Cloud Engineer

Work Location: Phoenix, AZ or Rockville, MDWe are seeking an experienced Azure Infrastructure Engineer for a 12+ month contract engagement supporting operations across Phoenix, AZ and Rockville, MD. In this role, you will design, deploy, and manage scalable, secure cloud infrastructure on Microsoft Azure while leading end-to-end cloud migration initiatives.You will collaborate closely with application owners, network engineers, and security teams to architect robust cloud-based solutions, implement infrastructure as code, and drive automation across the environment. This is a high-impact role with broad scope across migration strategy, hybrid cloud integration, performance optimization, and disaster recovery planning.Design, deploy, and manage scalable and secure Azure cloud infrastructure.Lead end-to-end cloud migration projects including Lift-and-Shift and Re-Platforming strategies.Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using ARM templates, Bicep, or Terraform.Evaluate on-premises workloads and define cloud readiness and migration plans using Azure Migrate and ASR.Automate operational tasks using PowerShell, Azure CLI, or Python.Monitor Azure environments, identify performance bottlenecks, and optimize resource utilization.Ensure adherence to security, compliance, and cost management best practices.Participate in DR/BCP planning and implementation.Collaborate with DevOps teams on CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure provisioning.Required Experience & Skills:8+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering, with at least 5+ years focused on Microsoft Azure.Strong knowledge of Azure compute, storage, networking, and security services.Hands-on experience with cloud migration tools such as Azure Migrate, Azure Site Recovery (ASR), or third-party equivalents.Expertise in virtualization platforms including VMware and Hyper-V.Proficiency in scripting and automation using PowerShell, Bash, and Azure CLI.Solid understanding of hybrid cloud environments, VPN, and ExpressRoute integration.Familiarity with DevOps pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions) for infrastructure provisioning.Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools: ARM templates, Bicep, or Terraform.Preferred Qualifications:Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate or higher.Experience with DR/BCP planning and implementation in cloud environments.Familiarity with Python for infrastructure automation.