Principal DevOps Engineer

Ursa Major is revolutionizing aerospace and defense propulsion and defense systems, solving critical national security demands with advanced technology. As a Principal DevOps Engineer, you will shape platform engineering, infrastructure automation, and software deployment strategies across cloud, on-premise, and manufacturing environments.

About the role

You will serve as a principal technical leader and system architect, bridging Software Engineering, IT, Zero-Trust Networking, Digital Manufacturing, and Cybersecurity. Your work will build foundational platforms enabling engineering and manufacturing teams to deliver mission-critical systems faster and more reliably. As Ursa Major expands, you will tackle complex technical challenges, design scalable architectures, and drive high-impact solutions connecting cloud environments to physical manufacturing and test hardware.

Responsibilities

• Platform Architecture & Developer Experience: Lead the design and continuous improvement of platform infrastructure, software deployment, and Developer Experience (DX). Decompose complex infrastructure problems, author technical design documents, and guide cross-functional teams through execution. Act as a strategic connector between Software Engineering, IT, and Networking to unify tooling and eliminate operational silos.
• Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), GitOps & High Availability (HA): Advance declarative IaC and GitOps practices (Terraform, Helm, ArgoCD/Flux) for fully automated, drift-free application lifecycles across Azure GovCloud and AWS GovCloud. Extend containerization (Kubernetes, Docker) to on-premise test benches, shop-floor PCs, and edge manufacturing hardware, aligned with CMMC Level 2 hybrid strategy. Own Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) architecture, ensuring automated backup and failover with recovery times measured in minutes.
• DevSecOps & AI Pipeline Integration: Partner with Cybersecurity and Zero-Trust teams to integrate automated vulnerability scanning, secrets management, and policy-as-code guardrails into CI/CD workflows without disrupting developer workflows. Architect and support pipelines for hosted and private AI models, enabling safe, high-throughput AI capabilities within secure compliance boundaries. Maintain continuous telemetry, metrics, and alerting (Prometheus, Grafana) for real-time visibility into application performance and pipeline health.
• Leadership, Mentorship & Impact: Frame technical initiatives around business impact, execution speed, and system reliability. Mentor engineers across software and IT organizations, fostering a culture of analytical, value-driven problem-solving. Act as a top-level technical decision-maker, managing high-ambiguity challenges with autonomy while upholding psychological safety and excellence.

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional DevOps, SRE, or Infrastructure/Platform Engineering experience, with a proven track record of principal-level technical leadership and system architecture.
• Hands-on mastery of Azure GovCloud and/or AWS GovCloud, including VPC networking, IAM, and cloud-native security controls.
• Advanced proficiency in Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, and GitOps patterns (ArgoCD, GitHub Actions, or Flux).
• Experience architecting high-availability systems, automated DR solutions, and telemetry suites (Prometheus, Grafana).
• Practical experience with automated container/code scanning and centralized secrets management (AWS/Azure Key Vaults, HashiCorp Vault).
• Experience automating, deploying, or supporting hosted AI model integrations within production CI/CD pipelines.
• Proactive problem-solver who builds trust across teams and focuses on enabling business outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-171 / CMMC Level 2 compliance standards and securing CUI data flows.
• Experience with Artifactory, SonarQube, Open Policy Agent (OPA), Kyverno, or automated Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) tooling.
• Experience automating physical hardware, edge nodes, or shop-floor environments using Packer, Ansible, K3s, or Rancher.
• Experience orchestrating self-hosted or private AI model execution frameworks.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance.

Pay

Base compensation range: $175,000 - $215,000, determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO (Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement).
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA).
• Employer-Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D.
• Additional Benefit Options: Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport.
• EAP Program.
• Retirement Savings Plan: 401k with Company Match.
• Equity Grants in the Company.

Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) with eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.