Senior Cloud Engineer

The Cloud Engineering team is seeking a Senior Cloud Engineer with experience primarily in Microsoft Azure to facilitate solution delivery and operational needs within the group. This individual will play a crucial role in implementing enterprise cloud solutions for our business.

The selected candidate will be required to work a hybrid schedule (3 days in office/2 remote) from our Dallas, TX, or Cincinnati, OH office. No relocation assistance is being offered with this role.

Key Accountabilities/Deliverables:

• Design and Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Develop and maintain modular, secure Terraform configurations for deploying Azure resources.
• Utilize version-controlled code (GitHub) with state management and remote backends.
• Create reusable Terraform modules to standardize infrastructure provisioning.
  
  

• Build and Maintain CI/CD Pipelines
• Develop GitHub Actions workflows for Terraform plans/applies and Docker builds/deployments.
• Integrate code linting, security scanning, approvals, and environment gates into pipelines.
• Deliver Scalable Solutions in Microsoft Azure
• Translate business and application requirements into cloud-native and hybrid Azure solutions.
• Deploy services such as containers, App Services, VNets, Azure SQL, Key Vault, Storage Account, PrivateLink, Managed SQL, and Azure Backup.
• Ensure deployments are secure, scalable, and compliant with enterprise policies.
• Modernize Legacy Infrastructure in the Cloud
• Migrate legacy IaaS workloads to Azure PaaS or container platforms.
• Design hybrid cloud solutions integrating on-prem systems with Azure (e.g., VPN/ExpressRoute Virtual Network Gateway, Azure Arc, PrivateLink).
• Assess and remediate technical debt and outdated architecture.
• Governance, Security, and Compliance
• Enforce enterprise standards using Azure Policy, RBAC, tagging policies, and cost control mechanisms.
• Manage secrets with Azure Key Vault and implement secure identity practices (managed identities, MFA).
• Proactive Management and Audit-enabled Deployments
• Set up monitoring and alerting using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Microsoft Sentinel, etc.
• Create dashboards and alert rules for proactive incident detection.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for common operational issues and escalations.
• Collaboration & DevOps Practices
• Work cross-functionally with developers, architects, operations, and security teams to deliver infrastructure aligned with application needs.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies (standups, sprint planning, retrospectives).
• Review code, mentor team members, and promote DevOps best practices.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, deployment guides, CI/CD pipeline workflows, operational runbooks, and disaster recovery procedures.
• Conduct internal knowledge-sharing sessions and training.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Evaluate and adopt emerging Azure services, DevOps tools, and Terraform capabilities.
• Identify automation opportunities to streamline workflows and reduce manual operations.
• Continuously optimize cloud costs, performance, and resource usage.
  

Technical Knowledge and Understanding:

• Microsoft Azure Core Services
• Strong understanding of Azure compute services: Virtual Machines, VMSS, App Services, AKS.
• Deep knowledge of Azure networking: VNets, Subnets, NSGs, UDRs, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Private Link.
• Familiarity with Azure storage options: Blob, File Shares, Disks, and backup solutions.
• Experience with Azure PaaS services: Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Application Gateway, Azure Functions, Logic Apps.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Proficient in Terraform: Writing clean and modular Terraform code, backend configuration and remote state management, workspaces and environment separation, and using the AzureRM provider effectively.
• Familiarity with Bicep or ARM templates.
• CI/CD and Version Control
• Deep understanding of Git fundamentals: branching, merging, PRs, versioning.
• Experience with GitHub Actions (or equivalents like Azure DevOps Pipelines): Building pipelines for infrastructure and application delivery, managing secrets and environment approvals, and integrating security scans and validations.
• Containerization & Orchestration
• Writing Dockerfile, building, and securing container images.
• Managing multi-stage builds and custom base images.
• Understanding container orchestration concepts and experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Kubernetes YAML manifests or Helm charts, and Azure Container Registry (ACR) usage and access control.
• Azure Automation
• Knowledge of Azure Automation Accounts, runbooks, function apps, and webhooks.
• Scripting skills in PowerShell and/or Bash for automation and task orchestration.
• Identity & Access Management
• Strong understanding of Azure AD / Entra ID, user and group management, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Conditional Access policies, and MFA.
• Managed Identities, Service Principals, and Key Vault integration.
• Cloud Cost Management & Optimization
• Experience with Azure Cost Management & Billing tools.
• Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and usage analytics.
• Strategies for cost optimization: Reserved Instances, autoscaling, rightsizing, eliminating idle resources.
• Monitoring, Logging & Troubleshooting
• Proficient with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Sentinel for security monitoring (optional).
• Ability to design custom dashboards, alerts, and automated responses, and troubleshooting skills using logs, metrics, and network tracing.
• Legacy Infrastructure Knowledge
• Understanding of traditional IT infrastructure concepts: data centers, IaaS, hypervisors (VMware/Hyper-V).
• Experience with cloud migrations: Lift-and-shift vs refactor/re-platform, hybrid networking scenarios, integration of on-prem identities or systems with Azure (e.g., AD Connect, Azure Arc).
• Operating Systems & System Admin Skills
• Working knowledge of Windows Server (RDP, IIS, Active Directory basics), and Linux (SSH, systemd, package management, log files).
• Understanding of OS-level performance tuning, permissions, and patching.
• DevOps & Software Lifecycle Understanding
• Familiarity with Agile/DevOps practices, CI/CD concepts, and Infrastructure Lifecycle.
• Awareness of cloud-native and 12-factor app principles.
• Understanding software packaging and deployment strategies (blue/green, canary, rolling).
  

Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or related field.
• 7 years in Enterprise Information Technology engineering and/or operations.
• 4 years of previous Terraform experience or relevant exposure.
• 4 years of previous Microsoft Azure experience or relevant exposure
• Microsoft Entra Id, Azure Update Manager, Azure Virtual Desktop, API Management, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, App Services
• PowerShell or other language experience a plus
• Docker / Container experience a plus
  

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for this position.

At Core Specialty, you will receive a competitive salary and opportunities for professional development and advancement. We offer medical, dental, vision, and life insurances; short and long-term disability; a Company-match of 100% of a 6% contribution 401(k) plan; an Employee Assistance Plan; Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, Health Reimbursement Account, and a wellness program