Principal Cloud Engineer Azure

BMO U.S.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 112,200 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Accident and life insurance

Retirement savings plans

Job summary

BMO U.S. is seeking a Principal Cloud Engineer to lead cloud architecture and delivery for large-scale Azure environments. The role emphasizes scalable solutions, Terraform-based infrastructure, and advanced CI/CD practices across teams.

The ideal candidate combines architecture leadership with hands-on execution, mentoring engineers while driving security, governance and cost optimization. Relocation to Chicago area preferred.

Qualifications

• Architect-level expertise in designing and implementing cloud strategies in Azure.
• Expert in IaC with Terraform; able to develop complex modules end-to-end.
• Strong DevOps experience with building CI/CD pipelines.
• Design and implement Policy as Code (PaC) strategies and governance.
• Hands-on with container infrastructure and orchestration.
• Broad IT engineering knowledge across networking, security, OS, and identity.

Responsibilities

• Lead cloud architecture and design for scalable, secure Azure solutions.
• Own end-to-end delivery translating business requirements into tech designs.
• Develop and maintain IaC modules; create landing zones and enterprise Azure environments.
• Design, implement and optimize CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions).
• Define observability strategies with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead technical reviews and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Azure

CI/CD

DevOps

Python

Java

C#

Tools

Terraform

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Job description

We are seeking an enthusiastic, passionate professional for a Principal Cloud Engineer position with 8+ years of experience in multiple large scale Azure enterprise environments. We are looking for technology leaders and change drivers type of talent. BMO’s cloud strategy is focused on innovation, leveraging emerging cloud native services to meet the rapidly evolving needs of our customers. BMO Cloud Engineering team is leading the way at a Bank where our Purpose is Growing the Good and Being Bold. We demonstrate those values every day. Be part of the action – where we have challenging discussions about how to align those customer requirements to the right cloud architectures and services. Help evolve the BMO’s core cloud platform, leveraging emerging best practices and tools, securely connected to our strategic suppliers, providing a platform for innovation to an entire Bank.

Responsibilities

Lead cloud architecture and design

• Define and implement scalable, secure, and highly available Azure solutions
• Establish architecture patterns, standards, and best practices across teams

Own end-to-end delivery

• Translate business requirements into technical solutions and architecture designs
• Drive solution implementation from concept to production

Cloud platform engineering & automation

• Design and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) modules using Terraform
• Build reusable modules, landing zones, and enterprise-scale Azure environments

DevOps & CI/CD leadership

• Design, implement and optimize CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions)
• Drive automation-first culture and continuous improvement

Security, governance, and compliance

• Implement Azure security best practices (Zero Trust, RBAC, Defender for Cloud)
• Define and implement governance and policies framework
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and enterprise standards

Performance, reliability, and cost optimization

• Architect for resilience (HA/DR strategies, multi-region designs)
• Monitor and optimize workload performance and Azure spend (FinOps practices)

Mentorship and technical leadership

• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and lead technical direction across projects
• Conduct design reviews, code reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions

Stakeholder engagement

• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and leadership
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

Operational excellence

• Drive modernization initiatives
• Define observability strategies using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights
• Drive incident response and root cause analysis for cloud core systems

Required skills and experience

• Architect-level expertise and proven track of designing and implementing cloud strategies, defining standards, designing and implementing large-scale solutions in Azure;
• Expert in IaC with a proven track record of developing complex modules and solutions end-to-end, from scratch (Terraform);
• Strong devops expertise, proven track of designing and building complex CI/CD pipelines;
• Architect-level expertise in Policy as Code (PaC) strategy and implementation;
• Expertise with design, implementation and running container infrastructure;
• Expertise with design of operational processes for large scale Azure environments;
• Strong programming skills (dev background) and fluency with at least one of the following languages: Python, node.js, java, c#, c++;
• Strong knowledge and experience in setting up, securing, and managing public cloud infrastructure (Azure) at scale;
• Solid understanding and proven practical experience with Azure IAM/RBAC design and implementation at scale;
• Deep and broad knowledge of Azure IaaS/SaaS/PaaS services and experience building solutions in public clouds;
• Strong understanding and hands-on expertise in designing and running large scale cloud networking;
• Deep and broad general IT engineering knowledge as well as hands-on experience in different areas such as networking, infrastructure, security, solutions architecture and design, OS (Linux/Windows), common protocols and services, identity and access management, automation, troubleshooting, etc.;

Essential soft skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• A critical thinker with strong research and analytics skills
• Self-motivated with a positive attitude and ability to work independently and/or in a team
• Able to work under tight timelines and deliver on complex problems
• Ability to keep up with fast-paced enterprise environment within Agile processes

Salary

$112,200.00 - $209,000.00

Pay Type

Salaried

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.bmo.com/global/en/Total-Rewards

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

BMO is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other legally protected characteristics. We also consider applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

BMO is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e‑mail to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.