Senior Azure Engineer

Delta Dental•Alpharetta, GA

About The Position

Delta Dental is seeking a senior, hands-on Senior Azure Engineer. This is a build-and-run role—expect to wear multiple hats while delivering secure, reliable hybrid services across Azure, Azure Local (Stack HCI), identity, storage, Backup/DR, and monitoring in partnership, Network, Identity, Security, and application teams. Responsibilities Own delivery of Azure and hybrid infrastructure: build, deploy, support, and maintain cloud servers, tools, and environments. Develop engineering strategy, standards, and best practices (guardrails, naming/tagging, baseline monitoring/backup, operational documentation). Engineer and operate Azure Local (Stack HCI) with Azure Arc onboarding, VM lifecycle management, and hybrid connectivity validation. Provide identity and access foundations in partnership with Identity engineering (AD DS/DCs, DNS, Group Policy, Entra Connect, B2B/RBAC/PIM enablement). Operate storage and data services, including Azure storage and Windows file services; implement secure share models and permissions (NTFS/SMB ACLs). Implement backup, recovery, and DR readiness using Azure Backup (or approved alternatives), including routine restore testing and runbooks. Build monitoring and logging using Azure Monitor/Log Analytics; create actionable dashboards/alerts and leverage automation to orchestrate repeatable health checks and response. Support security and platform hygiene (Azure Policy compliance, NSG/ASG baselines, certificate lifecycle Management). Partner with Enterprise/Solution Architects, application owners, and Third-party vendors to design, integrate, troubleshoot, and support production workloads (e.g., MiPACS, Concord Fax, MOVEit). Conduct business needs assessments, translate requirements into technical deliverables, and research emerging technologies to improve cost, resiliency, and flexibility. Keep systems current with patching/updates to enable new functionality and address vulnerabilities. Performs as a key contributor to an engineering team that builds and supports exceptional products that provide innovative solutions to challenging business use cases, existing system and operational problems. Participates in architectural design, system analysis, and programming activities on application software; this may often require independent research and study. Develops high-quality and production-ready software by using best-practice data structures, algorithms, design patterns, and frameworks that are maintainable, scalable, responsive, and secure. Writes highest quality code with utmost attention to scalability, security and performance and with an end-to-end mindset from conception to delivery and production support, owning specifications, quality, release deployments and monitoring of production health. Produces complete, simple, and readable technical documentation for everything developed and maintains a team culture of documenting everything. Tests and ensures quality of all code that developed in line with principles of test-driven development and continuous delivery, utilizing test automation frameworks wherever possible.

Requirements

4+ years of experience as an Azure Cloud Engineer supporting production environments.
BS in computer science or equivalent technical field.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; able to partner effectively across Engineering, Security, Network, and application teams.
Excellent troubleshooting skills with strong analytical/critical thinking.
Hands-on Azure experience across Azure Monitor/Log Analytics, Azure Policy & RBAC, Azure Storage (Files), Azure Key Vault, and Backup/recovery (including restore testing).
Hybrid platform experience with Azure Local / Stack HCI and Azure Arc, plus Windows Server fundamentals (AD DS, DNS, GPO, file services/ACLs).
Working knowledge of SDLC, cloud delivery models, and service integration patterns (web services, APIs/API Gateway, and network load balancers).
Ability to understand business plans and apply that information into the development of an IT business case.
Anticipates problems, resistance or likely objections and takes action to resolve them.
Ability to guide, train and mentor associate engineers.
Highly skilled in developing quantitative cost/benefit analysis to measure improvements.
Proficient in organizational processes as well as capable of assessing and initiating change of such processes.
Demonstrates an in-depth knowledge and application of competency and can consult as well as lead others in its application.
Strong communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills.
Knowledge of agile development methodologies.
Ability to develop and maintain key vendor relationships with a focus on technology currency and best practices.
Life-long learner, process improver.

Responsibilities

Own delivery of Azure and hybrid infrastructure: build, deploy, support, and maintain cloud servers, tools, and environments.
Develop engineering strategy, standards, and best practices (guardrails, naming/tagging, baseline monitoring/backup, operational documentation).
Engineer and operate Azure Local (Stack HCI) with Azure Arc onboarding, VM lifecycle management, and hybrid connectivity validation.
Provide identity and access foundations in partnership with Identity engineering (AD DS/DCs, DNS, Group Policy, Entra Connect, B2B/RBAC/PIM enablement).
Operate storage and data services, including Azure storage and Windows file services; implement secure share models and permissions (NTFS/SMB ACLs).
Implement backup, recovery, and DR readiness using Azure Backup (or approved alternatives), including routine restore testing and runbooks.
Build monitoring and logging using Azure Monitor/Log Analytics; create actionable dashboards/alerts and leverage automation to orchestrate repeatable health checks and response.
Support security and platform hygiene (Azure Policy compliance, NSG/ASG baselines, certificate lifecycle Management).
Partner with Enterprise/Solution Architects, application owners, and Third-party vendors to design, integrate, troubleshoot, and support production workloads (e.g., MiPACS, Concord Fax, MOVEit).
Conduct business needs assessments, translate requirements into technical deliverables, and research emerging technologies to improve cost, resiliency, and flexibility.
Keep systems current with patching/updates to enable new functionality and address vulnerabilities.
Performs as a key contributor to an engineering team that builds and supports exceptional products that provide innovative solutions to challenging business use cases, existing system and operational problems.
Participates in architectural design, system analysis, and programming activities on application software; this may often require independent research and study.
Develops high-quality and production-ready software by using best-practice data structures, algorithms, design patterns, and frameworks that are maintainable, scalable, responsive, and secure.
Writes highest quality code with utmost attention to scalability, security and performance and with an end-to-end mindset from conception to delivery and production support, owning specifications, quality, release deployments and monitoring of production health.
Produces complete, simple, and readable technical documentation for everything developed and maintains a team culture of documenting everything.
Tests and ensures quality of all code that developed in line with principles of test-driven development and continuous delivery, utilizing test automation frameworks wherever possible.