Principal Azure Platform & Cloud Operations Architect at kastech-canada-inc in Toronto, ON

Job description

• We are looking for a hands-on Principal Azure Platform & Cloud Operations Architect to assess
• and improve how we run critical production systems on Azure. You will evaluate our current
• Cloud Operations processes and platform architecture, identify automation and improvement
• opportunities, implement stronger operational patterns, and act as the escalation SME when the
• team hits technical roadblocks—especially across AKS, networking, and deployments.

Responsibilities

• ● Assess and Improve Cloud Operations Processes: Review current operational
• workflows (provisioning, deployments, incident response, change management) and
• implement process corrections, automation opportunities, and operational guardrails to
• reduce manual effort and improve reliability.
• ● Own AKS Platform Architecture and Operations: Lead the design and operational
• maturity of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) environments, including cluster topology,
• node pools, upgrades, scaling, resiliency patterns, ingress/egress, workload identity,
• secrets, and runtime security.
• ● Lead Azure Networking Architecture and Troubleshooting: Provide deep expertise
• in Azure networking and connectivity patterns (VNET design, routing/UDRs, NSGs,
• DNS, private endpoints, firewalls, load balancers, gateways, and secure egress/ingress)
• and troubleshoot complex network and performance issues impacting production
• systems.
• ● Deliver Hands-on Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Design and implement IaC using
• Terraform with reusable modules, clear lifecycle management, environment consistency,
• and safe change practices.
• ● Advance GitOps and Deployment Standardization: Strengthen deployment maturity
• using Argo CD and Helm, improving repeatability, release confidence, environment
• promotion, and rollback strategies.
• ● Improve CI/CD and Release Automation: Enhance CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps /
• Jenkins / GitHub Actions) to implement quality gates, validation, security scanning, and
• automated delivery patterns to production.
• ● Implement Observability and Operational Readiness: Improve monitoring, logging,
• alerting, and dashboards using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights to
• create actionable signals and reduce noise; promote production readiness practices
• (runbooks, readiness reviews, operational checklists).
• ● Provide L3/L4 Escalation and Incident Leadership: Act as the technical escalation
• point for high-severity incidents, guiding triage and recovery, leading root cause analysis,
• and ensuring corrective/preventive actions are implemented through automation and
• platform improvements.
• ● Coach and Unblock the Cloud Operations Team: Mentor engineers and provide
• hands-on guidance during complex technical challenges, raising overall capability and
• establishing consistent engineering standards.
• ● Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with Engineering, SRE, Security, and Delivery
• teams to align operational patterns, platform guardrails, and production readiness across
• services and environments.

Requirements

• ● Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• ● 8+ years of hands-on experience in cloud platform engineering, DevOps/SRE, or cloud
• operations, with ownership of production-grade systems.
• ● Strong hands-on experience with Azure, particularly Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS),
• and deep experience running Kubernetes in production (upgrades, scaling, failure
• modes, troubleshooting).
• ● Deep expertise in Azure networking and secure connectivity patterns, with the ability to
• diagnose complex multi-layer issues across AKS + network + application boundaries.
• ● Proven hands-on experience implementing IaC with Terraform (modules, state strategy,
• environment consistency, safe rollout practices).
• ● Strong experience with GitOps and deployment tooling, including Argo CD and Helm,
• and a strong understanding of release strategies and operational controls.
• ● Proficiency managing CI/CD pipelines and automation (Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, GitHub
• Actions) and improving deployment reliability through automated checks and gates.
• ● Hands-on experience with Azure observability tooling (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics,
• Application Insights) to improve service health visibility and incident response
• effectiveness.
• ● Proficiency in scripting/automation with Python and/or Bash/PowerShell to build
• operational tooling and reduce repetitive manual work.
• ● Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to operate calmly under

Skills

Required

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Kubernetes in production
• Azure networking
• Terraform
• Argo CD
• Helm
• Azure DevOps
• Jenkins
• GitHub Actions
• Azure Monitor
• Log Analytics
• Application Insights