Azure & AI Modern Infrastructure Engineer

Right now the team defaults to spinning up Windows or Linux VMs when Azure-native PaaS services should be handling that work. Azure App Services are underutilized. Azure VDI needs optimization. Infrastructure as code has not been started. Internal scripting and automation barely exists.

At the same time, the development team is moving into AI pipeline work and needs a real infrastructure partner - not a ticket queue. Copilot governance is being scoped from scratch. MCP integrations, Snowflake Cortex, and several vendor AI tools are on the roadmap.

What You Will Do

Identify where the team is defaulting to VMs and replace them with the right Azure-native or PaaS alternatives

Own Azure VDI optimization and Azure App Services improvements - two specific gaps already known

Support the active Intune rollout for device management and redeployment with hands-on execution

Build internal scripting and automation capability from the ground up - PowerShell baseline required, Python a plus

Lead Copilot governance scoping and rollout; design the guardrails before the firm goes anywhere near it

Execute AI integrations currently on the whiteboard: MCP connections, Snowflake Cortex, and external vendor AI into the environment

Act as the infrastructure partner for the dev team's AI pipeline buildout - hands-on help, not handoffs

Drive the move toward infrastructure as code; Terraform and automated pipelines are not in use today - this hire starts that journey

Serve as the security voice in project rooms - the program is solid, this is about mindset and controls embedded in motion

Handle conventional infrastructure as needed: servers, storage, backup, networking - stable and light-touch

The Environment

Nearly all Azure: VDI, M365, identity, App Services. Small VMware footprint on-prem for domain controllers only

SQL Server largely replaced by Snowflake - that is where the data work lives

Dev workloads in Azure; infrastructure manages the servers, developers own the applications

Linux is minimal - a few application-specific servers, mostly command-line maintenance

Scripting and automation: almost nothing built internally today - this is a gap you close

IaC: Terraform not in use, pipelines mostly manual - modernization begins with this hire

Network is stable: routers, switches, and firewalls are set-and-forget; not a focus of this role

Copilot rollout in governance and scoping phase - guardrails are being designed now

Intune rollout already in progress - this person is involved from day one

Collaborative team culture; everyone pitches in on help desk, including the CTO, Willing to work in-office 3 days per week in Midtown NYC; Greenwich, CT location available one day per week if needed

What This Role Is Not

A conventional Windows or VM maintenance job - you are here to improve things, not simply support them

A specialist track - networking is light, and security is a mindset woven through the work, not the whole job

A high-pressure hedge fund grind - wealth management hours, 3-day office schedule, no 1am logins

Do you have experience in Shell Scripting?, Proven Azure deployment history - real production environments, not just lab work or certifications alone

Cloud-first instincts: your default is the right Azure-native service, not a new VM

Hands-on scripting and automation skills - PowerShell required, Python a plus

The ability to communicate clearly from a CEO's office to a developer's standup without changing who you are

Experience in a regulated or compliance-driven environment where security controls, audit trails, and data governance are enforced - financial services background strongly preferred

Solid fundamentals across networking, server, and security; prior hands-on, on-premises experience before going cloud-native

Intune experience for endpoint management and device compliance - hands-on preferred

No ego. Collaborative. Here for the opportunity, not the title

The CTO sees this hire carrying real influence over where infrastructure grows. As the firm scales, technology pillars are converging. The right person finds their opportunity: infrastructure leadership, data and analytics, or even a CISO track as the firm reaches the scale that calls for one.

This role is for someone who says: "I want to learn everything, prove myself, and be rewarded for it" - not someone who wants pure architecture or just people management.

Pay: $65.00 - $70.00 per hour