Azure Cloud Engineer

Location: Johns Creek, GA (Onsite – 5 Days per Week)
Employment Type: Contract to Hire

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled Azure Cloud Engineer to join our client’s team in Johns Creek, GA. This role is responsible for the design, implementation, optimization, security, and ongoing management of enterprise-scale Microsoft Azure environments. The ideal candidate will possess deep technical expertise across Azure infrastructure, cloud-native services, automation, security, governance, and hybrid cloud architectures. This position requires close collaboration with infrastructure, security, application development, and business teams to deliver scalable, secure, and cost-efficient cloud solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture & Engineering

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable, resilient, and secure Azure cloud architectures.
• Deploy and manage Azure services including Azure Virtual Machines, App Services, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Functions, Azure Storage, and related platform services.
• Architect highly available and disaster recovery solutions using Availability Zones, Azure Backup, Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS), and Azure Site Recovery.
• Develop cloud-native solutions aligned with business requirements and enterprise architecture standards.

Cloud Migration & Hybrid Infrastructure

• Lead migrations of on-premises infrastructure and applications to Azure using Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery.
• Configure and support hybrid cloud environments integrating VMware and Hyper-V environments with Azure.
• Implement hybrid connectivity solutions utilizing VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Azure Arc, and Azure Stack technologies.
• Assess existing environments and recommend modernization strategies to improve performance, scalability, and reliability.

Infrastructure as Code & Automation

• Build and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform, ARM Templates, and Bicep.
• Automate cloud provisioning, configuration management, and operational processes.
• Develop scripts and automation solutions using PowerShell, Azure CLI, and Python.
• Standardize deployments to ensure consistency, repeatability, and compliance across environments.

Security & Governance

• Implement and enforce Azure security best practices and enterprise governance standards.
• Administer Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Conditional Access, and Privileged Identity Management (PIM).
• Configure and maintain Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Key Vault, Network Security Groups (NSGs), Application Security Groups (ASGs), and Web Application Firewalls (WAF).
• Develop and maintain Azure Policy initiatives and governance controls to ensure compliance and security.

Monitoring & Optimization

• Implement monitoring, alerting, and observability solutions using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Troubleshoot and resolve infrastructure, networking, and application performance issues.
• Optimize cloud environments through right-sizing, auto-scaling, reserved instances, and cost-management strategies.
• Provide recommendations for improving operational efficiency, system performance, and cloud resource utilization.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to design and implement cloud solutions.
• Establish and maintain Azure standards, best practices, policies, processes, and architecture patterns.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to internal teams.
• Participate in architecture reviews, project planning, and strategic cloud initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3+ years of experience designing, implementing, and supporting Microsoft Azure environments.
• Strong experience with Azure IaaS, PaaS, networking, storage, security, and identity management.
• Hands-on experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and container technologies.
• Expertise in Terraform, ARM Templates, and/or Bicep.
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions.
• Proficiency with PowerShell, Azure CLI, and Python automation.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, governance, compliance, and cost optimization principles.
• Experience with Azure monitoring and logging solutions.
• Excellent troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Azure certifications such as:
  • Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
  • Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
  • Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
  • Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
• Experience with Azure Arc, Azure Stack, and hybrid cloud solutions.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale cloud environments.
• Knowledge of VMware and Hyper-V infrastructure.