Cloud Platform Specialist
Location: Hybrid, West Coast required
Office Alignment: Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles preferred
Employment Type: Contract-to-hire
Target Contract Pay Rate: Approximately $55-$60/hr, depending on experience and alignment
Target Conversion Salary: Approximately $125,000 annually
About the Role
LHH is partnering with a mission-driven engineering and design firm on a newly created Cloud Platform Specialist opportunity. This is a high-visibility role focused on building the foundational cloud platform, governance framework, and deployment standards that will support secure, scalable application development across the organization.
This is not a traditional systems administration role and not a pure application development role. The Cloud Platform Specialist will help create the structure, standards, and processes that allow internal developers, engineers, and citizen developers to safely move applications from development through test, UAT, and production.
The right candidate will be hands-on, self-sufficient, and comfortable working in an environment where the framework is still being built. The organization does not currently have a dedicated internal expert in this function, so this person will be expected to bring subject matter expertise, help guide best practices, and work independently with limited internal direction.
What You'll Do
Design and help build secure, scalable Azure-based application hosting environments.
Create and standardize deployment workflows across dev, test, UAT, and production environments.
Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps Pipelines and/or GitHub Actions.
Implement Infrastructure as Code using Bicep and/or Terraform.
Establish standards for identity, access, secrets management, logging, monitoring, alerting, and compliance.
Help define governance processes for internally developed applications, low-code solutions, automation tools, and AI-enabled workloads.
Own or support the intake, review, and promotion process for citizen-developed and engineer-developed applications.
Evaluate applications for security, compliance, supportability, and production readiness.
Support Power Platform governance, including environment strategy, DLP policies, connector management, and access controls.
Help govern Azure AI, Azure OpenAI, or Azure AI Foundry usage, including access controls, approved use patterns, audit logging, and data guardrails.
Define or support API management standards, including authentication, secret management, connector approvals, and documentation expectations.
Provide secondary infrastructure coverage for Windows Server, Linux, and Azure IaaS operations as needed.
Partner with IT Core Services, solution development teams, and internal builders to create repeatable, secure, supportable deployment patterns.
Ideal Background
Hands-on Microsoft Azure experience, including compute, networking, identity, and security.
Experience designing or maintaining CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions.
Experience with Infrastructure as Code, ideally Bicep and/or Terraform.
Strong understanding of Entra ID / Azure AD, OAuth2/OIDC, app registrations, service principals, and access management.
Experience with Power Platform governance, DLP policies, environment strategy, or connector management.
Familiarity with Azure AI, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, or similar AI/ML platform governance is strongly preferred.
Understanding of application promotion workflows across dev, test, UAT, and production.
Experience with Docker, Azure Container Apps, AKS, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, or similar cloud-native technologies.
Working-level proficiency with Windows Server, Linux, and Azure IaaS administration.
Ability to create governance standards, documentation, reference materials, and repeatable processes.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain technical and governance requirements to non-technical audiences.
What We're Looking For
The client is looking for someone who can operate as a subject matter expert and help build this function from the ground up. The ideal candidate has end-to-end experience, not just exposure to one narrow part of the process.
This person should be able to design and build, not just maintain. Candidates who have worked in smaller or less structured environments may be especially well-aligned because this role requires ownership, flexibility, and the ability to create process where it does not yet exist.
Best-fit profiles may include:
Cloud Platform Engineer
Azure Platform Engineer
Azure Cloud Engineer
DevOps Engineer with Azure governance experience
Cloud Governance Engineer
SRE / Platform Engineer
Azure Infrastructure Engineer with CI/CD and IaC experience
Power Platform Governance Specialist with strong Azure exposure
Work Environment
Hybrid work schedule, with approximately 2 to 3 days per week in office expected.
Candidates must be based on the West Coast and able to consistently work West Coast business hours.
Preferred alignment to office locations in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
Compensation
Target contract pay rate is approximately $55-$60/hr, depending on experience and alignment.
The client is targeting conversion at approximately $125,000 annually, with some flexibility depending on experience, technical depth, and overall fit.
The posted salary range is $106,000-$147,000 annually.
Why This Role
This is a net-new, high-impact opportunity with strong visibility across IT leadership. The person hired will help create foundational cloud platform standards, governance controls, and secure deployment processes that support future automation, AI, and internal development initiatives.
This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants ownership, autonomy, visibility, and the chance to build something meaningful rather than simply inherit a mature environment.
Benefits Upon Conversion
The client offers a competitive benefits package, including:
Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
Annual 401(k) profit sharing based on company performance
Professional development reimbursement
Employer-paid commuter or parking stipend
Cell phone stipend
Life and disability insurance
Hybrid work schedule
Employee Assistance Program
Paid holidays and PTO
Paid sick, family, community service, holiday, and vacation time
Fair Chance Hiring
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act and applicable Los Angeles Fair Chance ordinances.
Pay Details: $55.00 to $60.00 per hour
Search managed by: Scott McKeen
Benefit offerings available for our associates include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, additional voluntary benefits, EAP program, commuter benefits and a 401K plan. Our benefit offerings provide employees the flexibility to choose the type of coverage that meets their individual needs. In addition, our associates may be eligible for paid leave including Paid Sick Leave or any other paid leave required by Federal, State, or local law, as well as Holiday pay where applicable.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled
Military connected talent encouraged to apply
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The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:
Massachusetts Candidates Only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.