Cloud Operations Engineer (Azure)

Overview

Founded in 2018, Skyports is an Advanced Air Mobility company developing and operating landing infrastructure for the electric air taxi revolution, as well as using drones for a variety of business requirements.

Our business is comprised of two entities.

Skyports Drone Services where we use drone technology to enable businesses to develop their logistics, capture key data, and improve operational efficiency. We are active in the rural deliveries, survey, surveillance and maritime verticals.

Skyports Infrastructure where we play a critical role in the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem; designing, building, owning, and operating vertiports that enable eVTOL operators to take off and land in and around cities across the world.

We are positioned in a new industry where it has never been a more exciting time to be at the forefront of a modern, high-growth organisation.

Role Description

Skyports is seeking a dedicated Cloud Operations Engineer to join our team. This role focuses on the operational management, maintenance, and support of our cloud infrastructure. As a Cloud Operations Engineer, you will ensure the reliability, performance, and efficiency of our cloud systems, working closely with our platform engineering team to support and enhance our cloud environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Cloud Operations Management:
  Oversee the daily operations of our cloud infrastructure, ensuring stability, performance, and high availability. Respond to operational incidents and troubleshoot issues promptly.
• Performance Optimization:
  Monitor cloud performance metrics using tools like Azure Monitor and Grafana. Analyze performance data to identify areas for improvement and implement optimizations to enhance system efficiency.
• Proactive Monitoring and Incident Response:
  Develop and maintain monitoring systems to detect and address issues before they impact operations. Implement automated responses to common issues to minimize downtime.
• Security and Compliance:
  Manage and enforce security practices to protect the cloud environment from threats. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
• Deployment and Maintenance:
  Support deployment strategies including blue-green deployments and canary releases, focusing on maintaining system stability during updates and changes.
• Collaboration with Platform Engineers:
  Work closely with platform engineers who build cloud assets, providing operational support and ensuring seamless integration and performance of cloud resources.
• Documentation and Knowledge Sharing:
  Create and maintain documentation for cloud operations, including configuration details, procedures, and troubleshooting guidelines. Share knowledge and best practices with the team.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Identify opportunities for improving cloud operations processes and tools. Conduct regular reviews and implement enhancements to drive operational excellence.

Requirements

Skills and Competencies

• Azure Expertise:
  Extensive experience with Azure cloud services, including Azure Monitor, Azure DevOps, and other Azure-related tools. Proven ability to manage and optimize Azure-based cloud infrastructure effectively.
• Monitoring Tools Proficiency:
  Skilled in configuring and managing monitoring systems such as Azure Monitor and Grafana. Ability to set up, customize, and utilize these tools to ensure peak performance and reliability.
• Deployment Automation:
  Demonstrated expertise in implementing deployment strategies, including blue-green deployments and canary releases, with hands-on experience using Azure DevOps or similar CI/CD tools.
• Effective Collaboration:
  Adept at working with cross-functional teams, including software engineers, platform engineers, product teams, and security teams, to integrate and enhance cloud operations.
• Documentation Skills:
  Strong ability to document cloud infrastructure configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guidelines clearly and accurately.
• Continuous Learning Orientation:
  Commitment to staying current with Azure updates, emerging technologies, evolving security threats, and best practices in cloud operations and monitoring.
• Communication Abilities:
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the capability to explain complex Azure-related concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills:
  Strong analytical skills with the capability to troubleshoot and resolve issues efficiently within Azure environments, ensuring minimal disruption to services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience as a Cloud Operations Engineer or in a similar role with a strong focus on Azure.
• Deep understanding of software engineering principles, data structures, and algorithms.
• Experience with database systems (SQL or NoSQL) and ORM frameworks.
• Familiarity with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and how they integrate with Azure.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to excel in a fast-paced, agile environment and adapt to changing priorities.
• Enthusiasm for continuous learning and keeping up with the latest Azure technologies.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience with Azure in a cloud operations role.

Our Technology Stack

• Infrastructure: Azure, Terraform, Docker, Azure DevOps, GitHub, Azure Pipelines, Fortigate
• Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Grafana, Container Apps
• Data: Event Hubs (Kafka), Cosmos DB (Postgres), Synapse Analytics, Apache Spark
• Languages: Golang, React, JavaScript, PowerShell, Python

Attributes

Motivation

• A highly motivated, proactive, self-starter who likes a challenge and has the ingenuity and resilience to find the right solution for a problem.

Communication

• Excellent written and oral communication skills to maximise the impact of our documentation, and to build strong networks and relationships.

Team Player

• A strong team player who can work collaboratively with team members internally and externally.

Safety

• Embodies a safety-first approach.

Problem Solver

• Ability to problem solve on the fly; someone who can ask the questions that have not been asked and can find the answers too.

Flexible

• Embraces opportunities to learn new skills and take on new tasks whenever they arise.

Complexity

• Ability to quickly master complex, technical issues and to translate them where necessary into simple

Committed

• A strong interest in and commitment to help achieve the successful introduction of advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions into mainstream society.

Benefits

Why work for Skyports

We work on the basis of trust and partnership here at Skyports. As a new and emerging business, we aim to support our team members where we can to make working life as fun, productive and engaging as possible. Joining our team, you can expect to benefit from:

• A fair market competitive salary
• The opportunity to receive equity as we grow.
• Unlimited holiday: we don’t put limits on success.
• Statutory pension contributions
• The opportunity to work with a business that is trying to make our world a better place to live.
• A strong company culture.
• Working on the forefront of new technologies

Skyports is committed to promoting equality and eliminating unlawful discrimination, and we are aiming to achieve diversity in the range of people we involve. You do not have to answer any diversity questions should you not wish to, and we understand that some of this information is personal and sensitive in nature. However, gathering this data helps us to know if we are succeeding in involving different groups of people, and to change our approach if some groups are not represented.