Azure Engineer

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 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. 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. 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 Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Tier4 Group