Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior DevSecOps Engineer

at Element84

🏢 About Element84

Element 84 is a woman-owned small business that focuses on geospatial data processing and Earth science systems, working on projects that have a tangible impact on health, infrastructure, and the planet. Their values emphasize investing in each other, reliability, and ensuring their work benefits the world, making it a mission-driven workplace. They also support a remote workforce and offer benefits like parental leave, reflecting a commitment to work-life balance.

About This Role

As a Senior DevSecOps Engineer at Element 84, you will design and maintain secure, scalable cloud infrastructure for geospatial data processing pipelines, often for public sector and non-profit clients. This role is impactful because your work directly enables scientists and researchers to answer critical questions about climate change, public health, and natural disasters. You'll integrate security practices into CI/CD pipelines and ensure compliance with government standards.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with a standup meeting with your distributed team to discuss progress on infrastructure tasks. You'll spend time writing Terraform modules to deploy new services, reviewing security scans from CI/CD pipelines, and collaborating with developers to resolve access issues. Afternoons could involve researching new AWS security features or troubleshooting a production incident, with time blocked for deep work on improving deployment automation.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Element84

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Element84 Is Looking For

  • Has extensive experience with AWS (especially services like S3, Lambda, Step Functions, and ECS) and infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.
  • Strong background in security practices: implementing IAM policies, encryption, vulnerability scanning, and meeting FedRAMP or similar compliance requirements.
  • Proficient in automating CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or GitLab CI, with a focus on security scanning and testing.
  • Familiarity with geospatial data formats (e.g., GeoTIFF, COG) and processing frameworks (e.g., GDAL, STAC) is a plus, as Element 84 specializes in geospatial systems.

📝 Tips for Applying to Element84

1

Highlight any experience with geospatial data or Earth science projects, even if it's from side projects or open-source contributions, to show alignment with Element 84's core work.

2

Emphasize specific examples of implementing security in cloud environments, such as designing secure VPCs, automating security audits, or achieving compliance (e.g., SOC 2, FedRAMP).

3

Tailor your resume to include quantifiable achievements in improving deployment frequency, reducing vulnerabilities, or scaling infrastructure.

4

Research Element 84's projects, like their work with NASA or other public sector clients, and mention how your skills apply to those specific challenges in your cover letter.

5

Showcase your ability to work collaboratively in a remote team by mentioning tools used for communication (e.g., Slack, Jira) and examples of cross-team coordination.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Express passion for mission-driven work that benefits society, aligning with Element 84's values of 'Our Work Benefits our World.'", 'Detail your experience with DevSecOps in cloud environments, especially AWS, and how you integrate security early in the development lifecycle.', 'Mention any familiarity with geospatial data or Earth science, and your eagerness to learn more if you lack direct experience.', 'Highlight your reliability and ability to work independently, as the role is remote and requires self-management.']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read about Element 84's projects, such as the NASA Cumulus framework or their work on the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS).
  • → Review the company's blog or case studies to understand their technical stack and client sectors (e.g., public health, climate).
  • → Check their GitHub or open-source contributions to see their coding standards and tools used.
  • → Look at their team page to understand the company culture and backgrounds of current engineers.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you implemented security controls in a CI/CD pipeline. What tools did you use, and how did you ensure developer adoption?
2 How would you design a secure, scalable architecture for processing large geospatial datasets in AWS?
3 Explain your experience with infrastructure as code and how you manage state and secrets in Terraform.
4 How do you stay updated on security vulnerabilities and incorporate them into your workflow?
5 Discuss a challenging project where you had to balance security requirements with delivery timelines.
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing too much on on-premises security or non-cloud environments without demonstrating cloud-native experience.
  • Not addressing the company's mission or values in your application, as Element 84 emphasizes purpose-driven work.
  • Overlooking the importance of collaboration and communication in a remote setting; failing to mention remote work experience or tools.

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Element84!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →