Principal Azure Cloud Platform Engineer - Databricks & CI/CD Pipeline

Syneos Health, Inc.; Hyderabad; Hybrid; INR 4,200,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Syneos Health, Inc. in Hyderabad is seeking a Principal Azure Cloud Engineer to lead the design, implementation and optimization of Azure-based data solutions.

You will architect data lake, manage Azure SQL/Cosmos DB, and oversee Databricks workloads with IaC using ARM templates, Terraform or Azure Bicep, driving migration strategies and secure, compliant cloud delivery. You will mentor cross‑functional teams, align cloud architecture with business goals, and optimize performance, cost, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of cloud architecture experience.
• Proven expertise in Azure data services and data solutions.
• Strong IaC experience with Terraform, ARM templates, or Azure Bicep.
• Experience with security, compliance, and RBAC in Azure.
• CI/CD automation experience for cloud deployments.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to architect Azure-based data solutions.
• Design and deploy scalable Azure Data Lake and database services.
• Manage and optimize Azure Databricks environments and integrate with Azure data services.
• Develop and execute cloud migration strategies with minimal business disruption.
• Design and maintain data pipelines with Azure Data Factory.
• Optimize database architectures for high availability and disaster recovery.
• Identify and remediate performance bottlenecks and cost inefficiencies.
• Implement security measures and compliance controls across Azure data solutions.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure requirements and project delivery.
• Champion Infrastructure as Code across the development lifecycle.

Skills

Cloud architecture

Technical leadership

IaC practices

Security best practices

CI/CD automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Azure Data Lake

Azure SQL Database

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure SQL Managed Instance

Azure Data Factory

Azure Databricks

Terraform

ARM templates

Azure Bicep

Job description

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal Azure Cloud Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of Azure-based cloud solutions, with a focus on data solutions, infrastructure automation, and migration. The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical background in cloud architecture, especially in building Infrastructure as Code (IaC), designing scalable Azure Data Lake and database solutions, and driving migration strategies. As a technical leader, you will guide cross-functional teams to ensure that our cloud architecture aligns with business goals, follows best practices, and optimizes performance, security, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Leadership & Strategic Guidance:
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to cross-functional teams (cloud engineers, data engineers, business stakeholders) to architect robust Azure-based data solutions.
Ensure alignment of cloud solutions with business objectives, considering current and future growth.
Stay updated with the latest Azure innovations, trends, and best practices to recommend the best solutions for complex business needs.

2. Azure Data Lake and Database Solutions:
Design and deploy scalable and high-performance Azure Data Lake storage solutions to handle large volumes of unstructured and structured data.
Architect, configure, and manage Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, and other database offerings to ensure high availability, disaster recovery, and optimized performance.

3. Databricks Administration & Integration:
Manage, configure, and administer Azure Databricks environments, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and security of data processing workloads.
Collaborate with data scientists, data engineers, and analysts to integrate Azure Databricks with other Azure services (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse) to build scalable data processing and analytics solutions.
Implement best practices for managing Databricks clusters, notebooks, libraries, and jobs to ensure efficiency and cost optimization.
Perform regular monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance tuning of Databricks workloads, ensuring high reliability and uptime.

4. Cloud Migration Strategy & Execution:
Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for migrating on-premises data and applications to Azure with minimal disruption to business operations.
Use Azure-native tools (e.g., Azure Migrate, Data Migration Assistant) to facilitate seamless migration of data assets to the cloud.

5. Azure Data Factory (ADF) Expertise:
Design, implement, and maintain efficient data pipelines using Azure Data Factory(ADF) to orchestrate and automate ETL workflows across various data sources and destinations.
o Optimize pipeline performance, manage dependencies, and ensure seamless data movement across hybrid cloud environments.

6. Database Services Optimization:
Administer and optimize Azure Database offerings such as Azure SQL Database, SQL Managed Instances, and other relational/non-relational databases.
Design high-availability, fault-tolerant architectures, and ensure efficient data replication, backup, and recovery.

7. Performance Tuning & Optimization:
Identify and address performance bottlenecks within Azure-based data solutions, applying performance tuning strategies to maximize system efficiency.
Ensure that systems are optimized for cost efficiency, scalability, and reliability by monitoring usage patterns and implementing proactive optimization strategies.

8. Security & Compliance:
Implement strong security measures across Azure data solutions to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
Leverage Azure's security features, including encryption, role-based access control(RBAC), firewalls, and auditing tools to meet compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR,HIPAA, SOC 2).
Conduct regular security assessments and work with teams to enforce security best practices across all cloud solutions.

9. Collaboration & Communication:
Engage with stakeholders from business units, IT, and data engineering to understand business requirements, design appropriate solutions, and ensure smooth project delivery.
Present project updates, technical challenges, and solutions to executive leadership and other stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment with organizational goals.
Facilitate collaborative decision-making and knowledge sharing among cross-functional teams to achieve optimal solutions.

10. Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
Lead the design and implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools like Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, Terraform, or Azure Bicep to automate infrastructure provisioning and management.
Ensure that IaC practices are embedded in the development lifecycle for consistent, repeatable, and scalable cloud deployments.

Qualifications:

• Experience: 8+ years in cloud architecture, with at least 4 years focused on Azure cloud solutions and architecture design.
• Technical Skills:
  Expertise in Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and related Azure data services.
  Strong proficiency in Azure Data Factory (ADF) for data pipeline orchestration and ETL process design.
  Databricks administration and optimization experience, including clustermanagement, job execution, and integration with Azure services.
  Solid experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools like Terraform, ARM templates, or Azure Bicep.
  Familiarity with Azure Databricks, and other advanced data processing services.
  Deep understanding of cloud security best practices, including access control, data encryption, and compliance standards.
  Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools to manage cloud infrastructure and application deployments. Soft Skills:
  Leadership experience, with a track record of successfully mentoring teams and driving technical initiatives to completion.