What are the responsibilities and job description for the Azure Cloud Engineer (Secret Clearance Required) position at Improvix Technologies?
Systems / Cloud Engineer – Azure
Location: Washington, DC (Onsite – 4 Days/Week, 1 Day Telework)
Clearance: Active Top Secret preferred; Secret acceptable with ability to obtain Interim TS
About the Role
Improvix Technologies is seeking a mid-level Azure Systems/Cloud Engineer to support a mission-critical federal program in downtown Washington, DC. The ideal candidate brings strong hands-on Azure engineering experience, is comfortable working in an onsite collaborative environment, and can support infrastructure automation, cloud operations, and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) deployments.
This role is highly technical, with emphasis on Terraform, PowerShell, Azure fundamentals, and work within a GitLab CI/CD environment—aligned directly with customer priorities discussed with the hiring team.
Key Responsibilities
Azure Cloud Engineering
- Design, deploy, and maintain Azure cloud infrastructure including VMs, VNets, Storage, Azure AD, and PaaS services.
- Manage and optimize Azure networking components (VNets, NSGs, Load Balancers, VPN/ExpressRoute connectivity).
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Develop and maintain Terraform templates as the primary IaC tool (critical requirement emphasized by hiring managers).
- Support automation via PowerShell, Bash, YAML/JSON, and GitLab pipelines.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
- Deploy, configure, and manage AVD environments including host pools, session hosts, FSLogix profile containers, and Azure AD/M365 integrations.
- Provide troubleshooting and performance optimization for AVD users (explicit customer requirement).
CI/CD, Automation & DevOps
- Build, maintain, and troubleshoot CI/CD pipelines in GitLab.
- Automate cloud operations, system configuration, and monitoring tasks.
Cloud Security & Compliance
- Implement secure cloud practices aligned with federal requirements (RBAC, Key Vault, IAM, encryption standards).
- Ensure compliance with NIST, RMF, FedRAMP, and agency-specific controls.
Monitoring & Reliability
- Use Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and related tools to analyze system health, diagnose issues, and enforce SLAs.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Support
- Work with engineering, security, and program staff to support ongoing cloud modernization efforts.
- Support onsite collaboration with customer stakeholders (note: role cannot be performed remotely long-term).
Required Qualifications
- 5 years of experience in Cloud Engineering, DevOps, or Systems Engineering (mid-level target).
- Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure core services and architecture.
- Proficiency with Terraform (high priority), PowerShell, and GitLab CI/CD.
- Experience supporting Azure networking (VNets, routing, NSGs, VPN/ExpressRoute).
- Hands-on experience with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) in production environments.
- Understanding of federal cloud security frameworks (FedRAMP, NIST, RMF).
- Strong troubleshooting and communication abilities, with ability to operate onsite 4 days/week.
Preferred Skills
- Experience supporting DoD or federal agency cloud environments.
- Experience with Docker/Kubernetes (AKS).
- Azure serverless tools (Functions, Logic Apps, Event Grid).
- Cost optimization using Azure Cost Management / FinOps practices.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Improvix Technologies, Inc. is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected class. U.S. Citizenship is required.