Azure Cloud Engineer (Azure & Infrastructure-as-Code Specialist) @ Only US Citizens

Greetings From Skysoft Job Title: Azure Cloud Engineer (Azure & Infrastructure-as-Code Specialist) Location: WASHINGTON, DC, United States Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: Public Trust Citizenship: US Citizen Potential for Remote Work: Remote Experience: 10+years Must Client is seeking an exceptional and highly skilled Senior Cloud Engineer to lead the design, automation, and optimization of our cloud infrastructure with a deep focus on Microsoft Azure and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) methodologies, specifically leveraging Terraform. In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to design and implement scalable, secure, and compliant shared services that empower workload teams across the organization. We are looking for an accomplished professional who combines advanced technical expertise with strategic foresight to drive enterprise-wide cloud initiatives. This position is fully remote and can be worked from anywhere in the United States. Responsibilities:

• Architect Secure, Scalable Cloud Solutions:
• Spearhead the design, development, and optimization of reusable shared resources, including Azure services, custom Terraform modules, and standardized code repositories, to accelerate the organization’s cloud adoption strategies.
• The Senior Cloud Engineer will drive self‑service capabilities, enable event‑driven orchestration, and promote immutable infrastructure patterns to ensure faster, more reliable, and compliant deployments across the enterprise.
• This role is for automation throughout the infrastructure both on-premises and cloud.
• Drive Automation with Ansible:
• Demonstrate experience delivering automation through Ansible solutioning.
• Leverage Ansible Automation Platform to unify automation across various platforms like Azure, vCenter, Database, Infoblox, Service now, network services, CyberArk
• Develop efficient IaC modules in Terraform to enhance cloud infrastructure provisioning and streamline workload migration from on premises to Azure. Reduce deployment times from days to less than an hour.
• Establish and enforce comprehensive standards for resource provisioning, including naming conventions, resource tagging, and central logging integration with systems like Splunk.
• Embed Robust Security and Compliance Practices:
• Implement NIST 800 and additional cybersecurity controls by automating least privilege service models, deny-by-default rule sets, and the enforcement of strict access policies to eliminate unnecessary public exposure to critical infrastructure.
• Collaborate with governance teams to ensure adherence to organizational policies and regular audits of compliance standards in the cloud.
• Empower and Educate Teams:
• Serve as a mentor and technical leader, providing hands-on training to junior engineers focused on best practices in environments using Terraform, shared infrastructure, and Azure services.
• Partner with workload and product teams, teaching them effective use of Terraform modules and enabling a self-sufficient approach to infrastructure delivery.
• Collaborate and Innovate:
• Lead organization-wide exploration and prototyping of new tools and technologies, including evaluating and integrating Terraform Enterprise, to enhance operational efficiency.
• Actively participate in Agile ceremonies such as daily scrums, sprint planning, and retrospective sessions to provide high-value contributions toward team deliverables.
• Ensure Code Quality and Knowledge Sharing:
• Facilitate continuous improvement by reviewing pull requests, suggesting refinements to coding standards, and establishing best practices that improve efficiency and maintainability in infrastructure codebases.
• Foster a collaborative, knowledge-sharing culture across teams to embed cutting-edge thinking within the organization.
• Vendor Management and Issue Resolution:
• Partner with vendor support teams to resolve high-impact technical challenges, ensuring cloud infrastructure performance and reliability metrics align with operational SLAs.

Required Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or related field, with a minimum of 5+ years of professional cloud engineering experience. Advanced certifications in Azure (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert) and Terraform (e.g., HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate) are strongly preferred.
• Technical Expertise: Proven hands-on expertise with Ansible Automation Platform and the implementation of enterprise-grade Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using Terraform. Proficiency in other DevOps/automation tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Azure DevOps is highly desirable.
• Security & Compliance: A strong understanding of security frameworks, including NIST 800-53, with the ability to implement and enforce least-privilege models, zero trust principles, and security standards across cloud environments.
• Cloud Networking Mastery: Advanced knowledge in cloud network design and configuration, such as virtual network architectures, secure public/private access, Network Security Groups, role-based access control (RBAC), and governance policy enforcement.
• Problem-Solving & Mentorship: A track record of leading teams to overcome complex challenges with creative, strategic solutions. Demonstrated ability to mentor technical team members, fostering their growth and professional development.
• Agile Experience: Comfort operating in Agile/DevOps-driven environments with a focus on iterative improvements to infrastructure development processes.
• Strategic Mindset: Demonstrated ability to balance the strategic vision (long-term innovation) with finite technical implementations, ensuring business and technical teams are equipped to achieve organizational objectives.
• Soft Skills: Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to present technical solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Collaborative and solution-oriented approach to teamwork.

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