Azure Virtual Desktop (SME)

Shaw Daniels Solutions; Gloucester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Shaw Daniels Solutions is seeking a UK SC Cleared Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) SME to lead design, deployment, and ongoing operation of secure AVD environments. You will work in a small, dedicated team providing end-user support and on-call coverage shared among three engineers.

The role requires hands-on AVD expertise, strong familiarity with Host Pools, FSLogix, and cloud storage, plus experience scripting with PowerShell and IaC tools like Terraform. Occasional travel to Gloucester is expected.

Qualifications

• UK SC Clearance (Security Cleared)
• Experience leading design, deployment and day-to-day operation of AVD environments
• Hands-on experience with AVD architecture, host pools and user access management
• Scripting/automation experience with PowerShell and IaC tools like Terraform
• Ability to work in a small, on-call supported team with shared responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage secure and scalable AVD environments.
• Serve as SME for AVD architecture, best practices, troubleshooting and user support.
• Administer AVD components including Host Pools, Resource Groups and VM Images.
• Manage user profiles with FSLogix and cloud storage solutions (e.g., NetApp).
• Provide end-user support as part of a Virtual Desktop Support Team.
• Share on-call duties and respond to incidents on a rotational basis.
• Automate deployment processes using PowerShell, ARM templates and Terraform.

Skills

Azure Virtual Desktop

On-call support

Team collaboration

Remote work

Tools

PowerShell

ARM templates

Terraform

FSLogix

NetApp

Azure Monitor

Job description

Location: Remote/Gloucester

Job Summary

Our clients are looking for a UK SC Cleared Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Subject Matter Expert (SME) to lead and support the design, deployment, and day-to-day operation of AVD environments. The ideal candidate will bring extensive hands-on experience with AVD, user support, and virtual desktop architecture. You will join a small, focused team supporting a secure AVD environment with on-call responsibilities shared equally across three engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage secure and scalable Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments.
• Serve as the SME for all AVD-related technical matters including architecture, best practices, troubleshooting, and user support.
• Administer and optimise AVD environments including Host Pools, Resource Groups, Virtual Machine Images, App Access, and User Access.
• Manage user profile solutions using FSLogix and cloud-based storage (e.g., NetApp or equivalent).
• Provide dedicated support to end-users as part of a Virtual Desktop Support Team.
• Perform regular monitoring, updates, and maintenance tasks to ensure high availability and performance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues across the AVD stack and user experience.
• Automate deployment processes using tools such as PowerShell, ARM templates, and optionally, Terraform.
• Collaborate with other cloud, network, and security engineers to support overall platform integrity.
• Share on-call support duties (on rotation with two other engineers) for critical incident handling.

Requirements

• UK SC Clearance (Security Cleared)
• Availability to start within the next two months
• Willingness to participate in an on-call support rota (shared evenly across 3 engineers)
• Experience working in a dedicated Virtual Desktop Support Team, providing hands-on support to end-users
• In-depth understanding of Azure Virtual Desktop architecture and best practices
• Proficiency in managing AVD environments, including Resource Groups, Host Pools, VM Images, App Access & User Access
• Experience in supporting multi-user AVD environments, user profile customisation via FSLogix and NetApp (or equivalent)
• Ability to work remotely, with occasional, ad-hoc travel to Gloucester

Nice to Have

• Solid knowledge of Cloud Computing fundamentals, especially Microsoft Azure
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform
• Microsoft certifications (e.g., AZ-140, AZ-104, AZ-305)
• Familiarity with hybrid environments and Active Directory integration
• Exposure to monitoring and analytics tools (e.g., Log Analytics, Azure Monitor)
• Familiarity with CI/CD or DevOps workflows in cloud environments