role

cloud platforms | zero trust | iac | gcp | azure | gitops | automation

Tensley Consulting is seeking an experienced Master Site Reliability Engineer to support the architecture, modernization, reliability, and secure operation of cloud platforms across government and national security environments. This is a hands-on senior engineering role focused on distributed systems, Infrastructure-as-Code, zero-trust architecture, cloud security, automation, platform engineering, and custom tooling — not traditional systems administration. Personnel at this level architect major systems, govern reliability standards, lead strategic engineering efforts, and drive the transformation of manual infrastructure administration into a disciplined software engineering practice. The SRE will work primarily across Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft cloud environments, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365/O365, GCC High, and Gov Cloud, to design scalable infrastructure, modernize application deployments, build reusable automation frameworks, and deliver secure, repeatable, well-architected solutions. While the primary operating platforms for this role are Microsoft and Google, cloud engineering depth across AWS is also valued, particularly where it demonstrates strong cloud architecture, automation, security, and platform engineering fundamentals. This role operates in a GitOps model with a strong emphasis on code quality, peer review, automated testing, reliability engineering, infrastructure governance, and compliance with federal security frameworks. The ideal candidate brings deep technical depth, strong engineering judgment, and the ability to lead complex cloud modernization and zero-trust implementation efforts across teams.

education / experience

-8+ years of relevant experience in software engineering, site reliability engineering, DevOps, cloud engineering, platform engineering, or enterprise infrastructure engineering. -3+ years of experience operating at a senior, lead, staff, master, or architect-level capacity is preferred. -Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field from an accredited college or university is required. -Relevant Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, or AWS certifications are strongly preferred and may be considered in evaluating technical depth and cloud platform alignment.

preferred certifications include, but are not limited to:

-Google Professional Cloud Architect -Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer -Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer -Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert -Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert -Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert -Microsoft 365 Administrator or Security Administrator -AWS Solutions Architect -AWS DevOps Engineer -AWS Security Specialty -Additional relevant technical depth, certifications, or highly specialized hands-on experience may be considered based on contractual requirements.

clearance

An active clearance is not required to be considered. Candidates must have the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance if required in the future. Uncleared through TS/SCI candidates are acceptable.

Responsibilities

-Architect core components of distributed cloud platforms, with a focus on reliability, scalability, security, and operational resilience. -Lead the design, build, and operation of secure cloud infrastructure across Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365/O365, GCC --High, Gov Cloud, and related environments. -Deliver target-level zero-trust capabilities in cloud environments, including identity, access, segmentation, encryption, observability, and policy-driven enforcement. -Design and manage declarative infrastructure using Terraform, Helm, GitOps workflows, and CI/CD pipelines to establish a reliable single source of truth. -Develop advanced ICAM capabilities, data transformation modules, platform APIs, and internal tooling using Go, Python, Java, C/C++, or similar languages. -Build reusable infrastructure modules, internal frameworks, automation services, and custom integrations to reduce manual toil and operational variance. -Lead modernization initiatives that replace traditional “click-ops” administration with automated, version-controlled, testable infrastructure delivery. -Provide authoritative root-cause assessments for major incidents involving application, network, platform, kernel-level, storage, identity, or integration issues. -Apply deep knowledge of OSI network layers, TCP/IP, SSL/TLS, RSA/AES, and secure communication patterns to improve platform resilience and observability. -Establish and govern reliability standards, operational health metrics, monitoring strategies, alerting models, and incident response practices. -Lead the design, development, and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines, GitOps workflows, automated testing practices, and deployment governance. -Support compliance and operational governance aligned to NIST 800-53, 800-171, 800-172, 800-207, CMMC, and national security-sensitive data requirements. -Translate complex technical concepts, architecture decisions, zero-trust criteria, and operational risks for leadership, stakeholders, and cross- functional teams. -Mentor senior, mid-level, and apprentice engineers in Agile, TDD, automation, reliability engineering, software development practices, and operational discipline. -Develop and maintain technical documentation, including architecture designs, SOPs, implementation guides, decision records, and engineering standards.

Qualifications

Clearance: None

Compensation

Posted Annualized Salary: $195,000 – $275,000