Azure Cloud Platform Engineer

Outstanding contract opportunity with a well-known Financial Services Company. Locations: Irving, TX, Chandler, AZ, or Charlotte, NC (hybrid, 3 days on-site). Contract duration: 6+ months.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, broad-impact initiatives including provision of high-level systems consultation for technology teams.
• Act as a key participant in large-scale planning of cloud infrastructure and platform services for the Systems Operations functional area.
• Review and analyze complex technical challenges, including escalated support issues related to core business solutions requiring in-depth evaluation of alternatives, enhancements, system reviews, and performance improvements.
• Make decisions regarding technical changes, optimizations, and platform enhancements.
• Consult with engineering teams on change design, ensuring adherence to technical process controls, governance standards, and enterprise architecture guidelines.
• Collaborate with technical peers, cross-functional teams, and mid-to-senior-level managers to resolve cloud platform issues and achieve operational goals.
• Provide L2/L3 support for Azure environments, with a strong focus on:
  • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
  • Microsoft Azure Virtual Network (VNet, NSGs, Private Endpoints)
  • Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Entra ID)
• Support containerized workloads and Kubernetes cluster operations.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and implement corrective and preventative measures.
• Participate in Change and Release Management processes to ensure minimal service disruption.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) to streamline provisioning and operational support.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders, providing status updates on incidents, platform health, and project deliverables.

Requirements

• 5+ years of Systems Engineering, Cloud Engineering, or Technology Architecture experience (or equivalent combination of work experience, military experience, training, or education).
• 5+ years of experience in IT infrastructure or cloud platform support roles.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure services, including:
  • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
  • Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines
  • Azure Monitor
  • Azure Resource Manager (ARM/Bicep/Terraform deployments)
• Experience supporting production enterprise Azure environments.
• Strong understanding of Azure networking, identity, and security best practices.
• Experience with incident response, platform troubleshooting, and operational support in a structured ITIL model.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience in a technical lead or senior engineering role.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Helm, service mesh technologies).
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools such as:
  • Azure Monitor
  • Prometheus
  • Grafana
• Proficiency in scripting languages (Python, Bash, PowerShell).
• Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code and automation tools (Terraform, ARM, Bicep, Ansible).
• Strong understanding of cloud governance, policy enforcement, and cost management.
• Ability to mentor and develop junior engineers.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams.

Skills

• Preferred Certifications:
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
  • Cloud Native Computing Foundation Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)