Cloud Engineer - Azure

Key Accountabilities/Deliverables

• Design and Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Develop and maintain modular, secure Terraform configurations for deploying Azure resources.
• Create reusable Terraform modules to standardize infrastructure provisioning.
• Build and Maintain CI/CD Pipelines
• Develop GitHub Actions workflows for Terraform plans/applies and Docker builds/deployments.
• Integrate code linting, security scanning, approvals, and environment gates into pipelines.
• Deliver Scalable Solutions in Microsoft Azure
• Translate business and application requirements into cloud-native and hybrid Azure solutions.
• Deploy services such as containers, App Services, VNets, Azure SQL, Key Vault, Storage Account, PrivateLink, Managed SQL, and Azure Backup.
• Ensure deployments are secure, scalable, and compliant with enterprise policies.
• Modernize Legacy Infrastructure in the Cloud
• Migrate legacy IaaS workloads to Azure PaaS or container platforms.
• Design hybrid cloud solutions integrating on-prem systems with Azure (e.g., VPN/ExpressRoute Virtual Network Gateway, Azure Arc, PrivateLink).
• Assess and remediate technical debt and outdated architecture.
• Governance, Security, and Compliance
• Enforce enterprise standards using Azure Policy, RBAC, tagging policies, and cost control mechanisms.
• Manage secrets with Azure Key Vault and implement secure identity practices (managed identities, MFA).
• Proactive Management and Audit-enabled Deployments
• Set up monitoring and alerting using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Microsoft Sentinel, etc.
• Create dashboards and alert rules for proactive incident detection.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for common operational issues and escalations.
• Collaboration & DevOps Practices
• Work cross-functionally with developers, architects, operations, and security teams to deliver infrastructure aligned with application needs.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies (standups, sprint planning, retrospectives).
• Review code, mentor team members, and promote DevOps best practices.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, deployment guides, CI/CD pipeline workflows, operational runbooks, and disaster recovery procedures.
• Conduct internal knowledge-sharing sessions and training.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Evaluate and adopt emerging Azure services, DevOps tools, and Terraform capabilities.
• Identify automation opportunities to streamline workflows and reduce manual operations.
• Continuously optimize cloud costs, performance, and resource usage.

Technical Knowledge and Understanding

• Microsoft Azure Core Services
• Strong understanding of Azure compute services: Virtual Machines, VMSS, App Services, AKS.
• Deep knowledge of Azure networking: VNets, Subnets, NSGs, UDRs, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Private Link.
• Familiarity with Azure storage options: Blob, File Shares, Disks, and backup solutions.
• Experience with Azure PaaS services: Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Application Gateway, Azure Functions, Logic Apps.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Proficient in Terraform: Writing clean and modular Terraform code, backend configuration and remote state management, workspaces and environment separation, and using the AzureRM provider effectively.
• Familiarity with Bicep or ARM templates.
• CI/CD and Version Control
• Deep understanding of Git fundamentals: branching, merging, PRs, versioning.
• Experience with GitHub Actions (or equivalents like Azure DevOps Pipelines): Building pipelines for infrastructure and application delivery, managing secrets and environment approvals, and integrating security scans and validations.
• Containerization & Orchestration
• Writing Dockerfile, building, and securing container images.
• Managing multi-stage builds and custom base images.
• Understanding container orchestration concepts and experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Kubernetes YAML manifests or Helm charts, and Azure Container Registry (ACR) usage and access control.
• Azure Automation
• Knowledge of Azure Automation Accounts, runbooks, function apps, and webhooks.
• Scripting skills in PowerShell and/or Bash for automation and task orchestration.
• Identity & Access Management
• Strong understanding of Azure AD / Entra ID, user and group management, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Conditional Access policies, and MFA.
• Managed Identities, Service Principals, and Key Vault integration.
• Cloud Cost Management & Optimization
• Experience with Azure Cost Management & Billing tools.
• Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and usage analytics.
• Strategies for cost optimization: Reserved Instances, autoscaling, rightsizing, eliminating idle resources.
• Monitoring, Logging & Troubleshooting
• Proficient with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Sentinel for security monitoring (optional).
• Ability to design custom dashboards, alerts, and automated responses, and troubleshooting skills using logs, metrics, and network tracing.
• Legacy Infrastructure Knowledge
• Understanding of traditional IT infrastructure concepts: data centers, IaaS, hypervisors (VMware/Hyper-V).
• Experience with cloud migrations: Lift-and-shift vs refactor/re-platform, hybrid networking scenarios, integration of on-prem identities or systems with Azure (e.g., AD Connect, Azure Arc).
• Operating Systems & System Admin Skills
• Working knowledge of Windows Server (RDP, IIS, Active Directory basics), and Linux (SSH, systemd, package management, log files).
• Understanding of OS-level performance tuning, permissions, and patching.
• DevOps & Software Lifecycle Understanding
• Familiarity with Agile/DevOps practices, CI/CD concepts, and Infrastructure Lifecycle.
• Awareness of cloud-native and 12-factor app principles.
• Understanding software packaging and deployment strategies (blue/green, canary, rolling).