Senior Azure DevOps Engineer - AKS & Cloud Infrastructure

Spectraforce Technologies, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 117,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Spectraforce Technologies, Inc. seeks a Senior Azure DevOps Engineer to provision and manage Azure infrastructure, automate deployments, and support API services on AKS.

This hands-on role requires experience with Azure, Kubernetes, IaC, and CI/CD pipelines across dev, test, and production environments. You will work with development, architecture, security, and operations teams to deliver secure, repeatable deployments, communicate release status, and optimize resource usage in a hybrid Chicago

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience provisioning, configuring, and troubleshooting Azure infrastructure.
• Experience deploying containerized API services on AKS with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience building YAML-based CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
• Proficiency with Terraform or Bicep, Git-based version control, and scripting.
• Strong understanding of Linux, HTTP/REST APIs, DNS, TLS, ingress, and security controls.

Responsibilities

• Execute production releases and validate service health after deployment.
• Configure and operate Cosmos DB databases, including container creation and indexing.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines to automate builds, tests, image publishing, and deployments.
• Configure Kubernetes deployments, services, ingress, probes, resources, and env settings.
• Implement secure connectivity, TLS, load balancing, and private endpoints as needed.
• Implement least-privilege access and secrets management via Azure Key Vault.
• Integrate automated tests and security checks into deployment pipelines.
• Set up monitoring and alerts using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Troubleshoot deployments, pod/container issues, networking, and API performance.
• Maintain environment consistency and change records per security controls.
• Collaborate with developers, security, and ops teams to resolve dependencies.
• Improve deployment reliability and cost efficiency via automation.
• Foster collaboration acrossProduct Management, System Architects, and stakeholders.
• Support program execution and governance with PMO.

Skills

Cloud infrastructure

CI/CD automation

Security practices

Cross-team collaboration

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Helm

kubectl

Terraform

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Azure

Bicep

PowerShell

Bash

Python

Azure Monitor

Job description

Title: Senior Azure DevOps Engineer - AKS & Cloud Infrastructure

Location: Chicago, IL Hybrid - [3 days per week]

Duration: 11 Months

Role Overview:

The Senior Azure DevOps Engineer will provision and manage Azure infrastructure, build deployment automation, and deploy and support API services on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This is a hands‑on engineering role requiring practical experience with Azure, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code, and CI/CD pipelines. The engineer will work with development, architecture, security, and operations teams to deliver secure, reliable, and repeatable deployments across development, test, and production environments. The engineer will also communicate release status and progress to the business and technical stakeholders in the PADS program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Execute production releases, validate service health after deployment, and maintain tested rollback procedures and release runbooks.
• Configure and operate Cosmos DB databased, including Container creation and index maintenance, RU allocation and copying data.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions to automate builds, testing, image publishing, and deployments across environments.
• Configure Kubernetes deployments, services, ingress, health probes, resource requests and limits, and environment-specific application settings.
• Configure secure API connectivity, including DNS, TLS certificates, load balancing, private endpoints, and integration with Azure API Management where required.
• Implement least‑privilege access, managed identities, workload identity, role‑based access control, and secure secrets management through Azure Key Vault.
• Integrate automated tests, container image scanning, security checks, and approval gates into deployment pipelines.
• Implement monitoring, logging, dashboards, and actionable alerts for Azure infrastructure and API workloads using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Troubleshoot failed deployments, pod and container issues, networking, authentication, and API performance problems; resolve root causes with development and operations teams.
• Maintain environment consistency, deployment documentation, and change records in line with enterprise security and change‑management requirements.
• Partner with developers, architects, security, and platform teams to resolve infrastructure dependencies and prepare API services for production.
• Improve deployment reliability, recovery time, resource utilization, and Azure costs through automation, capacity tuning, and operational improvements.
• Encourage collaboration between teams, Product Management, Product Owners, System Architects, Solution Architects, engineering, security, operations, and other stakeholders.
• Improve the flow of value through value streams by assessing and strengthening practices related to DevOps, Release on Demand, and the Continuous Delivery Pipeline.
• Partner with the Agile Program Management Office and delivery leadership to support program execution, operational excellence, reporting, and governance.
• Secondary responsibilities may include, when necessary, working with SREs t--
• Provision, configure, and maintain Azure infrastructure components, including AKS, Azure Container Registry, virtual networks, subnets, network security groups, Key Vault, and storage accounts.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure as code using Terraform, with version‑controlled configurations, reusable modules, and controlled environment changes.
• Configure and operate AKS clusters, including node pools, scaling, upgrades, resource quotas, and workload availability.
• Containerize API services using Docker and deploy them to AKS using Kubernetes manifests and Helm charts.
• Automate routine infrastructure and operational tasks using Azure CLI, PowerShell, or Bash to reduce manual effort and configuration drift.

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated hands‑on experience provisioning, configuring, and troubleshooting Azure infrastructure, including networking, identity, Key Vault, storage, and Azure Container Registry.
• Practical experience deploying and supporting containerized API services on AKS, with strong Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, and kubectl skills.
• Experience building YAML‑based CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions, including automated testing, artifact management, environment promotion, and rollback.
• Proficiency with Terraform or Bicep, Git‑based version control, and scripting with PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Strong understanding of Linux, HTTP/REST APIs, DNS, TLS, ingress, load balancing, access controls, and secrets management, with the ability to diagnose issues across application and infrastructure layers.
• Experience with production monitoring, incident troubleshooting, and controlled releases; ability town technical issues through resolution and communicate clearly across engineering, security, and operations teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Relevant Azure administration, Azure DevOps, or Kubernetes certifications.
• Experience supporting enterprise API, integration, or data platforms in financial services or other regulated environments.
• Experience with GitOps tools such as GitHub Actions, progressive deployment strategies, and Prometheus or Grafana.
• Experience with Azure API Management, private AKS networking, workload identity, and disaster recovery planning and testing.