Azure Candidates - Analysis Only

Lightfeather Io Llc; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

LightFeather is seeking a Cloud Engineer specializing in Microsoft Azure to design, implement, and manage secure cloud solutions for federal IT environments.

You will apply DevOps best practices to drive performance, strengthen compliance, and improve operational efficiency while collaborating with security, development, and operations teams in Washington, DC.

Qualifications

• Active Secret or higher clearance required.
• 6+ years of Azure cloud engineering and DevOps experience.
• Proven IaC experience with Terraform.
• GitLab CI/CD experience for pipelines and DevOps workflows.
• PowerShell scripting and automation experience.
• Familiarity with FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and FISMA.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy secure, scalable cloud architectures in Microsoft Azure for federal clients.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning using Terraform, ARM templates, or Bicep.
• Improve CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar tools.
• Implement monitoring, logging, and cloud optimization for performance, security, and cost efficiency.
• Ensure alignment with NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and FISMA cybersecurity requirements.
• Manage Azure resources: VNETs, IAM, VMs, and security configurations.
• Collaborate with security, development, and operations teams to enhance cloud environments.
• Mentor junior engineers and foster innovation and technical excellence.

Skills

Azure

DevOps

Leadership

CI/CD

Tools

Terraform

GitLab CI/CD

PowerShell

Azure Resource Manager

Bicep

Azure DevOps

Job description

LightFeather is seeking a Cloud Engineer specializing in Microsoft Azure to design, implement, and manage secure cloud solutions for federal IT environments. You19ll play a key role in supporting Azure infrastructure, automation, and security, applying DevOps best practices to drive performance, strengthen compliance, and improve operational efficiency.

• Location: On-site, 5 days/week in Washington, D.C. 20036
• Job Type: Full-time
• Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship Required
• Clearance Requirement: Active Secret or higher clearance

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deploy secure, scalable cloud architectures in Microsoft Azure for federal clients
• Automate infrastructure provisioning using Terraform, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, or Bicep
• Improve continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar tools
• Implement best practices for monitoring, logging, and cloud optimization to improve performance, security, and cost efficiency
• Ensure alignment with federal cybersecurity frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
• Manage Azure resources, including virtual networks, identity and access management (IAM), virtual machines, and security configurations
• Collaborate across teams—security, development, and operations—to continuously enhance cloud environments
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of innovation, learning, and technical excellence

Required Qualifications

• Active Secret or higher clearance
• 6+ years of experience in Microsoft Azure cloud engineering and DevOps
• Proven expertise in Azure infrastructure architecture, deployment, and automation
• 4+ years of experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform
• 4+ years of experience with GitLab CI/CD for building and managing pipelines and DevOps workflows
• 4+ years of experience scripting and automating with PowerShell
• Familiarity with federal compliance standards including FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and FISMA
• Experience with Azure networking, identity management (Azure Active Directory), security policies, and monitoring
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills
• Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC five days per week

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Azure certifications such as AZ-104 (Administrator), AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer), or AZ-305 (Solutions Architect)
• Experience supporting federal IT systems and secure environments
• Understanding of hybrid cloud architectures and on-premise integrations
• Experience with cloud financial operations (FinOps) and cost optimization strategies

Why Join LightFeather?

At LightFeather, you're not just taking a job—you're joining a purpose-driven team that delivers innovative, mission-critical solutions to make a real difference. You'll work on diverse, meaningful projects that challenge and inspire you, alongside some of the best minds in the industry.