Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior DevOps Engineer (Hub-Remote: DC or Philly Metro)
at Element84
🏢 About Element84
Element84 is a small, mission-driven consultancy focused on geospatial data and cloud solutions, often working on projects that have social or environmental impact. They emphasize a collaborative, remote-first culture and value technical excellence and continuous learning.
About This Role
This Senior DevOps Engineer role involves leading cloud-native infrastructure design and automation across AWS and Azure, with a focus on scalability and security. You'll drive CI/CD pipeline optimization and establish best practices that impact both internal teams and customer organizations.
💡 A Day in the Life
Start with a stand-up to align with the team, then dive into designing Terraform modules for a new customer deployment. After lunch, review a pull request for a CI/CD pipeline improvement, and end the day by documenting best practices for cloud security.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Element84 Is Looking For
- Has 6+ years of software development experience, with at least 3 years in cloud technologies (AWS/Azure).
- Deeply experienced with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation) across multiple cloud accounts.
- Proficient in Python or Bash for scripting automation, with some JavaScript familiarity.
- Has a proven track record of designing and managing production-grade cloud infrastructure, not just theoretical knowledge.
📝 Tips for Applying to Element84
Tailor your resume to highlight specific IaC projects and the scale of cloud accounts you've managed.
In your cover letter, mention any geospatial or mission-driven projects you've worked on, as Element84 values impact.
Showcase your experience with both AWS and Azure, as the role requires multi-cloud expertise.
Include links to your GitHub or portfolio with examples of Terraform/Python automation scripts.
Research Element84's open-source contributions (e.g., STAC, OpenTimestamps) and mention how you can contribute.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Emphasize your hands-on experience leading cloud infrastructure design and automation at scale.', 'Highlight your ability to define and advocate for DevOps best practices across teams.', "Mention your passion for mission-driven work and how your skills can further Element84's impact.", 'Show specific examples of optimizing CI/CD pipelines to improve deployment speed and reliability.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about Element84's projects like the Earth Data Cloud and their work with NASA.
- → Familiarize yourself with the STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog) specification, as it's core to their work.
- → Check their engineering blog and GitHub for recent tech talks or open-source tools they maintain.
- → Review their company values and culture page to understand their remote collaboration practices.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't apply without tailoring your resume to cloud-specific roles; generic DevOps resumes get overlooked.
- Avoid exaggerating cloud experience; be honest about your level of expertise with each provider.
- Don't neglect to mention your experience with both AWS and Azure if you have it; the role requires multi-cloud skills.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!