Azure Lead Operations Engineer

Azure Lead Operations Engineer 
This position will work primarily remote with an onsite responsibility multiple times a month in Conway, AR. All applicants must live within 45 minutes of Conway AR.

PURPOSE   

The Lead Azure Operations Engineer serves as the senior technical execution leader within the Azure Operations function. This role is responsible for all duties of the Azure Operations Engineer while also providing operational leadership, escalation governance, technical quality oversight, and continuous improvement direction for the Operations Support and Development (OSD) team. 

The Lead Azure Operations Engineer acts as the primary technical advisor to the OSD Manager, ensuring consistent operational standards, effective shift execution, high-quality incident response, and progressive Azure capability development across the team. 

This position balances advanced hands-on technical work with operational coordination, mentorship, and process maturity leadership. 

RESPONSIBILITIES   

Azure Operations Engineer Responsibilities 

The Lead Azure Operations Engineer is responsible for performing all duties outlined in the Azure Operations Engineer role, including but not limited to: 

• Serving as Tier 2 escalation point for Azure-related incidents 
• Troubleshooting and resolving complex Azure infrastructure, networking, and identity issues 
• Performing root cause analysis and driving corrective actions 
• Executing operational changes and release support activities 
• Monitoring and responding to security-related alerts 
• Applying Azure security best practices 
• Maintaining and improving runbooks and SOPs 
• Participating in Agile ceremonies and continuous improvement efforts 
• Supporting 24/7 operational coverage through rotating shifts 
• Maintaining Azure certification and professional development standards 

In addition to the above, the Lead assumes expanded leadership responsibilities as defined below. 

Operational Leadership & Escalation Governance 

• Serve as the final internal escalation point prior to engineering or architecture engagement. 
• Oversee escalation flow from Tier 1 to Tier 2 to Engineering to ensure proper routing and resolution ownership. 
• Monitor incident queues and backlog health to ensure SLA adherence. 
• Lead response coordination during high-impact or major incidents. 
• Review post-incident analyses and ensure corrective actions are implemented. 

Shift Oversight & Coverage Coordination 

• Assist the OSD Manager with 24/7 coverage planning and shift alignment. 
• Support on-call rotation management and coverage balancing. 
• Ensure effective shift handoffs and operational continuity. 
• Identify staffing or coverage gaps and recommend adjustments. 

Runbook & Operational Standards Ownership 

• Establish and maintain standards for operational documentation and runbooks. 
• Review and approve updates to runbooks and SOPs. 
• Ensure incident learnings translate into updated documentation. 
• Conduct periodic audits of operational procedures for accuracy and completeness. 
• Identify opportunities to automate repeatable operational tasks. 

Metrics, Reporting & Operational Performance 

• Assist the OSD Manager in tracking and analyzing: 
• Mean Time to Acknowledge (MTTA) 
• Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) 
• Escalation frequency 
• Alert noise vs actionable events 
• Backlog aging and SLA adherence 
• Provide technical summaries of operational performance. 
• Recommend improvements to monitoring, alerting, and workflow processes. 

Azure Governance & Operational Readiness 

• Review Azure deployments for operational supportability. 
• Validate monitoring, tagging, RBAC, and security baselines. 
• Participate in change reviews to assess operational risk. 
• Ensure production support standards are consistently applied. 
• Identify systemic reliability risks and recommend mitigation strategies. 

Continuous Improvement & Automation 

• Identify repetitive manual tasks and drive automation initiatives. 
• Promote use of scripting and Infrastructure as Code practices. 
• Collaborate with development teams to improve deployment reliability. 
• Reduce operational noise through monitoring refinement. 
• Drive reduction of recurring incident patterns. 

MINIMUM SKILLS, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE   

• 5+ years of experience in IT operations, cloud operations, or platform support roles. 
• 3+ years hands-on Azure production support experience. 
• Demonstrated experience handling complex escalations. 
• Strong understanding of incident, problem, and change management processes. 
• Experience mentoring or informally leading technical peers. 
• Strong communication and technical documentation skills 

PREFERRED SKILLS, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) or Microsoft Security SC-900 preferred. 
• Experience with Azure monitoring and security tooling (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel). 
• Experience with automation tooling (PowerShell, Azure CLI, Bicep, Terraform). 
• Experience supporting Agile delivery models. 
• ITIL certification or equivalent process framework knowledge. 

At Ascend Technologies we firmly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only fundamental values but also powerful drivers of innovation, growth, and success. We are committed to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered.  

CORE VALUES  

We are seeking highly motivated individuals who have the willingness and ability to demonstrate Ascend core values:    

• Committed to Client Success: Our actions and our words always align with the best interest of the client.  
• One Team: We work collaboratively to overcome challenges with humility and respect and do what it takes to find innovative solutions.  
• Integrity: We are unquestionably committed to doing the right thing even when it is hard.  
• Accountability: We hold ourselves and each other accountable for keeping our commitments to our clients, our communities, and one another.  
• Transparency: We create open lines of communication with each other and our clients, fostering relationships founded on candor and trust.  

Starting Salary: $50,000
The salary for this position is commensurate with experience, skills, and qualifications. The range is intended to reflect our commitment to attracting top talent, and the final offer will be based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's previous experience, expertise in the field, relevant certifications, and the specific requirements of the role. In addition, internal equity, market trends, and geographic location may also influence the final salary.
 
Along with a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings options, flexible time off (FTO), and professional development opportunities. We are open to discussing compensation and benefits further during the interview process to ensure alignment with the candidate’s expectations and experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:   

Must be able to sit, stand, and bend for the duration of shift. The position is mainly sitting, with occasional lifting up to 50 lbs, such as laptop, server equipment, and, driving to the work site to meet with client(s).