Azure Architect / Senior Azure Engineer
Location: Hybrid (2 days per week in Reston, VA)
Contract to Hire
Role Overview
We are seeking a highly experienced Azure Architect / Senior Azure Engineer to support the design, implementation, and governance of our growing Azure footprint. This role will serve as both a hands‑on technical expert and a strategic advisor, helping establish Azure best practices, architecture standards, and a long‑term cloud roadmap.
Our organization is expanding its use of Azure through greenfield initiatives while maintaining a hybrid on‑prem/cloud environment. This position will play a critical role in ensuring cloud adoption is cohesive, secure, cost‑controlled, and scalable, rather than a collection of disconnected efforts.
The ideal candidate brings deep Azure technical expertise, strong architectural thinking, and the ability to operate above the tactical engineering level. This includes guiding platform decisions, governance, and cloud adoption strategy while collaborating closely with engineering, security, and leadership teams.
Key Responsibilities
Azure Architecture & Technical Leadership
- Design and guide enterprise‑level Azure architecture with a focus on scalability, security, and long‑term sustainability
- Lead greenfield implementation and standardization of core Azure services, including:
- Azure Data Factory
- Azure Data Lake
- Databricks
- Azure Identity and Access Management
- Advise on what workloads are best suited for Azure versus hybrid or on‑prem deployments
- Establish architecture patterns, technical standards, and reference designs for Azure adoption
Cloud Governance & FinOps
- Partner with leadership to define and implement Azure governance, controls, and guardrails
- Provide guidance on FinOps practices, including cost visibility, forecasting, and cost‑control mechanisms
- Help design subscription management, access policies, and approval workflows to prevent uncontrolled cloud spend
- Support leadership with cost projections and impact analysis for Azure initiatives
Development Practices & Infrastructure as Code
- Define and implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices to ensure consistency, repeatability, and cost control
- Establish Azure DevOps and Git‑based code management practices, including deployment workflows and branching strategies
- Promote secure, repeatable deployment pipelines across Azure environments
Platform Strategy & Roadmapping
- Work with technology leadership to create a 1–3 year Azure platform roadmap
- Provide a “bird’s‑eye view” of Azure adoption to ensure initiatives are aligned and coordinated
- Help evolve internal engineering capabilities through knowledge sharing, process design, and mentorship
Collaboration & Communication
- Act as a consultative partner to engineering, infrastructure, security, and data teams
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly at both executive and engineering levels
- Support change management and cloud adoption efforts across the organization
Required Qualifications
- Extensive experience designing and implementing enterprise Azure solutions
- Deep, hands‑on knowledge of:
- Azure Data Factory
- Azure Data Lake
- Databricks
- Azure Identity and Access Management
- Infrastructure as Code (ARM, Bicep, Terraform, or equivalent)
- Logic App development and management
- Git‑based code management and CI/CD practices
- Strong understanding of hybrid cloud architectures and on‑prem to cloud integration
- Experience establishing Azure governance, security, and cost‑management frameworks
- Ability to balance strategic planning with hands‑on technical execution
- Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior consulting or contract experience helping organizations stand up Azure platforms
- Experience operating in budget‑sensitive or non‑profit / regulated environments
- Familiarity with Azure DevOps, SegDevOps practices, and security integration
- Azure certifications (Architect, Security, or Data focus) preferred but not required
Engagement & Growth Opportunity
- The initial focus will be on delivering tangible outcomes within the first few months, including governance frameworks, architectural direction, and platform foundations
- The long‑term vision includes shaping Azure strategy, maturing internal cloud capabilities, and serving as a key architect for the organization’s cloud future
Why This Role Is Unique
- Opportunity to define Azure architecture from the ground up in a greenfield environment
- High visibility and close partnership with technical leadership
- Ability to influence long‑term platform strategy while remaining hands‑on