Lead Cloud Operations Engineer- Azure

Socket.dev; Toronto; On-site; CAD 154,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Annual bonus potential

Generous paid time off

Wellness benefits

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Zafin is seeking a Lead Cloud Operations Engineer to lead a team of cloud engineers in Azure/Kubernetes environments. The role focuses on scalable infrastructure, automation, and best practices with a hands-on, mentoring approach.

You will design IaC with Terraform, manage AKS deployments, and ensure security, performance, and cost efficiency while supporting multiple time zones in a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of cloud/infrastructure engineering experience.
• 5+ years of Azure cloud platform experience (VMs, networking, identity, monitoring).
• 5+ years with Kubernetes, specifically AKS production experience.
• Strong IaC practices with Terraform and CI/CD tooling.
• Experience with GitOps deployment patterns and Helm.
• Degree in Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical strategy and best practices for Azure cloud operations and AKS deployments.
• Design, implement, and maintain IaC pipelines with Terraform and Azure DevOps.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive automation to reduce toil.
• Oversee security, cost optimization, and compliance across client environments.

Skills

Azure AKS

Terraform IaC

ArgoCD

GitOps

Helm

Azure DevOps

Python scripting

Linux admin

Networking

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Prometheus

Grafana

Azure Key Vault

ACR

Job description

Zafin is an AI platform company helping regulated institutions modernize how critical work is designed, governed, and delivered. Our technology enables organizations to move faster while maintaining the governance, accountability, and control required in highly regulated environments.

Our portfolio includes Zafin AIOS, an agent orchestration platform for governed AI work; the Zafin Banking Platform, which helps banks modernize product, pricing, offers, billing, loyalty, and relationship management; and Zafin IO, an integration platform that connects data, systems, and workflows across complex enterprise environments.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Zafin partners with leading financial institutions across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. As AI transforms the future of financial services, we\'re building the platforms that help regulated organizations adopt AI responsibly and at scale.

What’s the Opportunity?

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Cloud Operations, the Lead Cloud Operations Engineer is a senior-level technical role responsible for leading a team of cloud engineers and hands-on technical execution in Azure/Kubernetes environments. You will be building scalable, reliable, and efficient infrastructure while mentoring junior engineers, maintaining best practices, and ensuring optimal performance, security, and cost-effectiveness in a customer-facing role.

This is a technical leadership position for someone who wants to stay close to infrastructure while growing a team. You will roll up your sleeves daily, pair with engineers on complex problems, and drive automation initiatives that reduce toil and improve platform reliability.

What You Will Do

• Lead technical strategy and best practices for Azure cloud operations and AKS deployments
• Design, implement, and maintain infrastructure-as-code using Terraform and Azure DevOps
• Manage Kubernetes deployments with ArgoCD, Helm, and GitOps patterns for auditability and compliance
• Architect and manage Azure Application Gateway, load balancing, WAF, and ingress strategies
• Oversee secrets and certificate management using Azure Key Vault and implement security best practices
• Build and maintain Azure Container Registry (ACR) pipelines and image scanning workflows
• Mentor and guide junior engineers on technical tasks, code reviews, and cloud architecture decisions
• Build automation solutions to reduce manual toil and improve operational efficiency
• Manage and troubleshoot AKS clusters, networking, storage, and identity/access control
• Own incident response, RCA documentation, and presentation to stakeholders
• Monitor infrastructure health, performance, and security posture; identify and resolve bottlenecks
• Work with peers to establish and enforce infrastructure standards and compliance controls across client environments
• Communicate proactively with customers and internal teams on infrastructure health and roadmap
• Maintain security, backup, disaster recovery, and high-availability strategies
• Drive cost optimization and FinOps practices across cloud infrastructure
• Support offshore hours and multiple time zones as needed

What You Need to Succeed

Must Haves

• 8–12 years of cloud/infrastructure engineering experience
• 5+ years of hands-on Azure cloud platform experience (VMs, networking, identity, monitoring)
• 5+ years with Kubernetes, specifically Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) production experience
• Expert-level Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) practices
• Strong Azure DevOps or equivalent CI/CD platform experience
• Hands-on experience with ArgoCD or GitOps deployment patterns for Kubernetes
• Proficiency with Helm for Kubernetes package management and templating
• Azure Application Gateway configuration and management (load balancing, WAF, SSL termination)
• Azure Key Vault and secrets management implementation and best practices
• Azure Container Registry (ACR) operations, image scanning, and registry maintenance
• Proficiency in Linux administration and troubleshooting
• Automation scripting (Python, Bash/Shell) to reduce manual operational tasks
• Strong networking knowledge: TCP/IP, DNS, load balancing, VPCs, firewall rules, network troubleshooting
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide junior engineers
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience

Nice to Have

• Azure certifications (AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-700 Networking, or equivalent)
• Kubernetes certifications (CKA, CKAD)
• Cloud security scanning tools experience (Wiz, Microsoft Defender)
• Azure API Management for API governance and rate limiting
• Backup and disaster recovery solutions (Azure Backup, Site Recovery)
• FinOps and cost optimization expertise across cloud resources
• Compliance and governance frameworks (SOC2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, regulatory reporting)
• Domain knowledge of banking, financial services, enterprise data platforms, or regulated industries
• Experience with GitOps and advanced Kubernetes patterns
• Observability and monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana, Azure Log Analytics, Application Insights)

Additional Job Details

• Expected Salary Range: $110,000 - $135,000
• Vacancy Status: Open Position to be filled
• Mode of Work: Hybrid
• Use of AI: Zafin may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or other forms of automated technology to screen and/or assess applicants for this position. Zafin will not utilize AI for conducting interviews and/or making hiring decisions.

What’s in it for you

Joining our team means being part of a culture that values diversity, teamwork, and high-quality work. We offer competitive salaries, annual bonus potential, generous paid time off, paid volunteering days, wellness benefits, and robust opportunities for professional growth and career advancement. Want to learn more about what you can look forward to during your career with us? Visit our careers site and our openings: zafin.com/careers

Zafin welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Zafin is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information collected from all applicants throughout the recruitment process. The methods by which Zafin contains uses, stores, handles, retains, or discloses applicant information can be accessed by reviewing Zafin’s privacy policy at https://zafin.com/privacy-notice/. By submitting a job application, you confirm that you agree to the processing of your personal data by Zafin described in the candidate privacy notice.