Cloud Architect

Company Overview

Jenner & Block LLP is a law firm with a fearless reputation and global reach, high-level problem solvers in litigation, government controversies, investigations, regulatory challenges, and complex corporate transactions. With offices in Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, the firm represents a wide range of clients, counseling Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, major nonprofits, top universities, private equity investors, and Native American tribes. Consistently recognized as a firm that stands up for its values with its commitment to justice and community service, Jenner has been named the No. 1 pro bono firm 13 times in the United States by The American Lawyer and was named in the top five of the AmLaw A-List in 2025.

ROLE SUMMARY

We are looking for an experienced Cloud Engineer to join our internal infrastructure team. In this role, you will focus on service deployment and operations in our Azure environment, working to streamline how we provision and manage cloud resources. The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of hands-on Azure experience and is proficient with Azure DevOps, Bicep, and ARM templates for Infrastructure-as-Code. You will be expected to gather requirements from project calls and stakeholders, translate them into service releases, and determine the best course of action. Strong technical expertise in Azure, coupled with excellent communication and problem-solving skills, are essential for success in this role.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement Azure infrastructure – Plan and build cloud-based infrastructure and services in Microsoft Azure to meet project requirements. Ensure scalability, security, and alignment with best practices in cloud design.
• Automate deployments and configurations – Develop and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code templates (using Azure Bicep and ARM templates) to automate the provisioning and configuration of Azure resources. Leverage Azure DevOps pipelines to implement CI/CD for infrastructure and application deployments, minimizing manual effort and errors.
• Service deployment & management – Deploy Azure services (compute, storage, networking, etc.) and integrate them into our environment. Continuously improve deployment processes for efficiency and repeatability, using scripts and automation tools (PowerShell, Azure CLI, etc.).
• Monitoring and optimization – Use Azure Monitor and related tools to ensure high availability and reliability of services and perform tuning or resizing of resources for cost-effectiveness and performance.
• Security and compliance – Implement Azure security best practices (network security, identity management, data encryption) across deployments. Ensure compliance with internal policies and industry standards when rolling out new services or changes.
• Collaboration and requirements gathering – Work closely with architects, developers, and project managers during project calls to gather requirements and clarify objectives. Translate business and technical requirements into Azure solutions and proposals.
• Independent decision-making – Analyze requirements and constraints discussed in meetings and independently determine the best course of action for cloud implementations. Provide recommendations on Azure services or architecture to meet project goals, drawing on your expertise.
• Documentation and knowledge sharing – Document designs, deployment processes, and configurations for the solutions you build. Maintain up-to-date technical documentation and architectural diagrams for operational transparency. Share best practices and learnings with the team, aiding in upskilling team members on Azure automation techniques.
• Committed to exploring and supporting additional Microsoft platforms that integrate with Azure and cloud services, e.g., Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Entra ID.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Azure Cloud Expertise – 3 to 5 years of experience in Azure cloud engineering, with a strong focus on deploying and managing Azure services. Deep understanding of core Azure components (compute, storage, networking, databases, etc.) and cloud principles.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Proven experience creating and managing Azure infrastructure using ARM templates and/or Bicep. Ability to define Azure resources in code for automated deployments. Familiarity with source control (Git) and template repositories for managing IaC.
• Azure DevOps & CI/CD – Proficiency with Azure DevOps (or similar CI/CD platforms) for automating build and release pipelines. Experience building CI/CD pipelines that deploy Azure resources using IaC (Bicep/ARM) and integrating automated tests or validations.
• Scripting and Automation – Strong scripting skills in PowerShell, Azure CLI, or Python for automation of routine tasks and custom deployment needs. Ability to write scripts to handle Azure service management, monitoring, and automation beyond IaC templates.
• Troubleshooting and Optimization – Ability to troubleshoot Azure environment issues (networking, performance bottlenecks, deployment failures) and perform root-cause analysis. Experience with monitoring tools and diagnostics to optimize performance and costs.
• Security & Networking Knowledge – Good understanding of Azure security (NSGs, IAM, Key Vault, etc.) and networking concepts (VNETs, subnets, VPN/ExpressRoute, DNS) in a cloud context. Capable of designing with security and compliance in mind.
• DevOps and Agile Principles – Experience working in an Agile environment and applying DevOps practices. Comfortable use of infrastructure automation tools and configuration management. Knowledge of containerization (Azure Functions) is a plus, though not required.
• Certification – Microsoft Azure Associate-level certification is required (e.g., Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)). This certification demonstrates a solid foundation in Azure administration and deployment. Higher-level or additional Azure certifications (Azure Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer Expert) are a plus.
• Proven track record of executing projects in a cloud environment. Any relevant training or coursework in cloud computing, automation, or DevOps will strengthen the candidate’s profile.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to clearly convey technical ideas and to understand project requirements from non-technical stakeholders.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to troubleshoot issues and devise effective solutions in the cloud. The engineer should be resourceful and capable of resolving deployment or performance problems under pressure.
• Collaboration: Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team. The role requires collaborating with cross-functional teams (architecture, data, development, security) to ensure solutions fit the broader ecosystem.
• Initiative & Ownership: A self-starter attitude with the ability to take ownership of projects. We expect proactive initiative – for example, identifying improvements in automation or suggesting new Azure features to implement – without always being directed.
• Adaptability: Flexibility and adaptability to changing project scopes or emerging technologies.
• Attention to Detail: Diligence in configuration and coding to ensure reliability of deployment scripts and templates. Small errors in templates or scripts can have large impacts, so a detail-oriented mindset is critical.

Additional Duties

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the primary duties and responsibilities for the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all tasks or responsibilities that may be assigned. The role may include additional duties, specialized projects, and other tasks as required. The firm reserves the right to modify or adjust the responsibilities to meet business needs.

Physical Requirements

Candidates must be able to meet the physical demands of the position, including the ability to commute to the office as required on designated in-office days based on the position. The firm is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Eligibility Requirement

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Jenner will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

EEO Statement

Jenner & Block LLP is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment and employment decisions are not made on the basis of an individual’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, arrest record, matriculation, personal appearance, political affiliation, marital, parental, veteran, military, or order of protection status, or any other protected status or that of their relatives, friends, or associates.

Jenner & Block is proud to offer a competitive total rewards package, including comprehensive health & well-being benefits and 401k profit sharing. The anticipated pay range for this role is $135,000 - $190,000 in Chicago. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on several factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and consideration of internal equity.