Senior Python Engineer Jobs in South Dakota (NOW HIRING)

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Cloud DevOps 4 BELONG. CONNECT. GROW. with KBR. Around here, we define the future. We are a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers. But we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely. Role Summary Lead the modernization and migration of legacy applications to cloud-native architectures-primarily on AWS-while building and operating secure, scalable, and cost-effective platforms. This is a hands-on technical role: you will own automation (IaC, CI/CD), container platforms, observability, compliance guardrails, and developer enablement. Partner closely with Enterprise/Solutions Architecture to set cloud adoption roadmaps, governance, and standards that drive business outcomes. Responsibilities Cloud Modernization & Architecture * Lead migration and modernization of mission-critical legacy applications to AWS, establishing cloud-first patterns that maximize scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency.
* Define and enforce platform governance, security, and performance standards with Enterprise/Solutions Architecture and application teams.
* Translate business needs into secure, efficient, cloud-native solutions and drive transformation projects from concept through completion. DevOps Engineering & Automation * Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Design, develop, and operate AWS environments using Terraform and/or AWS CDK/CloudFormation; build reusable modules, manage state, and enforce standards.
* Configuration management & scripting: Automate provisioning, monitoring, auditing, and de-provisioning using Ansible and scripting in Python, Bash/Shell, or PowerShell.
* Core AWS services: Engineer solutions leveraging S3, CloudFront, EKS, Lambda, Aurora Serverless, and AWS Batch as appropriate for product needs. CI/CD (GitLab by Default) * Own CI/CD using GitLab and GitLab Runners for build/test/deploy workflows across environments.
* Implement staged deployments (blue/green, canary) and automated rollbacks to improve release reliability and speed.
* Maintain branch strategies, approvals, environment promotion, and artifact management aligned to governance standards. Security, Compliance & Governance * Develop and operate platforms in accordance with FedRAMP and FISMA standards, incorporating AWS security controls into all aspects of infrastructure, deployment pipelines, monitoring, and daily operations.
* Establish robust guardrails for identity management, secret protection, logging, auditing, and change control to meet compliance requirements.
* Work collaboratively with security leadership and auditors to ensure ongoing compliance, efficient evidence collection, and thorough mapping of all controls within FedRAMP and FISMA frameworks. Observability, Reliability & Operations * Develop tooling for monitoring, logging, and alerting; create runbooks and lead troubleshooting and incident response for core business applications.
* Partner with architects/engineers to design networks, systems, and storage that meet security requirements and SLO/SLAs.
* Drive resilience through autoscaling, health checks, fault isolation, and disaster recovery strategies. FinOps & Cost Optimization * Incorporate FinOps principles-tagging standards, show back/chargeback readiness, rightsizing, commitment management-to maintain performance and reduce waste.
* Present recommendations for savings and cost accountability to leadership and product teams.
* Establish dashboards and operating cadences for spend visibility, anomaly detection, and optimization actions. AI-Augmented Engineering (Generative AI) * Leverage Generative AI tools and agents (e.g., code assistants, pipeline bots, automated test generation, chat agents for runbooks) to increase developer productivity, reduce toil, accelerate documentation, and improve incident response playbooks.
* Design guardrails for responsible AI use (data handling, prompt hygiene, secret redaction) and track outcomes (cycle-time reduction, fewer manual steps, faster RCA). Leadership & Collaboration * Mentor junior engineers; foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration across cross-functional teams.
* Align modernization decisions to business outcomes; communicate trade-offs and technical risks clearly to stakeholders and senior leadership. Qualifications Required * Bachelor's in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
* 10+ years progressive experience in cloud engineering/DevOps/enterprise architecture, with strong AWS emphasis.
* 5+ years implementing DevOps practices (CI/CD, containerization, automation) and operating in regulated environments (FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent).
* Technical depth: IaC with Terraform or AWS CDK; configuration management (Ansible/Chef/Puppet); scripting (Python/Bash/PowerShell); AWS security and network controls.
* Demonstrated experience using Generative AI tools/agents to improve developer efficiency and operational workflows. Certifications * Required: An AWS Associate-level certification (e.g., Solutions Architect or SysOps Administrator).
* Preferred: AWS Solutions Architect - Professional; AWS Specialty (Security, Advanced Networking); Terraform Associate. Preferred Experience * Master's in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. * Engineering/deploying public sector or compliance-driven solutions.
* Hands-on ownership of GitLab-based CI/CD at scale (runners administration, pipeline orchestration, environment promotion).
* Building GitOps patterns (e.g., ArgoCD/Flux) and service mesh/WAF integrations for secure microservices delivery. Key Outcomes * Deliver a cloud-native platform that accelerates modernization while meeting security, performance, and compliance standards.
* Establish repeatable automation (IaC, GitLab-based CI/CD) and operational excellence (observability, incident response).
* Achieve measurable cost optimization via FinOps practices without sacrificing reliability or delivery speed.
* Demonstrably improve developer efficiency with Generative AI tools/agents (e.g., faster pipeline updates, reduced manual documentation, accelerated RCA). Work Environment & Growth * Hands-on technical role with opportunities to mentor, set platform standards, and influence modernization roadmaps.
* Access to training and certifications to deepen expertise across AWS, IaC, CI/CD, security, and AI-augmented engineering. *** Three years of continuous U.S. residency required *** Equivalent education and/or experience will be considered. KBR Benefits KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development. Click here to learn more: KBR Benefits KBR partners with several other companies to fulfill its requirements as a government contractor. The selected subcontracting companies align their benefits as closely as possible to those above. #LI-EM2 Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.