Desktop Infrastructure Engineer

Senior Desktop Infrastructure EngineerLocation: Chicago, IL Hybrid; onsite approximately 2 days per monthEngagement: ContractPosition OverviewWe are seeking a highly experienced Senior Desktop Infrastructure Engineer to lead the architecture, engineering, automation, and operational support of enterprise desktop and virtual desktop infrastructure.This role requires deep hands-on expertise with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Nerdio, Windows 11 engineering, FSLogix, Microsoft Intune, Autopilot, Azure networking, and PowerShell automation.The ideal candidate will serve as a senior technical resource for end-user computing infrastructure, owning key components of the desktop platform while providing technical leadership, resolving complex infrastructure issues, and driving automation, scalability, resiliency, security, and operational excellence.The selected candidate should be able to work onsite in Chicago approximately twice per month.Core Ownership AreasAzure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Nerdio Manager Windows 11 Gold Image Engineering FSLogix Microsoft Intune & Autopilot Integration End-User Computing Architecture Azure Networking for AVD Desktop Infrastructure Automation Endpoint Security & Compliance Key Responsibilities Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture & OperationsArchitect, implement, administer, and maintain enterprise Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Design and manage AVD host pools, session hosts, application groups, image lifecycles, and deployment pipelines. Develop platform strategies for scalability, resiliency, high availability, and disaster recovery. Optimize virtual desktop performance, user experience, and Azure resource consumption. Establish operational standards, engineering practices, and governance for the AVD platform. Monitor platform health and proactively address performance and capacity issues. AVD Networking & Infrastructure Engineering Design, support, and troubleshoot AVD network connectivity across Azure and on-premises environments. Serve as a senior escalation point for complex virtual desktop infrastructure and networking issues. Diagnose and resolve issues involving:DNS Routing Firewalls TCP/IP Authentication Network latency Connectivity Partner with Network Engineering teams on ExpressRoute, VPN, network segmentation, and hybrid connectivity solutions. Optimize network paths and client connectivity for virtual desktop workloads. Analyze packet captures, connection diagnostics, logs, and performance metrics to identify root causes. Support private endpoints, Azure Storage, Azure Files, and Microsoft Entra ID integrations. FSLogix Engineering & TroubleshootingAdminister and optimize FSLogix profile environments. Troubleshoot profile performance, authentication, storage connectivity, and profile-container issues. Improve profile reliability and user experience across AVD environments. Diagnose issues involving Azure Files and related storage infrastructure. Nerdio Engineering & AutomationAdminister and optimize Nerdio Manager for enterprise AVD environments. Develop automated provisioning, deployment, and image-management workflows. Configure and optimize autoscaling policies. Implement cost-optimization strategies for Azure desktop environments. Build operational automation using PowerShell, Azure services, and related automation technologies. Identify repetitive infrastructure processes that can be automated. Windows 11 Platform EngineeringLead the design and engineering of the enterprise Windows 11 desktop platform. Own Windows 11 gold image architecture, standards, and lifecycle management. Establish formal image testing, validation, release, and rollback processes. Maintain desktop configuration and application baselines. Define and improve enterprise desktop lifecycle-management strategies. Support integration between Windows 11, Intune, Autopilot, AVD, and associated endpoint technologies. Endpoint Management, Security & ComplianceSupport enterprise endpoint-management architecture using Microsoft Intune. Integrate and support Windows Autopilot provisioning. Maintain endpoint configuration and compliance policies. Support security baselines and desktop hardening standards. Partner with security and infrastructure teams to ensure endpoint environments meet organizational security and compliance requirements. Technical LeadershipProvide technical leadership for desktop infrastructure and end-user computing initiatives. Mentor engineers, administrators, and contractors. Establish engineering standards, operational practices, and technical documentation. Lead troubleshooting efforts for complex infrastructure problems. Lead major incident response and root cause analysis (RCA) activities. Evaluate vendors, products, and emerging technologies. Recommend architecture and operational improvements. Required ExpertiseCandidates Should Have Expert-level Hands-on Experience WithAzure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Azure Networking Nerdio Microsoft Entra ID Active Directory Windows Desktop Engineering Windows 11 Image / Gold Image Engineering PowerShell Automation Root Cause Analysis Complex Infrastructure Troubleshooting Strong Experience RequiredFSLogix Azure Files DNS TCP/IP Networking Firewalls & Network Security Microsoft Intune Windows Autopilot Group Policy / GPO Hybrid Azure and on-premises infrastructure Preferred ExperienceExperience with one or more of the following is highly desirable:Azure ExpressRoute Azure Virtual WAN Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Terraform Ansible Liquidware ProfileUnity VMware Horizon Citrix Enterprise desktop automation technologies Ideal Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate is a senior-level AVD / EUC / Desktop Infrastructure Engineer who combines deep Microsoft desktop engineering expertise with strong Azure infrastructure and networking knowledge.This person should be comfortable owning complex enterprise environments, troubleshooting across desktop, identity, storage, networking, an