Cloud Engineer

Cloud Engineer (Microsoft Azure & M365)

Location: Hybrid (approx. 2 days per week onsite in Central London)
Contract Type: Inside IR35
Day Rate: Up to £400 per day

About the Role

An international non-governmental organisation is looking for a skilled Cloud Engineer to join their IT Directorate on an interim contract. This role focuses on supporting the management, optimisation, and security of enterprise cloud infrastructure and Microsoft 365 environments.

The ideal candidate will combine strong systems administration expertise with hands-on cloud engineering skills, taking ownership of technical initiatives, infrastructure transformation, and 2nd/3rd line operational improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure: Own the administration, performance, and scaling of Microsoft Azure and hybrid cloud environments, managing cloud networking, storage, compute, and identity services.

• Microsoft 365 Engineering: Deliver day-to-day administration and complex troubleshooting for Exchange Online and SharePoint Online (mailboxes, mail flow, permissions, sites, document libraries), alongside Teams, OneDrive, Entra ID, and Intune.

• Systems Management: Administer Windows and Linux server environments, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, and VPN technologies. Oversee patching, lifecycle management, and backup/disaster recovery solutions.

• Security & Compliance: Implement cloud security best practices, manage MFA, Conditional Access policies, endpoint security, privileged access controls, and support security audits (aligned with frameworks like ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials).

• Automation & Optimisation: Write and maintain automation scripts using PowerShell and Bash to improve operational efficiency, supporting Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support & Knowledge Transfer: Provide 2nd and 3rd line technical support, maintain monitoring/alerting systems, produce technical documentation/SOPs, and provide knowledge transfer to internal IT staff.

Required Skills & Experience

• Extensive professional experience in a Systems Administrator or Cloud Infrastructure role.

• Strong, hands-on technical experience with:

  • Microsoft Azure and hybrid cloud configurations.

  • Broad Microsoft 365 administration (expert-level Exchange Online and SharePoint Online capability).

  • Windows Server administration, Active Directory, Entra ID, and Intune / Endpoint Manager.

  • Core networking principles (firewalls, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP).

• Proven scripting and automation skills using PowerShell (Bash and Terraform are highly desirable).

• Experience with virtualisation platforms (VMware/Hyper-V), backup/disaster recovery solutions, and security monitoring tools.

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and analytical problem-solving abilities.

• Relevant certifications (such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate / Solutions Architect Expert, CompTIA Security+, ITIL, or equivalent) are advantageous.