Azure Cloud Expert

Azure Cloud Specialist

Job Summary:

• Create, maintain and manage Azure Hybrid Cloud Core Infrastructure.
• Implement, maintain and upgrade MS SQL Server Database on Azure Cloud in a secure, high availability and disaster recovery environment.

Responsibilities:

Azure Administrator Activities

• Develop detailed design documents, architectural diagrams, and solution blueprints.
• Organize resources by creating a structured subscription model that aligns with business units, environments and cost centres.
• Use management groups to efficiently manage access, policies and compliance across multiple subscriptions.
• Conduct assessments of current infrastructure and recommend cloud migration strategies.
• Implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Azure DevOps to automate the application lifecycle.
• Ensure high availability, disaster recovery and business continuity for Azure solutions.
• Design and implement security best practices for Azure environments.
• Work closely with development, operations and security teams to integrate Azure solutions.
• Implement cost management strategies to optimize cloud spending.
• Monitor and report on cloud usage and costs, providing recommendations for cost savings.

Azure AD Admin Activities

• Implement identity and access management solutions using Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
• Manage and maintain the Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) environment.
• Create, modify and delete user accounts, groups and roles.
• Manage synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Azure AD using Azure AD Connect.
• Implement and manage identity and access management (IAM)policies, including role-based access control (RBAC) and conditional access policies to enforce the principle of least privilege.
• Integrate Azure AD with other cloud services and on-premises systems.
• Automate routine administrative tasks using PowerShell and other scripting tools.
• Manage single sign-on (SSO) configurations and integrate with external identity providers.
• Generate and analyze reports on user activities, access patterns and security incidents.
• Assist with onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure proper access management.
• Work closely with IT, security and development teams to implement and manage Azure AD solutions.

Azure Network Admin Activities

• Design and implement Azure network solutions, including virtual networks, subnets, network security groups (NSGs) and routing configurations.
• Manage and maintain azure network services such as Azure VPN Gateway, Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall, Azure Load Balancer and Azure Traffic Manager.
• Monitor network performance and troubleshoot network-related issues to ensure optimal performance and availability.
• Implement and manage network security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) and security policies.
• Conduct regular network assessments and audits to ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices.

Azure Security Related Activities

• Establish security policies, standards and procedures for Azure environments.
• Conduct risk assessments and vulnerability analyses to identify potential threats.
• Design secure architectures for Azure cloud solutions, including network, application and data security.
• Design and implement secure hybrid cloud solutions, integrating on-premises and Azure resources.
• Configure Azure security services, such as Azure Security Centre, Azure Defender and Azure Sentinel, Azure Policy, Azure Blueprints.
• Implement network security measures, including Azure Firewall, Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
• Deploy secure development practices, integrating security into CI/CD pipelines with tools like Azure DevOps.
• Implement continuous monitoring and logging using Azure Monitor, Azure Log Analytics and Azure Sentinel.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of security policies, procedures and configurations.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards (SOC2, GDPR, ISO 27001).

MS SQL Server DBA Tasks

• Migrate a database from on-premises to the Azure cloud.
• Configure the database for optimal performance and security.
• Apply indexing strategies for optimization and create indexed views.
• Write scripts to schedule regular maintenance tasks, automate backups or generate reports.
• Develop and implement strategies and procedures for disaster recovery.
• Design, build and test DR sites configuring standby databases by log shipping to DR sites/cloud.
• Configure HA using failover cluster instances (FCI)/database mirroring.
• Perform periodic disaster recovery DR-drills at agreed frequencies.
• Schedule regular online/offline full backups, periodic differential backups, transaction log backups.
• Ensure compliance with YMC IT governance for application security.
• Manage user access, roles, permissions, enforce password policies, configure database auditing.
• Implement row-level security (RLS), transparent data encryption (TDE) to protect data at rest.
• Conduct security audits covering Windows and SQL Server authenticated accounts.
• Investigate and resolve database-related issues, such as performance problems, data corruption, connectivity errors and other system failures.
• Monitor SQL Server performance metrics (CPU and memory usage), analyze database wait statistics.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks using dynamic management views (DMVs) and performance monitoring tools (such as SQL Server Profiler or Extended Events).
• Optimize query execution plans, re-write queries, utilize query hints or plan guides.
• Configure server parameters to improve response times and resource utilization.
• Handle developers' requests for script runs for packages, functions, procedures, new tables etc.
• Clone, refresh or replace an existing database with a copy from another instance.
• Apply SQL Server patches, service packs and updates to ensure the database system remains up-to-date with the latest bug fixes.
• Plan and execute SQL Server version upgrades.
• Implement strategies such as partitioning or horizontal scaling to manage large databases.

Other Tasks

• Identify potential risks or issues before they escalate.
• Deal with customers for issues.
• Embrace change, adapt quickly to shifting database needs or conditions.
• Maintain documentation of database configurations, processes and procedures.
• Generate reports on database performance, availability and security metrics for management and compliance purposes.
• Prioritize attention to details to ensure project requirements and deliverables are met accurately.
• Review project documentation, monitor progress.
• Work closely with diverse teams, stakeholders and clients.

Provide consultancy to customers.

Mandatory Skills

• Azure AD, On-premises AD, Windows Server Administrator, PowerShell programming.

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