Principal Azure Platform & Cloud Operations Architect (AKS / Networking / Automation)

Job Title: Principal Azure Platform & Cloud Operations Architect (AKS / Networking / Automation)

Location: Toronto, ON - Onsite/Hybrid

Experience: 12+ Years

Job Type: Contract

Job Description:

We are seeking a hands-on Principal Azure Platform & Cloud Operations Architect to assess, design, and improve production cloud operations and platform architecture on Microsoft Azure. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure networking, Terraform, GitOps, CI/CD automation, and production incident management.

The candidate will serve as a senior technical escalation point, drive operational improvements, automate infrastructure and deployment processes, and mentor cloud operations engineers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess and improve cloud operations processes, including infrastructure provisioning, deployments, incident response, and change management.
• Design, manage, and optimize production-grade Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) environments, including cluster upgrades, node pools, autoscaling, resiliency, ingress/egress, workload identity, and security.
• Design and troubleshoot Azure networking solutions involving VNETs, routing, UDRs, NSGs, DNS, private endpoints, firewalls, load balancers, and gateways.
• Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, including reusable modules, state management, and standardized environment provisioning.
• Implement GitOps and deployment automation using Argo CD and Helm.
• Develop and improve CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions.
• Enhance monitoring, logging, alerting, and dashboards using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Lead L3/L4 escalations, troubleshoot critical production incidents, perform root cause analysis, and implement preventive measures.
• Develop operational automation using Python, Bash, and/or PowerShell.
• Establish operational readiness standards, runbooks, deployment controls, and production support procedures.
• Mentor cloud engineers and collaborate with SRE, Security, Engineering, and Delivery teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in cloud platform engineering, DevOps, SRE, or cloud operations.
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure and production Kubernetes environments, particularly AKS.
• Deep expertise in Azure networking, connectivity, and production troubleshooting.
• Strong Terraform experience, including reusable modules, state strategy, and safe infrastructure deployments.
• Hands-on experience with Argo CD, Helm, and GitOps-based deployment practices.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions.
• Proficiency with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
• Experience handling critical production incidents, root cause analysis, and technical escalations.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and technical leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Microsoft Azure certifications, such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
• Experience establishing cloud platform standards, security guardrails, and operational best practices.
• Experience mentoring engineers and driving cloud operations maturity.

Key Skills: Microsoft Azure, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Kubernetes, Azure Networking, Terraform, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Argo CD, Helm, GitOps, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Python, Bash, PowerShell, DevOps, SRE, Cloud Operations, Incident Management.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply with an updated resume highlighting their Azure AKS, networking, Terraform, and production operations experience.