Independent Contractor Cloud Infrastructure Engineer Jobs in Texas

Job Summary
The Cloud Infrastructure Engineer will support Data Center Operations (DCO) within the AI & Application Platform for Excellence (APEX), providing hands-on cloud infrastructure engineering and operations for large-scale cloud environments. The role will work across AWS and Azure to build, migrate, secure, automate, and operate cloud services while collaborating with architects, application teams, cloud providers, and vendors. The position requires strong expertise in cloud infrastructure, infrastructure-as-code, automation, Kubernetes administration, cloud migrations, and steady-state operations.
Key Responsibilities
• Configure, administer, and support cloud infrastructure and services, including IaaS, PaaS, and serverless environments.
• Own and support AWS cloud infrastructure at an enterprise level, including AWS configuration and modification of Service Control Policy (SCP) templates.
• Build and maintain infrastructure orchestrated through Terraform, including customized Terraform modules developed from scratch.
• Support and assist with application onboarding and migrations from on-premises environments to the cloud.
• Maintain and secure Kubernetes clusters, including patching, upgrades, troubleshooting, and vulnerability remediation.
• Support Kubernetes environments including EKS and AKS.
• Perform steady-state cloud operations, monitoring, troubleshooting, and issue resolution.
• Implement infrastructure automation using Terraform, Ansible, ARM, and CloudFormation.
• Support CI/CD platforms such as Jenkins and Nexus for upgrades and patching; pipeline creation is outside the scope of this role.
• Remediate security and compliance findings aligned with NIST controls.
• Work with cloud monitoring and security tools to support availability, security, and compliance.
• Collaborate with architects, application teams, cloud providers, vendors, and other technical stakeholders.
• Participate in an on-call rotation for after-hours and weekend support.
Required Qualifications
• Hands-on experience supporting AWS cloud infrastructure in an enterprise environment.
• Strong AWS cloud engineering and architecture experience, with the ability to independently own and support AWS infrastructure.
• Experience with AWS configuration, including building or modifying SCP templates.
• Hands-on experience with Terraform, including the ability to build customized Terraform modules from scratch.
• Strong experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and automation using Terraform and Ansible.
• 1-2 years of Azure cloud administration experience within the past three years.
• Strong scripting or programming skills using Python, Go, or PowerShell for cloud infrastructure development and automation.
• Experience administering Kubernetes, including patching, upgrades, security, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with EKS or AKS.
• Experience supporting cloud migrations and steady-state cloud operations.
• Experience with ARM and CloudFormation.
• Experience with Bash, PowerShell, and cloud command-line interfaces.
• Experience with Kubernetes and Docker.
• Experience with cloud monitoring and security tools such as CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Sysdig Secure, or Dynatrace.
• Experience with Jenkins, Nexus, and Git.
• Knowledge of RBAC, least-privilege principles, MFA, and NIST-aligned security controls.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Cloud certifications in AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI.
• Experience working in regulated environments involving HIPAA, IRS, or FBI data.
• Experience with cloud databases, data lakes, or ETL/ELT services.
• Experience supporting state agencies or large public-sector organizations.
Certifications
• Cloud certifications in AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI are preferred.
Location & Work Schedule
• Hybrid schedule with three days onsite and two days remote.
• Location: Austin, TX.
• Work hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CT.