Lead Cloud Engineer

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Lead Cloud Engineer to spearhead the design, deployment, and ongoing support of secure, scalable, and reliable cloud infrastructure solutions primarily using Microsoft Azure. This position involves providing technical leadership throughout cloud projects by collaborating with architects, project teams, and other stakeholders to establish enterprise-grade cloud platforms.

Core Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and oversee enterprise cloud infrastructure on Microsoft Azure platforms.
• Ensure cloud environments are secure, scalable, resilient, and optimized for performance.
• Utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, ARM Templates, or Bicep to develop and deploy cloud infrastructure.
• Configure and manage Azure resources including Virtual Machines, Virtual Networks, Storage, Load Balancers, Azure Firewall, VPN Gateway, Application Gateway, and Azure Monitor.
• Manage hybrid cloud setups and Azure Stack integrations when needed.
• Enforce cloud security standards, governance protocols, identity and access management, backup, disaster recovery, and compliance measures.
• Monitor cloud environments, diagnose and resolve complex infrastructure issues, and optimize performance and costs.
• Collaborate with solution architects and application teams to facilitate cloud migration and modernization efforts.
• Develop and maintain continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate cloud deployments.
• Lead incident management processes including root cause analysis and implement ongoing service improvements.
• Mentor and guide cloud engineers and project teams with technical expertise.
• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, operational guides, and architecture blueprints.
• Stay updated on emerging cloud trends and technologies to recommend and implement enhancements in cloud platforms and processes.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or related discipline.
• At least 7 to 10 years of overall IT infrastructure experience, with a minimum of 5 years devoted to Microsoft Azure cloud services.
• Proven hands-on skills in designing and managing large-scale Azure environments.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft Azure components such as Virtual Machines, Virtual Networks, Storage, Backup and Site Recovery, Monitor, Azure Security Center/Microsoft Defender, Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), and Networking.
• Experience deploying infrastructure through IaC tools like Terraform, ARM Templates, or Bicep.
• Proficiency in automation scripting with PowerShell, Azure CLI, or other scripting languages.
• Familiarity with container orchestration platforms such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Docker is a plus.
• Experience working with CI/CD tools including Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions.
• Strong understanding of cloud networking architectures, identity and access management, disaster recovery, and security best practices.
• Prior involvement in supporting enterprise-level cloud platforms with high availability demands.
• Knowledge of hybrid cloud solutions, Azure Stack, and VMware is beneficial.
• Experience or exposure to other cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud Platform adds value.

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
• Terraform Associate Certification (preferred)

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and team mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent analytical and complex problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication skills and ability to manage stakeholders.
• Adaptability to rapid, enterprise-level technology environments.
• Strong customer service orientation focused on operational excellence.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and deliver solutions within tight timelines.