Senior Systems Cloud Engineer

Contract to Hire position (6-months)   Client requires ALL candidates to be US Citizen or Green Card Holder (Perm Resident) Seeking a skilled and experienced Sr. System/Cloud engineer. The ideal candidate will manage and maintain our Microsoft Windows systems, endpoint security, and cloud infrastructure. **Key requirements and responsibilities for this role:** * Design, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure on platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. * Design, implement, and maintain on-premises and hybrid IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking. * Proficient in managing and maintaining Active Directory, including creating and managing security groups. * Experienced in implementing and troubleshooting Group Policy Objects for efficient system configuration. * Monitor system performance and apply updates, patches, and upgrades as needed. * Experience with Microsoft Office, Office365, Active Directory, File Clusters, and Print Servers. * Previous knowledge of implementation of Zero-Trust architecture. * Extensive experience in optimizing virtual resources to enhance overall system performance. * Experience interpreting, writing, and debugging PowerShell scripts for automation. **Responsibilities:** * Implement cloud-native solutions, including containerized applications and microservices architectures. * Maintain Operating System baselines for Windows Servers and Workstations. * Implement, install, configure, monitor, troubleshoot, and evaluate Microsoft Windows operating systems. * Install, upgrade/patch, monitor, troubleshoot, and perform configuration management. * Implement hardened settings to improve the security posture of endpoints. * Restrict the use of local admin accounts and implement the least privilege principle. * Provide support to technical staff in diagnosing and correcting system-related failures. * Determine logical solutions to complex system administration and application problems. * Implement and manage disaster recovery strategies. * Configure and maintain replication processes for critical systems. **Minimum Qualifications (Required)** ·        Bachelor's (BS) degree in computer science, management information systems, or a related field. ·        10 years of relevant experience with Microsoft Windows server operating systems, Active Directory, Group Policies, Cyber Security, and TCP/IP networking. **Preferred Qualifications (Optional but Strongly Encouraged)** ·        Certification in a related field (e.g., CompTIA Security+, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-104), Microsoft Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert (MCSE)). ·        Microsoft Azure certification (AZ-900, AZ-104) is a plus. **Desired Skills (Bonus, Not Required)** ·        Working knowledge of security controls (e.g., NIST, CIS Benchmarks). ·        Familiarity with Cloud technologies such as Office 365, Azure AD, and Identity & Access Management (IAM). **Benefits and Perks** \[Add information regarding benefits and perks here\]