Senior Manager, Cloud Architect (55628)

Senior Manager, Cloud Architect

The Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) is seeking a Senior Manager, Cloud Architecture to serve as the lead backend and cloud architect for a complex, multi-year federal program, in addition to working on a second program focused on water reservoir system analysis and data interoperability.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Data Engineering, the Senior Manager, Cloud Architecture will serve as the technical and managerial lead for backend development on a federal program, dedicating most of their time to this work. Their remaining time will aid other CGS projects, where this role will contribute in shaping technical strategy and system design across programs. Under the guidance of Data Engineering and Science leadership, they will define scalable backend architecture, shared cloud services, and production systems that support data ingestion, metadata and discovery, large-scale geospatial processing, model execution, quality assurance and validation, and deliver data and services to users and partners, translating program requirements into technical strategy and standards that can extend beyond a single program.

This is a hands-on engineering role that combines backend software development, cloud architecture, platform engineering, DevOps, security, and cost optimization. This role will oversee a small team of backend developers, providing technical direction, empowerment, and mentorship to the team. The successful candidate will work closely with data scientists, AI engineers, GIS professionals, project managers, and external partners to turn complex technical workflows into maintainable, observable, reproducible, and well-governed systems.

What You Will Do:

• Federal Backend Architecture and Technical Delivery
• Technical Collaboration & Team Management
• Backend Software Engineering and Systems Integration
• Cloud Infrastructure Management
• DevOps, Reliability, Security, and Operations

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent professional experience in computer science, software engineering, information systems, engineering, geography, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in backend software engineering, cloud engineering, platform engineering, DevOps, site reliability engineering, or a closely related role.
• 5+ years of experience solving geospatial cloud architecture problems.
• 2+ years of experience successfully empowering and developing staff.
• Demonstrated experience designing and building production backend services, APIs, data platforms, or distributed systems using Python or another modern programming language.
• Strong hands-on experience designing, deploying, and operating production workloads in AWS, GCP, or other cloud platforms.
• Experience architecting data-intensive or compute-intensive systems that must process large volumes of data reliably and efficiently.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing and optimizing cloud performance and cost, including the ability to explain cost drivers and recommend practical improvements.
• Experience with Git/GitHub and collaborative software-development practices, including code review and technical documentation.
• Strong troubleshooting, systems-thinking, and communication skills, including the ability to explain architecture, risks, and tradeoffs clearly.
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners in a fast-moving, fully remote environment.
• U.S. Citizen, or legally authorized to work in the U.S. with no need for future sponsorship.

Helpful Experience (Nice to Have):

• Experience working with geospatial APIs and data interoperability standards such as pygeoapi
• Experience building backend systems for Earth observation, environmental modeling, raster processing, scientific computing, or other large-scale analytical workflows.
• Experience with workflow and data orchestration tools such as Airflow, Prefect, Dagster, Argo, or comparable technologies.
• Experience with MLOps, model registries, experiment tracking, GPU workloads, distributed training, or scalable inference.
• Experience supporting government or federally funded programs and associated security, documentation, reporting, data-handling, or compliance requirements.
• Experience with metadata catalogs, data discovery systems, provenance, persistent identifiers, or interoperable data services.
• AWS certification or demonstrated experience with FinOps, disaster recovery, production incident management, or security architecture.
• Experience supporting government, nonprofit, consulting, or mission-driven technical projects.

Compensation Overview

The salary market range for this role is $96,000-$115,000 depending on level of education, years of experience, and other relevant qualifications. Please be sure to review our benefits overview below as the four-day workweek, 15% retirement, the Institute paying 90-95% of the medical plan costs and 100% the dental plan costs create a total compensation package for this role between $130,000 - $155,000 roughly. A member of HR would be happy to make a side-by-side comparison of your benefits to help with your assessment of this opportunity compared to others.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume directly on the Lincoln Institute's website. The cover letter should succinctly describe your interest in joining the CGS team; why you are qualified for the role; and what relevant expertise and experience you offer. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Our Benefits

Include but are not limited to (a) 3x employer contribution towards retirement matching your employee contribution up to 15%, (b) health insurance, (c) dental insurance, (d) vision insurance, (e) 100% reimbursement of the health care deductible through a health reimbursement account, (f) short-term disability coverage, (g) long term disability coverage, (h) paid parental leave, (i) voluntary insurances such as accident insurance, (j) health care flexible spending, (k) dependent care flexible spending, (l) paid time off for holidays, vacation, personal, sick, bereavement, and jury duty, (m) office closure between December 24 Jan 1 each calendar year, (n) flexible schedule and option for a compressed 4 day workweek, (o) tuition and staff development reimbursement, (p) pet insurance, and (q) Employee Assistance Program.

Our Values

Cooperation and Teamwork, Forthright Feedback, Initiative, Acceptance of Responsibility, Multicultural Sensitivity

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment by hiring, training, promoting, and carrying out personnel procedures with respect to compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, or terminations, on the basis of individual merit, experience, and ability without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race such as hair texture, length of hair, protective hairstyles or cultural or religious headdresses), color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), ancestry, citizenship status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, military service, serious medical condition, expunged juvenile record, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, status as a victim, credit information, homelessness status, reproductive health decision making, or any other characteristic protected by law or otherwise.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

Non-Smoking Organization

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a Non-Smoking organization. Smoking and the use of tobacco products are prohibited at all times and on all property owned, leased, or under the control of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at all times, including, but not limited to indoor and outdoor grounds, walkways and sidewalks, parking lots, company vehicles, and private vehicles parked on Lincoln Institute of Land Policy property.

MA Polygraph Statement

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.