Senior Cloud Engineer I (Hybrid)
About The Position
AIR’s Tek Office is seeking an experienced Senior Cloud Engineer focused on Microsoft 365 and Entra. The role manages and optimizes the organization’s Microsoft 365 and Entra ID tenants, with primary responsibility for Exchange Online, identity, security, and collaboration services. It calls for advanced Microsoft 365 administration and investigation skills, cross-platform experience, and the ability to drive automation and modern cloud practices. The position reports to the Director of IT Infrastructure Operations. The position offers hybrid work flexibility, requiring three days per week in AIR’s Crystal City, Virginia office. Occasional travel for meetings, training sessions, and conferences is required. AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address challenges in the United States and globally. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship is not available. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements. Selected candidates will undergo reference and background checks and must adhere to AIR’s child safeguarding principles. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. The anticipated annual salary range is $140,000–$165,000 USD. Offers are based on internal and external equity.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline and at least 9 years of relevant IT industry experience; or a master’s degree and at least 7 years of relevant experience; or at least 15 years of relevant industry experience.
- At least 5 years of hands-on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID administration experience in a mid- to large-enterprise environment.
- Exposure to Azure DevOps, GitHub, or similar tools for managing scripts, pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code definitions for Microsoft 365.
- Strong experience using KQL in Microsoft 365 Defender, Sentinel, or Log Analytics to query logs, create custom detections, and analyze security or operational events.
- Expert-level Exchange Online experience, including mail flow troubleshooting, advanced transport configuration, security and compliance policies, and third-party service integrations.
- Effective communication skills and the ability to understand the needs of technical and non-technical internal and external clients.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as needed.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent deliveries in a fast-paced environment.
- Analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and quality.
- Deep understanding of identity and access concepts, including SSO, OAuth/OIDC, federation, conditional access, MFA, and privileged identity management.
- Proficiency with PowerShell for automation, bulk operations, and configuration management in Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Solid knowledge of Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and governance capabilities, including DLP, retention, eDiscovery, auditing, and safe links/attachments.
- Familiarity with container platforms such as Kubernetes/AKS and their integration with Entra ID for identity and access control.
- Passion for the craft and demonstrated ability to learn and understand technology at both a high and detailed level.
- Currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis; employment-based visa sponsorship is not available.
Nice To Haves
- Experience using Microsoft Graph API for automation, integration, and advanced reporting scenarios.
- Experience with Microsoft Sentinel or similar SIEM platforms for Microsoft 365 and Entra monitoring and analytics.
- Experience with LSoft List-Plex.
Responsibilities
- Design, configure, and administer Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, Copilot, and related security and compliance features.
- Administer and harden Entra ID (Azure AD), including conditional access, identity protection, app registrations, and role-based access control.
- Own Exchange Online configuration, including mail flow, transport rules, connectors, policies, hybrid connectivity, and advanced troubleshooting of mail delivery issues.
- Investigate incidents, identify patterns, and develop detection queries and reports using Microsoft 365 Defender, Purview, and Log Analytics.
- Collaborate with security and networking teams to implement and maintain security baselines, DLP, retention, eDiscovery, and auditing across the Microsoft 365 environment.
- Develop and maintain automation, scripts, and integrations to streamline administration, reporting, and provisioning.
- Contribute to CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code practices, such as Azure DevOps and GitHub, for Microsoft 365 configuration and related workloads.
- Work with containerized and cloud workloads, such as Kubernetes, where they integrate with Microsoft 365 or Entra for identity, security, or application access.
- Lead complex incident response and root-cause analysis for Microsoft 365 and identity-related outages and security events.
- Produce and maintain technical documentation, standards, runbooks, and architectural diagrams for Microsoft 365 and Entra services.
- Mentor junior collaborators and provide guidance on best practices, governance, and operational excellence.
Benefits
- AIR’s Total Rewards Program is designed to reward staff competitively and motivate them to achieve the organization’s mission.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
