Azure Platform Lead

Red Wing Shoe Company•Red Wing, MN

4d•$121,000 - $163,400•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for an experienced Azure Platform Lead to guide the technical architecture and ongoing evolution of our Microsoft Azure environment. In this role, you will serve as the organization’s primary Azure expert, partnering with leaders across IT, Security, and DevOps to shape the platform roadmap and ensure a secure, high‑performing, and cost‑efficient cloud foundation. You will lead the design and enhancement of our Azure Landing Zones, implement governance standards, and drive multi‑region architectural patterns that support enterprise reliability and scalability. This role also oversees Infrastructure‑as‑Code practices, including the creation of reusable Bicep modules and automated guardrails that strengthen platform consistency and security. Collaboration and technical leadership are essential. You will work closely with engineering, application, and security teams to promote Azure best practices, mature CI/CD and GitOps workflows, and support critical operations such as incident response, disaster recovery readiness, logging, and observability. You will also contribute to FinOps efforts by helping forecast and optimize cloud spend through tagging compliance, cost reporting, and meaningful optimization recommendations. As a mentor and coach to Azure engineers, you will provide architectural guidance, conduct design reviews, and champion modern engineering practices that advance cloud maturity across the organization.

Requirements

8+ years of overall progressive IT experience, including 5+ years focused on Azure engineering, cloud engineering, or platform operations.
Direct hands-on experience with Azure services, automation tooling, and Infrastructure as Code (Bicep preferred).
Practical experience working with Azure Landing Zones, Microsoft CAF, and cloud governance models.
Experience troubleshooting and supporting large‑scale or enterprise cloud environments.
Strong knowledge of Azure platform architecture, governance, and enterprise‑scale patterns.
Understanding of DevSecOps practices, secure CI/CD pipelines, and cloud security fundamentals.
Knowledge of Zero Trust principles, identity management, networking, and security controls in Azure.
Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (Bicep preferred) and automation tooling.
Skill in CI/CD tools, GitOps workflows, and automated governance or policy‑as‑code.
Strong troubleshooting abilities in distributed, cloud‑native environments.
Ability to translate architectural requirements into Azure platform configurations.
Ability to design secure, scalable, and compliant Azure platform components.
Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, security, and architecture teams.
Ability to coach and support cloud engineers adopting platform patterns and automation.
Strong communication skills for both technical teams and leadership audiences.

Nice To Haves

Azure certifications such as Administrator, Solutions Architect Associate, or DevOps Engineer (preferred).
Experience with GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or CI/CD pipeline scripting (preferred).
Background in Azure identity, networking, or security domains (preferred).
Experience mentoring or guiding cloud engineers (preferred).

Responsibilities

Guide the technical architecture and ongoing evolution of our Microsoft Azure environment.
Serve as the organization’s primary Azure expert, partnering with leaders across IT, Security, and DevOps to shape the platform roadmap and ensure a secure, high‑performing, and cost‑efficient cloud foundation.
Lead the design and enhancement of our Azure Landing Zones, implement governance standards, and drive multi‑region architectural patterns that support enterprise reliability and scalability.
Oversee Infrastructure‑as‑Code practices, including the creation of reusable Bicep modules and automated guardrails that strengthen platform consistency and security.
Work closely with engineering, application, and security teams to promote Azure best practices, mature CI/CD and GitOps workflows, and support critical operations such as incident response, disaster recovery readiness, logging, and observability.
Contribute to FinOps efforts by helping forecast and optimize cloud spend through tagging compliance, cost reporting, and meaningful optimization recommendations.
As a mentor and coach to Azure engineers, you will provide architectural guidance, conduct design reviews, and champion modern engineering practices that advance cloud maturity across the organization.