Principal & Microsoft 365 Cloud Engineer

WHO WE LOOK FOR

An SEI-er is a master communicator and active listener who understands how to navigate an audience. Self-aware, almost to a fault, SEI-ers keenly understand how to adjust their support and problem solving based on the situation. Following a logical, fact-based approach, SEI-ers possess the superior ability to see correlations others may not, ask the right questions and drive solutions. 

As super-connectors, they connect not only people, but data, trends and experiences. Mature, humble, and genuine, SEI-ers frequently go above and beyond for both their clients and their colleagues. SEI-ers are ethical and trustworthy individuals who consistently and repeatedly follow through, and hold true to their values in difficult situations. SEI-ers have an insatiable curiosity and love to learn. These individuals are commonly tech savvy and early adopters. Their passion for learning is infectious and excites others. As every project is different, an SEI-er must be adaptable and comfortable with unexpected situations. SEI-ers define ambition differently. They are authentic, low-maintenance individuals who truly enjoy one another- they like to hang out with colleagues outside of work, collaborate and hold one another accountable. SEI-ers enjoy working with genuine, thoughtful folks who want to steer clear of the traditional grind and share the joy of day-to-day life and activities with colleagues, friends, and family. 

Positon Summary

We are seeking a Principal Cloud & Microsoft 365 Engineer to serve as the most senior, hands-on technical role in a small, high-impact IT and platform team.

This role sits at the left-most position in a 3-person shift-left model and is responsible for:

• Defining what “good” looks like across Azure and Microsoft 365
• Designing and directly implementing secure, scalable solutions
• Cleaning up and modernizing existing environments
• Establishing standards that the team executes against

This is a builder-first role — you will architect, configure, deploy, and remediate systems yourself, while guiding a mid-level engineer and helpdesk support.

What Makes This Role Unique

• You are the senior-most technical authority, but not a people manager
• You are hands-on daily across identity, cloud, security, and endpoints
• You are accountable for getting it done, not just designing it
• You mentor and guide, but do not formally manage
• You operate in a lean team, so breadth and execution matter

Core Responsibilities

1. Architecture + Hands-On Implementation

• Define target-state architecture across:
• Azure environments
• Microsoft 365 ecosystem
• Identity and access systems
• Directly implement:
• Configurations
• Integrations
• Security controls
• Translate architecture into working, production-ready systems

1. Environment Cleanup & Modernization

• Assess current environments and identify:
• Misconfigurations
• Security gaps
• Redundant or unused resources
• Execute remediation:
• Subscription and tenant restructuring
• Identity and access cleanup
• Removal of legacy or insecure configurations

 

1. Azure Platform Engineering (Hands-On)

• Build and manage:
• Subscriptions, resource groups, governance
• Virtual machines, networking, DNS
• API configurations and integrations
• Implement:
• Environment segmentation (dev/test/prod)
• Cost and billing controls
• Configure:
• Secrets management
• SSL/TLS certificate lifecycle

1. Identity & Access (Execution + Design)

• Implement and maintain:
• SSO, MFA, Conditional Access
• SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect integrations
• Enterprise application onboarding
• Configure and operate:
• PIM (Privileged Identity Management)
• PAM models and least-privilege access

1. Microsoft 365 Security & Endpoint Management

• Configure and manage:
• Intune (device and endpoint management)
• Microsoft Defender suite
• Microsoft Purview (data governance)
• eDiscovery and retention policies
• Ensure alignment with security and compliance expectations

1. Threat & Vulnerability Management

• Operate vulnerability management processes
• Use Defender and related tools to:
• Identify risks
• Prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities
• Continuously improve security posture

1. Shift-Left Execution

• Act as the left-most engineer:
• Define standards
• Build initial implementations
• Enable others to follow
• Ensure everything built is:
• Secure
• Repeatable
• Supportable

1. Mentorship (Non-Manager)

• Guide and support:
• Mid-level engineer (Level 2)
• Helpdesk / Level 1 support
• Provide:
• Technical direction
• Review of work
• Best practices
• Help elevate team capability without formal management responsibility

Required Experience

• 10–15+ years in cloud, infrastructure, or security engineering
• Deep, hands-on expertise across:
• Microsoft Azure
• Microsoft 365 ecosystem
• Entra ID (Azure AD)
• Proven ability to:
• Build and fix real-world environments
• Work independently in small teams
• Balance architecture with execution

Technical Expertise

Azure

• Subscriptions, RBAC, governance
• Virtual machines, networking, DNS
• API configurations and integrations
• Cost and billing management

Identity & Access

• SSO, MFA, Conditional Access
• SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect
• PIM / PAM

Security & Compliance

• Microsoft Defender suite
• Microsoft Purview
• eDiscovery

Endpoint Management

• Microsoft Intune

Security Foundations

• Secrets management
• Certificate lifecycle management
• Vulnerability management
• Zero Trust principles

Preferred Qualifications

• Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Microsoft Security certifications (SC-100, SC-300)
• Experience with Terraform, Bicep, or ARM
• Experience in lean or startup-like IT environments
• Exposure to SOC 2 / ISO 27001 or regulated environments

What Success Looks Like

• You personally transform environments from messy to clean
• You implement solutions that are secure and repeatable
• You reduce risk while improving operational efficiency
• You enable others to support what you build
• You become the go-to expert for Azure and Microsoft 365

Why This Role Matters

This role is critical to establishing a secure, scalable foundation for SEI as it evolves into a more modern, cloud-first, and product-oriented organization.

You are the person who ensures:

• Systems are built correctly the first time
• Environments are clean, secure, and manageable
• The team can operate effectively at scale

 

 

Systems Evolution, Inc. (SEI) is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law