Lead Azure Cloud Engineer

The Lead Azure Cloud Engineer will oversee the design, implementation, and management of hybrid cloud solutions, with a strong focus on Microsoft 365 services, including Office 365, SharePoint Online, Intune, and Exchange Online. This role involves providing strategic leadership in the integration of on-premises Active Directory with Azure Active Directory and ensuring the scalability, security, and efficiency of the organization’s cloud infrastructure. The Lead Cloud Engineer will mentor team members & lead where necessary, drive innovative solutions, and act as a subject matter expert for all hybrid cloud initiatives.   Key Responsibilities: Guide and support Azure and Infrastructure engineers, fostering their professional development and encouraging growth within the organization. Lead performance management, professional development, and hiring for the Azure and Infrastructure engineering team. Lead and collaborate with Azure and infrastructure engineers to design, build Azure landing zones and foundational services to support large-scale VMware-to-Azure migrations. Plan, execute, and support the migration of workloads from on-premises virtualized environments to Azure using approved tools, patterns, and architectures. Deploy, configure, and manage Azure infrastructure components including virtual machines, networking, storage, identity, and security services. Maintain and operate the Azure environment, ensuring availability, performance, security, and cost optimization. Identify and execute strategies for cost reduction. Implement and enforce Azure best practices related to governance, security, monitoring, and resiliency. Support application and project teams by provisioning Azure resources and advising on cloud-appropriate designs. Participate in troubleshooting and resolving Azure infrastructure incidents and performance issues. Contribute to automation and infrastructure-as-code initiatives to standardize deployments and reduce manual effort. Create and maintain technical documentation, standards, and operational procedures for Azure services. Work closely with cross-functional teams to continuously improve cloud platform capabilities and migration outcomes. Lead cyber-recovery capabilities, including isolated recovery environment (IRE) design, immutable backups, and ransomware-resilient architecture. Design and enforce a Zero Trust security model using Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, and Privileged Identity Management (PIM). Design, implement, and maintain a global IT infrastructure DR strategy. Minimum Requirements 8+ years of IT infrastructure experience, including 5+ years of experience working with Microsoft Azure cloud services. Hands-on experience with Azure IaaS (VMs, networking, storage) and PaaS (App Services, SQL, Functions, etc.). Strong background in virtualization technologies, preferably VMware vSphere/ESXi. Experience migrating workloads from on-premises environments to Azure. Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools such as ARM templates, Bicep, or Terraform. Solid understanding of networking (VPN, ExpressRoute, load balancers, firewalls, DNS). Knowledge of cloud security, identity and access management (Microsoft Entra ID), and compliance best practices. Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in hybrid cloud environments. Familiarity with scripting/automation (PowerShell, Python, or similar). Prior experience leading or mentoring a team of infrastructure engineers, including performance management and hiring. Experience designing backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions in Azure, including immutable backup patterns. Hands-on experience with Azure Migrate, Azure Site Recovery, and Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) / Well-Architected Framework (WAF). Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Preferred Qualifications: Azure certifications (e.g., AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-700, or equivalent). Experience with hybrid cloud solutions integrating Azure with VMware or other on-premises systems. Familiarity with DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, etc.). Strong cloud security experience and cloud security certifications. Exposure to backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity in Azure. Knowledge of containerization and orchestration (AKS, Docker, Kubernetes). Strong communication and collaboration skills to work across infrastructure, security, and application teams. Experience designing or operating cloud infrastructure in regulated industries (e.g., GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, SOX). Hands-on experience with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel. Exposure to Azure VMware Solution (AVS) for phased VMware-to-Azure migration. Experience applying FinOps practices (tagging, rightsizing, reservations/savings plans, showback/chargeback) to enterprise Azure environments. Working Conditions and Physical Requirements Extended computer and display screen equipment usage Ability to read and interpret materials, verbally communicate, and hear required. Critical Success Factors Customer Focus.  Identifies, prioritizes and anticipates customer needs and delivers relevant, value-add, solutions to meet and exceed them Results Driven. Internal drive toward action to efficiently, timely, and accurately achieve results. Sets high but achievable standards for self and others. Seeks opportunities to improve process and outcomes. Constantly reviews performance to identify areas to develop. Efficient.   Takes responsibility for own time and effectiveness.  Identifies what needs to be done and does it before being asked or before the situation requires it.  Able to work things out without having to be shown too often. Seeks opportunities to contribute appropriately without direction.  Communication.   Able to communicate information and ideas clearly and articulately both in