DevOps Engineer

Job Title: Jira Platform engineer / Atlassian EngineerLocation: Washington, DC (5 days onsite)Duration: 6+ months with possible extensionWe can work on W2 onlyJob Description:The DevOps Engineer (specifically Jira Platform Engineer) will serve as the technical owner of our Jira SaaS in a government cloud and is responsible for administering, configuring, and integrating the application within our enterprise technology ecosystem. This position plays a pivotal role in consolidating our collaborative planning tools—transitioning from Azure DevOps (on-prem) and GitLab (on-prem) to Jira—while enabling and scaling agile practices across the organization. The ideal candidate is both technically proficient and strategically minded, with a strong understanding of Agile methodologies, DevSecOps workflows, and enterprise system integration. REQUIREMENTS: • Administer, configure, and optimize Jira SaaS to meet enterprise project management and Agile delivery needs. • Design and maintain custom workflows, issue types, screens, fields, and automation rules aligned with organizational Agile frameworks and guidelines. • Manage user permissions, group roles, and security schemes to ensure governance and compliance. • Monitor Jira license utilization, user growth, and application usage to ensure efficient use of subscriptions. • Collaborate with procurement teams to support renewal, optimization, and budget decisions. System Integration & Development • Design, implement, and maintain seamless integrations between Jira and other enterprise systems, such as GitLab (source control & CI/CD) and ServiceNow (ITSM), using Okta, REST APIs, webhooks, middleware, and scripting. • Automate data synchronization across platforms to support traceability from planning to release. • Troubleshoot and optimize integration pipelines to ensure performance, security, and scalability. • Partner with infrastructure and cybersecurity teams to align integrations with enterprise security and compliance standards. • Develop and maintain technical documentation, standards, and best practices. Agile Enablement • Partner with the Agile Transformation Office to translate Agile practices into effective Jira configurations and usage patterns. • Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and teams on best-practice tool utilization. • Support reporting and analytics initiatives, ensuring reliable Agile metrics (velocity, burndown, cycle time, etc.). • Support and enable teams' transition from Azure DevOps Boards, Gitlab, and Jira (hosted) to JIRA SaaS. Knowledge/Skill Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • 3+ years of hands-on experience administering and/or engineering Jira (self-hosting or SaaS). • Proven, hands-on experience developing custom integrations with enterprise platforms, especially GitLab and ServiceNow. • Proficiency in scripting (Python, PowerShell, or JavaScript) and REST API integration. • Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and DevSecOps principles. • Experience in enterprise migrations from Azure DevOps or similar tools to Jira. Preferred • Familiarity with Atlassian ecosystem (Confluence, Bitbucket, Atlassian Government Cloud) and marketplace apps. • Experience working in a DevSecOps or Platform Engineering environment. • Experience with information security, privacy, and risk assessment standards, including FISMA, SOX, FedRAMP, etc., is preferred. • Federal government experience is preferred. • Atlassian Certified Professional (ACP-620, ACP-120, or equivalent) preferred.