Azure Cloud Engineer

Azure Cloud Engineer Lorton, VA — Onsite — Active TS/SCI Required

We are seeking an Azure Cloud Engineer to help design, deploy, and maintain secure enclave environments within Microsoft Azure in support of mission-critical government programs. This is a hybrid Cloud Engineering / DevOps role: the right candidate is comfortable working with Azure infrastructure and building the CI/CD pipelines and automation that make it deployable, repeatable, and self-service for government users. The Azure Cloud Engineer will participate in architecture discussions, contribute hands-on technical work across the program, and bring an automation-first mindset to everything from pipeline development to AVD image rotation. The position is onsite in Lorton, VA and requires an active Top Secret clearance with SCI.

First 90 Days

• Develop a working understanding of the operating environment, including the team, customer mission, and program landscape.
• Learn the existing Azure infrastructure setup, including resource groups, naming conventions, and architectural patterns.
• Begin participating in architecture discussions and identifying opportunities for improvement.

By 6 Months

• Understand how the environment is connected end-to-end — networking, identity, enclave boundaries, and pipeline flows.
• Build Azure DevOps pipelines and Terraform from scratch to support new and existing programs.
• Actively contribute to two programs at the Secret clearance level and one program at the TS clearance level.
• Deploy into new cloud environments as program needs expand.
• Design and deploy pipelines in ways that are user-friendly for government customers, with a strong emphasis on self-service options for end users.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Infrastructure

• Deploy and manage Azure resources — including Virtual Machines, Key Vaults, and other core services — using Azure DevOps pipelines.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure as code (IaC) using Terraform, ARM templates, and Bicep, including building solutions from scratch.
• Review, refine, and troubleshoot new and existing IaC across the environment.
• Monitor and maintain Azure infrastructure, addressing performance issues and optimizing cloud resources.
• Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to technical decisions.

Secure Enclave Engineering

• Help design, implement, and manage secure enclave environments within Microsoft Azure.
• Support the stability, performance, and security of Azure enclave systems.
• Manage identity and access management (IAM) policies, enforcing least-privilege access across enclave systems.

DevOps & Automation

• Build and manage Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines from scratch, designed for usability by government customers and self-service end users.
• Automate Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) image building and rotation.
• Support customers in installing software onto baseline desktops using an automation-first approach (DSC or Packer).

Containers & Orchestration

• Design, develop, deploy, and manage container orchestration through Kubernetes.
• Configure and manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters and the underlying infrastructure.
• Automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

Collaboration

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and enhance cloud solutions.
• Troubleshoot issues within Azure environments and provide support as needed.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Document configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Approximately 5 years of experience in cloud administration and development, with a focus on Microsoft Azure.
• Ability to build Azure DevOps pipelines and Terraform from scratch.
• Experience working in secure enclave environments and familiarity with security compliance frameworks.
• Working knowledge of Azure services, including Azure Virtual Desktop.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Azure DevOps, ARM templates, or Bicep.
• Proficiency in PowerShell and other scripting languages.
• Experience automating the deployment of Azure resources via code.
• Working knowledge of YAML, JSON, Bicep, and PowerShell.
• Ability to contribute to architecture discussions and problem solving.
• Azure certifications such as AZ-104, AZ-305, or equivalent are a plus.

Clearance & Requirements

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI is required.
• U.S. citizenship is required pursuant to a government contract.
• Must be within driving distance of Lorton, VA, or willing to relocate (relocation packages available).
• Must be willing to work onsite.
• Must be willing and able to travel up to 10%.