DevOps Engineer

Job Title: DevOps Engineer (Jira Platform Engineer) Client Industry: Information Technology Location: Onsite - 5 days a week (Washington, DC) Job Status: Full-Time, One-Year Contract (With Potential Extension) Summary: Our client is seeking an experienced DevOps Engineer (Jira Platform Engineer) to serve as the technical owner and lead administrator for our Jira SaaS instance in the Atlassian Government Cloud (AGC) environment. This role is responsible for configuring, integrating, and optimizing Jira as part of a broader enterprise transformation, migrating from Azure DevOps and GitLab (on-premises) to Jira SaaS. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with a strong understanding of Agile, DevSecOps, and enterprise system integration practices. This position will play a key role in enabling scalable Agile adoption and ensuring seamless collaboration across tools and teams. Role and Responsibilities: Jira Administration & Engineering • Administer, configure, and optimize Jira SaaS to meet enterprise Agile delivery and project management needs. • Design and maintain custom workflows, issue types, fields, and automation rules aligned with organizational standards. • Manage user roles, permissions, and security schemes to ensure governance and compliance. • Monitor license utilization and collaborate with procurement on renewals and cost optimization. System Integration & Development • Design, implement, and maintain integrations between Jira and core systems such as GitLab (source control/CI-CD) and ServiceNow (ITSM) using REST APIs, Okta, middleware, and scripting. • Automate data synchronization and traceability across platforms. • Troubleshoot and optimize integration performance, scalability, and security. • Partner with infrastructure and cybersecurity teams to align integrations with enterprise compliance standards. • Develop and maintain technical documentation, standards, and best practices. Agile Enablement • Work with the Agile Transformation Office to configure Jira to support Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe). • Provide guidance and mentoring to Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and delivery teams. • Support Agile reporting and analytics (velocity, burndown, cycle time, etc.). • Assist teams in migrating from Azure DevOps Boards and GitLab to Jira SaaS. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience). • 3+ years of hands-on experience administering or engineering Jira (Self-hosted or SaaS). • Proven experience developing custom integrations with enterprise platforms—especially GitLab and ServiceNow. • Proficiency in scripting languages (Python, PowerShell, or JavaScript) and REST API development. • Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and DevSecOps principles. • Experience supporting migrations from Azure DevOps or similar platforms to Jira. Preferred Experience: • Familiarity with the Atlassian ecosystem (Confluence, Bitbucket) and marketplace apps. • Experience in DevSecOps or Platform Engineering environments. • Knowledge of FISMA, SOX, and FedRAMP compliance frameworks. • Federal government experience preferred. • Atlassian Certified Professional (ACP-620, ACP-120, or equivalent) certification preferred. Deliverables • Administer, configure, and integrate Jira SaaS (Gov Cloud) within the enterprise ecosystem. • Consolidate project management tools—transitioning from Azure DevOps and GitLab (on-prem) to Jira SaaS. • Build secure, automated integrations between Jira SaaS and core systems (e.g., ServiceNow, GitLab) to enable end-to-end visibility from planning through operations.