Senior Platform Engineer /Azure Engineer (Need locals to DC / Onsite role )

Job Title: Platform Engineer - Cloud - Azure Engineer 
Location: Washington, DC
Duration: 6+ Months Contract

s are encouraged to apply for this position.

Consultant;'s with Active clearance are preferred .

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead the design and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure cloud-based platform solutions using Azure services (e.g., Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure App Services, Azure Storage).
2. Collaborate with business units and technical teams to understand requirements and design cloud solutions that align with business needs and IT strategy.
3. Architect cloud solutions to ensure high availability, disaster recovery, and performance optimization in a multi-cloud or hybrid environment.
4. Manage and maintain cloud infrastructure, ensuring consistent performance, scalability, and security of cloud-hosted applications.
5. Implement and maintain infrastructure automation using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, and Azure DevOps.
6. Implement security best practices for cloud resources, including encryption, identity and access management (IAM), firewall configuration, and network security.
7. Use tools like Azure Security Center to monitor vulnerabilities, threat intelligence, and security events.
8. Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines to automate the deployment of cloud applications and infrastructure updates using tools such as Azure DevOps, GitLab, or Jenkins.
9. Automate infrastructure provisioning, monitoring, and scaling to optimize operations and reduce manual intervention.
10. Drive the adoption of DevOps and automation practices across the organization to accelerate development cycles and improve platform reliability.
11. Monitor the health and performance of cloud resources using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and other monitoring tools.
12. Perform ongoing tuning and optimization of cloud resources to improve system performance and minimize operational costs.
13. Analyze system logs and metrics to troubleshoot, resolve, and prevent issues related to cloud-based applications and services.
14. Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for cloud architectures, configurations, automation processes, and troubleshooting procedures.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
• 7+ years of experience in cloud infrastructure and platform engineering, with at least 3 years of hands-on experience specifically with Microsoft Azure.
• Deep expertise in Azure services, including Azure Compute, Azure Networking, Azure Storage, Azure Identity, and Azure Security.
• Strong experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, ARM templates, Azure DevOps).
• Hands-on experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), containerization (e.g., Docker), and container orchestration.
• Expertise in monitoring and log aggregation tools, including Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Azure Security Center, and third-party tools (e.g., Splunk, Prometheus).
• Proficiency in automation and scripting languages such as PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Knowledge of DevOps principles and CI/CD pipeline tools such as Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or GitLab.
• Strong understanding of cloud security best practices, including identity and access management (IAM), firewalls, VPNs, and data encryption.
• Familiarity with hybrid cloud environments and multi-cloud strategies.
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and work collaboratively across teams to deliver cloud platform solutions.
• Strong mentoring and coaching abilities to guide junior engineers and promote knowledge sharing.
• Effective communicator, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience managing cloud-based projects, ensuring timely delivery, and coordinating with stakeholders.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex issues, identify root causes, and implement efficient solutions.
• Experience with project management methodologies, including Agile and Scrum, to manage and prioritize cloud engineering tasks.

Desirable Skills:

• Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, or equivalent Azure-related certifications.
• Experience with multi-cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud Platform).
• Familiarity with serverless architectures and platforms (e.g., Azure Functions, AWS Lambda).
• Knowledge of container security, DevSecOps, and cloud-native applications.