Azure DevOps Engineer at Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group, London Area, £Contract Rate

Senior Azure DevOps Engineer / Contract (Outside IR35) / London / 6-month initial contract

We are currently partnering with a London-based end client that manages £20 billion in assets. Known for its high-performance, institutional-grade financial operations, the company is looking to onboard a seasoned Azure DevOps Engineer to strengthen and automate its modern cloud, data, and application platform.

Client & Assignment Context

Embedded within the Technology & Infrastructure team of a premier private debt and alternative investments house, you will collaborate closely with platform leads, data teams, and full-stack software engineers. Your primary focus will be automating Azure and Snowflake infrastructure as code, maintaining a production-grade Apache Airflow platform hosted on AKS, and optimizing CI/CD workflows across both GitHub and Azure DevOps.

Key Responsibilities

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Design, build, and maintain Azure and Snowflake infrastructure using a combination of Terraform and Bicep.
• CI/CD & Automation: Build, automate, and enhance deployment pipelines across GitHub and Azure DevOps.
• Cloud Networking & Security: Implement Azure network topologies (hub-and-spoke, VNet peering, NSGs, private DNS) and secure private connectivity (Private Endpoints).
• Data Platform & Containers: Manage the Apache Airflow platform hosted on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), covering deployments, zero-downtime upgrades, scaling, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Application Deployment: Partner with developers to support the release and continuous delivery of internal full-stack applications.
• Hybrid Identity & Access: Maintain and support hybrid identity workflows between on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID, enforcing least-privilege security principles.
• Governance & Reliability: Ensure environments remain consistent, audited, well-documented, monitored, and cost-efficient (FinOps visibility).

Candidate Profile & Requirements

Essential Requirements:

• IaC & Azure: Solid hands-on experience provisioning and maintaining Azure infrastructure using Terraform and Bicep.
• Core Azure & Networking: In-depth knowledge of core Azure services (Compute, Storage, Key Vault) and network architecture (Hub-and-spoke, NSGs, Private Endpoints, Private DNS).
• Containers & Kubernetes: Practical hands-on experience with Kubernetes / AKS; working knowledge of Apache Airflow is a significant advantage.
• CI/CD & Source Control: Strong proficiency with GitHub and Azure DevOps (repos, actions, pipelines, release automation).
• Identity: Good working understanding of on-premises Active Directory and hybrid synchronization with Microsoft Entra ID.
• Scripting: Proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python, PowerShell, or Bash).

Desirable / Nice-to-Have:

• Relevant Microsoft Azure certifications (e.g., AZ-104, AZ-204, AZ-400, AZ-500, or SC-300).
• Experience managing or provisioning Snowflake via code.
• Familiarity with container packaging and deployment tooling (Docker, Helm).
• Awareness of Cisco Meraki networking with certificate-based authentication (802.1X / EAP-TLS).

Key Assignment Information

• Contract Type: Freelance / Contract
• IR35 Status: Outside IR35
• Location: Central London (Mayfair / City area)
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid with two days of remote per week
• Duration: 6 months initial contract (strong potential for long-term extension)
• Start Date: ASAP

How to Apply

If you match the technical stack, are looking for a high-impact role within a top-tier financial firm, please submit your updated CV along with your day rate expectations and availability.