Lead DevOps Engineer (AWS + Terraform + GitHub Actions)

Job Description We currently have a career opportunity for an Lead DevOps Engineer, with a focus on AWS, Terraform and GitHub Actions to join our team located in either Austin, TX or Charlotte, NC. This is a hybrid role, being onsite 3 days each week. Job Overview: As a Lead Technical Consultant you will participate in all aspects of the software development lifecycle which includes estimating, technical design, implementation, documentation, testing, deployment and support of application developed for our clients. As a member working in a team environment you will work with solution architects and developers on interpretation/translation of wireframes and creative designs into functional requirements, and subsequently into technical design. Perficient is always looking for the best and brightest talent and we need you! We’re a quickly-growing, global digital consulting leader, and we’re transforming the world’s largest enterprises and biggest brands. You’ll work with the latest technologies, expand your skills, and become a part of our global community of talented, diverse, and knowledgeable colleagues. Responsibilities Design and Implement CI/CD Pipelines: Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy. Infrastructure as Code (IaC):Provision and manage AWS infrastructure using Terraform (modules, workspaces, remote state) and CloudFormation where applicable. AWS Architecture Design:Design scalable, secure, and cost-optimized architectures leveraging AWS services (EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, ALB/NLB, Route 53, IAM). System Monitoring and Logging:Implement observability using Amazon CloudWatch, CloudWatch Logs, metrics/alarms, AWS X-Ray, and centralized logging patterns. Security and Compliance:Enforce AWS security best practices: IAM least privilege, Secrets Manager/Parameter Store, KMS, encryption in transit/at rest, patching, and guardrails. Automation of Operational Tasks:Automate deployments, scaling, backups, and maintenance using AWS Lambda, Step Functions, EventBridge, and SSM Automation. Collaboration with Development Teams:Partner with engineering teams to integrate DevOps practices, improve build/test quality, and streamline release management. Performance & Cost Optimization:Tune infrastructure for performance and cost (Auto Scaling, Graviton, instance sizing, reserved/savings plans, caching via ElastiCache/CloudFront). Disaster Recovery & Backup:Design DR strategies and AWS Backup policies, cross-region replication, and RTO/RPO targets for critical workloads. Containerization & Orchestration:Build and operate workloads on Amazon ECS or EKS, including cluster scaling, networking, and image lifecycle (ECR). Configuration Management:Standardize environments using AWS Systems Manager (Parameters, Patch Manager), and environment baselines. Incident Response & Reliability:Lead incident management, root cause analysis, and reliability engineering to reduce MTTR and improve SLAs/SLOs. Documentation & Knowledge Sharing:Document architectures, Terraform modules, GitHub Actions workflows, runbooks, and operational playbooks. Continuous Improvement:Evaluate and adopt new AWS services/features, Terraform enhancements, and CI/CD patterns to elevate platform maturity. Mentorship & Leadership:Coach engineers, drive DevOps culture, set standards, and influence roadmap priorities across teams. Qualifications 10+ years in DevOps/SRE/Platform Engineering, including leadership or technical lead experience. Expertise in AWS (core networking, compute, storage, databases, IAM). Strong Terraform experience: modules, state management, versioning, code reviews, and policy as code (e.g., Sentinel/OPA). Hands-on GitHub Actions experience: multi-environment workflows, reusable actions, environment protection rules, artifact handling. Proficient in Linux, shell scripting, and at least one language (Python, Go, or Node.js) for tooling/automation. Deep understanding of networking, security, and reliability (VPC, subnets, routing, SGs/NACLs, TLS, DNS, autoscaling). Experience with containers (Docker) and orchestration (ECS or EKS). Proven track record in monitoring/observability, incident response, and root cause analysis. Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support data-informed task execution. Familiarity with AI-enhanced platforms is a plus. A solid understanding of AI capabilities and limitations including ethical considerations is expected Preferred Qualifications Production experience with EKS, cluster add-ons (CoreDNS, kube-proxy), and IaC for Kubernetes (Helm, ArgoCD). Policy as Code, governance, and guardrails (AWS Organizations, SCPs, Config, Control Tower). Cost management (Cost Explorer, Budgets, anomaly detection, chargeback/showback). Zero-downtime deployments, blue/green/canary strategies. Service Mesh (AWS App Mesh/Istio), feature flags, and progressive delivery. Multi-account/multi-region architecture and Landing Zone patterns. Experience with serverless (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB) and event-driven systems. About The Team Our Product Development / Custom Delivery team helps businesses transform legacy systems and build future-ready applications. We deliver end-to-end solutions—combining cloud migration, custom application development, multi-cloud strategies, and modern UI and API integration. With expertise in DevSecOps, modern frameworks, and enterprise platforms, our team of engineers, architects, and project leaders partner with leading brands to drive innovation, accelerate delivery, and create lasting business impact. We also integrate AI-driven capabilities—such as intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and generative development tools—to enhance scalability, performance, and user experience.  Perficient, Inc. proudly provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Perficient, Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Perficient, Inc. expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or covered veterans. Improper interference with the ability of Perficient, Inc. employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. Disability Accommodations: Perficient is committed to providing a barrier-free employment process with reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled or the posting is removed. The salary range for this position takes into consideration a variety of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, level of experience, applicable office location, training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The new hire salary range displays the minimum and maximum salary targets for this position across all US locations, and the range has not been adjusted for any specific state differentials. It is not typical for a candidate to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the unique facts and circumstances regarding each candidate. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range for this position is $93,008.00 to $165,0000.00. Please note that the salary range posted reflects the base salary only and does not include benefits or any potential variable compensation programs. Information regarding the benefits available for this position are in our benefits overview. Disclaimer: The above statements are not intended to be a complete statement of job content, rather to act as a guide to the essential functions performed by the employee assigned to this classification. Management retains the discretion to add or change the duties of the position at any time. About Us Perficient is the global AI and technology consulting firm disrupting the traditional consulting model. Powered by our 7,000+ advisors, engineers, and designers, Perficient implements AI-first solutions that break conventions and deliver outcomes that matter. Proudly serving clients that represent the world’s most innovative brands, and in collaboration with our powerful technology partner ecosystem, we bring deep industry expertise and data-driven design to redefine how businesses run and succeed. Perficient is different. For real. Learn more at perficient.com . Select work authorization questions to ask when applicants apply 1. Are you legally authorized to work in the United States? 2. Will you now, or in the future, require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g. H-1B visa status)?