Director Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Jobs in Virginia

The Data Platform Engineer (Azure) is responsible for building, automating, and operating the infrastructure that supports the organization's enterprise data platform. This role ensures data pipelines, cloud environments, and platform services are reliable, scalable, secure, and observable across Microsoft Azure.

The position focuses on Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, CI/CD automation, cloud operations, platform governance, FinOps, security, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices. The Data Platform Engineer partners closely with Data Engineering, IT Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Business stakeholders to deliver a stable and high-performing data platform that supports analytics, reporting, and enterprise data initiatives.

Essential Duties & ResponsibilitiesCloud Infrastructure & Platform Engineering

• Design, implement, and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for Azure-based data environments using Terraform, Bicep, and/or ARM Templates.
• Build and support highly available, scalable, and secure Azure cloud environments.
• Configure and maintain Azure networking components including:
  • Virtual Networks (VNETs)
  • Private Endpoints
  • Network Security Groups
  • Access Security Policies

CI/CD & Automation

• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions.
• Automate deployment of:
  • Azure Data Factory
  • Databricks Notebooks
  • Data Pipelines
  • Infrastructure Components
  • Platform Services
• Establish deployment standards and environment promotion processes across Development, QA, and Production environments.
• Manage source control, versioning, branching strategies, and release processes.

Databricks Administration

• Administer and govern Databricks workspaces.
• Manage:
  • Cluster Provisioning
  • Cluster Policies
  • Cost Controls
  • Unity Catalog
  • Access Controls
  • Identity Management
• Support data engineering teams by maintaining a reliable Databricks platform environment.

Data Storage & Platform Governance

• Manage Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 environments.
• Configure:
  • Access Control Lists (ACLs)
  • Lifecycle Management Policies
  • Encryption Standards
  • Storage Optimization Policies
• Ensure compliance with data governance and security requirements.

Monitoring, Reliability & Operations

• Implement observability and monitoring strategies using:
  • Azure Monitor
  • Log Analytics
  • Alerting Tools
  • Operational Dashboards
• Monitor platform performance and reliability.
• Troubleshoot:
  • Infrastructure Failures
  • Performance Bottlenecks
  • Platform Incidents
  • Cloud Service Issues
• Participate in incident response and root cause analysis activities.

Security & Compliance

• Automate secrets and credential management using Azure Key Vault.
• Support identity and access management initiatives.
• Partner with Information Security teams to maintain compliance with governance and security standards.
• Implement secure deployment and infrastructure management practices.

Cost Management & Optimization (FinOps)

• Monitor Azure and Databricks cloud consumption costs.
• Analyze usage trends and identify optimization opportunities.
• Recommend cost-saving initiatives while maintaining platform performance and reliability.

Documentation & Operational Excellence

• Document:
  • Infrastructure Architecture
  • Operational Procedures
  • Runbooks
  • Incident Response Processes
  • Platform Standards
• Establish best practices for platform reliability and operational support.

QualificationsEducation

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field required.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in:

  • DevOps
  • Platform Engineering
  • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
  • Cloud Infrastructure
  • Related technical disciplines

• 3-5+ years of hands-on experience with:

  • Microsoft Azure
  • Databricks
  • Azure Data Services
  • Cloud Infrastructure Management

Preferred Experience

• Enterprise data platform environments.
• Financial, Operations, or Digital data ecosystems.
• Retail, restaurant, or multi-unit organizations.
• Large-scale cloud-based analytics platforms.

Technical SkillsRequired

• Microsoft Azure
• Azure Data Factory
• Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
• Azure Key Vault
• Azure Monitor
• Log Analytics
• Azure Functions
• Logic Apps
• Databricks
• Terraform
• Bicep / ARM Templates
• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions
• Git Source Control
• CI/CD Pipeline Development
• Python and/or PowerShell
• Cloud Networking
• Cloud Security Concepts
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Preferred

• Unity Catalog
• Docker
• Kubernetes / AKS
• GitOps
• Observability Platforms
• FinOps Practices
• Secure Credential Management
• Branching & Environment Management Strategies
• Power BI Infrastructure Support
• Power BI Gateways
• Power BI Service Administration

Certifications (Preferred)

• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
• Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
• Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203)
• Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
• Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
• Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional