Windows, Azure, Virtualization Engineer

Location: Suitland, MD – Local candidates preferred; hybrid/on-site as needed. Primary location: REMOTE
Schedule: Supports East Coast business hours, 6:00 AM–3:00 PM ET
Salary: Starting at $122,000

Position Summary

Windows, Azure, Virtualization Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, securing, and maintaining enterprise Windows infrastructure, cloud environments, and virtualization platforms. This role requires hands-on experience with Windows Server administration, Microsoft cloud technologies, virtual machines (VMs), and Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM).

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in modernizing and securing Windows environments, managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) through advanced change control and governance processes, and supporting cloud-based and hybrid infrastructure. Responsibilities include infrastructure optimization, automation, system migrations, security hardening, and troubleshooting complex technical issues across on-premises, virtualized, and cloud environments.

This position requires a hands-on technical professional who can work independently, collaborate with cross-functional IT teams, and provide technical guidance to junior team members. Local candidates must be available to work on-site as needed, typically two days per week.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Windows Infrastructure & Advanced Group Policy Management

• Design, implement, administer, and maintain enterprise Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and file services.
• Administer and manage Group Policy Objects (GPOs), including policy creation, configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and optimization.
• Implement and manage Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), including controlled change management, version control, approval workflows, auditing, and rollback of Group Policy changes.
• Troubleshoot complex Active Directory, Group Policy, authentication, and Windows configuration issues across enterprise environments.
• Manage Windows operating system deployments, patching, upgrades, configuration standards, and lifecycle maintenance.
• Administer Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM/MECM), Windows Autopilot, and Microsoft Entra ID as applicable to the environment.
• Develop and maintain PowerShell scripts to automate infrastructure administration, configuration, reporting, and operational tasks.

Cloud Infrastructure & Virtualization

• Design, configure, administer, and optimize virtualized infrastructure, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and cloud-hosted virtual machines.
• Support Microsoft Azure infrastructure services, including virtual machines, networking, storage, identity integration, monitoring, and security.
• Manage VM provisioning, configuration, performance monitoring, capacity planning, patching, and lifecycle management.
• Support hybrid infrastructure integrating on-premises Windows environments with Microsoft Azure and other cloud services.
• Troubleshoot VM performance, resource allocation, availability, connectivity, and operating system issues.
• Participate in cloud migration, infrastructure modernization, and workload optimization initiatives.
• Implement and maintain backup, recovery, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions for virtualized and cloud environments.
• Identify opportunities to improve scalability, reliability, security, and operational efficiency through cloud and virtualization technologies.

Windows Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain Windows security controls, including AGPM/GPO security configurations, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Servers, BitLocker, and Windows Firewall.
• Apply security baselines, hardening standards, least-privilege access, multifactor authentication, and identity management controls.
• Monitor vulnerabilities, security events, and configuration compliance; coordinate remediation and corrective actions.
• Maintain secure configuration and change management practices for Windows servers, endpoints, virtual machines, and cloud resources.
• Support security assessments, audits, compliance reviews, and incident response activities in coordination with cybersecurity teams.
• Ensure infrastructure configurations align with organizational security policies and applicable compliance requirements.

**Infrastructure Operations & Technical Leadersh…