Position: Sr. Azure Virtual Desktop Architect
Location: Houston, TX(Hybrid - 4 days onsite a week)
Hiring Mode: 12 Months Contract
Position Overview:
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Azure Virtual Desktop Architect to lead the design, implementation, optimization, and escalation support of enterprise virtual desktop and application delivery platforms. This resource will play a key role in the modernization of end user computing services, Azure Virtual Desktop deployments, Windows 365 solutions, Citrix replacement initiatives, Intune policy management, application packaging, and support for critical business applications.
The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure infrastructure, enterprise application packaging, endpoint management, disaster recovery planning, and operational support for mission critical environments.
This role requires a combination of strategic architecture leadership and hands on technical expertise supporting complex enterprise deployments and twenty four by seven business critical services.Responsibilities:Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture and Engineering
Job Description:
- Design, implement, and maintain Azure Virtual Desktop environments across development, testing, preproduction, production, high availability, and disaster recovery environments.
- Develop enterprise architecture, solution designs, deployment standards, and operational support documentation.
- Design scalable, secure, and resilient virtual desktop and published application environments.
- Lead production readiness reviews, disaster recovery planning, and recovery testing activities.
- Optimize host pools, scaling plans, FSLogix profiles, image management processes, and performance monitoring.
- Establish infrastructure standards and reference architectures for enterprise Azure Virtual Desktop deployments.
- Troubleshoot complex infrastructure, authentication, connectivity, performance, and user experience issues. Citrix Migration and End User Computing Modernization
- Lead migration initiatives transitioning Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments to Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365.
- Assess existing Citrix workloads and develop detailed migration strategies.
- Define application delivery approaches and workspace modernization roadmaps.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to transition legacy virtualization platforms to modern cloud solutions.
- Support hybrid deployment and coexistence models during migration programs. Windows 365 and Cloud PC Solutions
- Design and implement Windows 365 Cloud PC solutions.
- Establish governance, provisioning standards, and lifecycle management processes.
- Integrate Windows 365 with Microsoft Intune and Azure services.
- Provide architectural guidance for Cloud PC adoption and operational support. Microsoft Intune and Endpoint Management
- Design and implement Intune configuration profiles, compliance policies, security baselines, and endpoint protection standards.
- Develop modern endpoint management strategies supporting physical and virtual devices.
- Configure Conditional Access integrations and device compliance reporting.
- Support policy design and deployment for Azure Virtual Desktop and Cloud PC platforms.
- Manage software deployment, patching, and application distribution through Intune. Application Packaging and Deployment
- Support enterprise application packaging and deployment processes for client server and virtualized applications.
- Partner with vendors and project teams to validate deployments across all environment tiers.
- Create and maintain packaging standards and automated deployment workflows.
- Promote packages through development, testing, preproduction, and production environments.
- Support application compatibility assessments and remediation efforts. Commercial and Trading Application Support
- Support implementation and operational readiness for LNG ETRM, PlanLogic EOS, Digital Twin initiatives, commercial trading applications, and client server applications hosted on Azure Virtual Desktop.
- Coordinate application deployment activities and environment readiness.
- Define operational support models and production support procedures.
- Lead disaster recovery planning and high availability validation. Operational Readiness and L4 Support
- Serve as Level 4 escalation support for complex incidents impacting virtual desktops, application access, and endpoint services.
- Develop operational runbooks, support procedures, and knowledge articles.
- Establish monitoring, alerting, and support standards.
- Participate in root cause analysis and problem management activities.
- Support business critical applications and trading environments operating twenty four by seven.
- Partner with service providers and operations teams to ensure support readiness. Automation and DevOps
- Develop PowerShell automation solutions for deployment, provisioning, monitoring, and reporting.
- Implement infrastructure as code solutions using Terraform, Bicep, Nerdio, and Azure native tooling.
- Support continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines for image management and application deployment.
- Standardize build and deployment processes across all environments.
Qualifications:
Required Experience:
- Ten or more years of End User Computing, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or Digital Workplace experience.
- Seven or more years designing and supporting enterprise virtual desktop environments.
- Five or more years implementing Azure Virtual Desktop solutions.
- Experience leading enterprise Citrix migration programs.
- Experience building and supporting production and disaster recovery environments.
- Experience developing architecture documentation, technical standards, operational runbooks, and support models.
- Experience working directly with project teams, vendors, managed service providers, and business stakeholders.
Preferred Certifications:
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty
- Microsoft Certified Endpoint Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified Enterprise Administrator Expert
- ITIL Foundation or ITIL 4 Managing Professional Tools and Technologies:Azure and Cloud
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- Microsoft Azure
- Azure Networking
- Azure Identity Services
- Azure Landing Zones
- Azure Monitoring
- Azure Backup and Site Recovery Virtualization
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- Windows 365 Cloud PC
- FSLogix
- Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops
- Citrix Cloud
- Remote Application Delivery Endpoint Management
- Microsoft Intune
- Microsoft Endpoint Manager
- Windows Autopilot
- Endpoint Security Policies
- Compliance Policies
- Conditional Access Identity and Security
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Conditional Access
- Multi Factor Authentication
- Privileged Access Management
- Zero Trust Architecture Automation and DevOps
- PowerShell
- Azure Automation
- Azure DevOps
- Terraform
- Bicep
- Nerdio Application Management
- Enterprise Application Packaging
- SCCM
- MECM
- Intune Application Deployment
- Release Management
- Application Lifecycle Management
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