Sr. Azure Cybersecurity Lead

Lead Azure Cloud Security Engineer

Remote Contract | ~ $90/Hour

*** No C2C!!- W2 ONLY
- Open to GC and USC candidates only

Position Overview We are seeking a hands‑on Lead Azure Cloud Security Engineer to support a major Azure Cloud Modernization initiative within a highly regulated federal environment. This role will focus on cloud security engineering, monitoring, infrastructure hardening, automated remediation, and compliance readiness within a FedRAMP High and FISMA High environment. The ideal candidate will have 5–7 years of cybersecurity experience, strong hands‑on expertise with Microsoft Azure security tools, and experience supporting federal compliance requirements.

This is a technical leadership role requiring deep experience with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Kusto Query Language (KQL), and Azure security configurations.

• Configure and maintain Microsoft Sentinel and Log Analytics Work spaces for cloud security monitoring.
• Develop and optimize KQL queries and Sentinel analytic rules to identify security threats, vulnerabilities, and configuration issues.
• Build automated incident response workflows using Azure Logic Apps, Sentinel Playbooks, and Automation Rules.
• Configure data connectors, Azure Monitor Agent (AMA), and Data Collection Rules (DCRs) to collect and centralize security logs.
• Utilize Microsoft Defender for Cloud to monitor security posture, identify vulnerabilities, and remediate compliance gaps.
• Implement security hardening standards, including CIS Benchmarks and STIG configurations, across Azure infrastructure and containerized environments.
• Support FedRAMP High, FISMA High, and NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 compliance assessments.
• Gather and analyze security evidence, audit logs, and system configuration data to support third‑party audits.
• Identify and remediate vulnerabilities, security findings, and open POA&M items.
• Work within an Agile/Scrum environment to deliver security engineering tasks, participate in sprint planning, and manage technical deliverables.
• Integrate security tooling, vulnerability scanning, and compliance checks into Azure Dev Ops or Git Hub CI/CD pipelines.

• 5–7 years of hands‑on cybersecurity experience, preferably focused on cloud security engineering, vulnerability management, and security monitoring.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, KQL, and Data Collection Rules (DCRs).
• Hands‑on experience with Azure security configurations, including Virtual Networks, RBAC, and Microsoft Entra .
• Experience supporting or remediating environments preparing for FedRAMP or FISMA compliance assessments.
• Knowledge of NIST SP 800-53 security controls and federal compliance requirements.
• Experience with Azure Monitor Agent, Log Analytics Work spaces, and cloud log ingestion.
• Experience working in an Agile/Scrum engineering environment.

• Experience with Azure Logic Apps, Sentinel Playbooks, and security automation.
• Familiarity with ASIM parsers, Log Analytics Workbooks, and threat hunting.
• Experience implementing CIS Benchmarks and STIG security configurations.
• Knowledge of Azure Policy, Power Shell, Bicep, Terraform, or Ansible.
• Experience integrating security controls into CI/CD pipelines.

• Microsoft Certified:
  Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200)
• Microsoft Certified:
  Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
• Microsoft Certified:
  Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)
• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
• CompTIA Security+ or SSCP
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or SAFe Practitioner

*** No C2C!!- W2 ONLY
- Open to GC and USC candidates only