[Remote] Senior Cloud Engineer I

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization focused on behavioral and social science research. They are seeking a Senior Cloud Engineer I to lead the design and administration of Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, ensuring secure and optimized cloud collaboration and identity platforms for a diverse workforce.ResponsibilitiesDesign, configure, and administer Microsoft 365 services including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, Copilot, and related security/compliance featuresAdminister and harden Entra ID (Azure AD), including conditional access, identity protection, app registrations, and role‑based access controlOwn Exchange Online configuration: mail flow, transport rules, connectors, policies, hybrid connectivity (if applicable), and advanced troubleshooting of mail delivery issuesUse Kusto Query Language (KQL) in tools such as Microsoft 365 Defender, Purview, and Log Analytics to investigate incidents, identify patterns, and develop detection queries and reportsCollaborate with security and networking teams to implement and maintain security baselines, DLP, retention, eDiscovery, and auditing across the M365 environmentDevelop and maintain automation, scripts, and integrations using PowerShell and Microsoft Graph API to streamline administration, reporting, and provisioningContribute to CI/CD and infrastructure‑as‑code practices (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub) for Microsoft 365 configuration and related workloadsWork with containerized and cloud workloads (e.g., Kubernetes) where they integrate with M365/Entra for identity, security, or application accessLead complex incident response and root‑cause analysis for M365 and identity‑related outages or security eventsProduce and maintain technical documentation, standards, runbooks, and architectural diagrams for Microsoft 365 and Entra servicesMentor junior administrators and provide guidance on best practices, governance, and operational excellenceSkillsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline and at least 9 years of relevant experience in the IT industry, or a master's degree with at least 7 years of relevant experience, or at least 15 years of relevant industry experienceAt least 5 years experience of hands‑on administration experience with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID in a mid‑ to large‑enterprise environmentEffective communicator with demonstrated ability to communicate with and understand the needs of both technical and non-technical internal and external clientsDemonstrated ability to work well independently, and collaboratively as neededAdept in a fast-paced environment to manage multiple concurrent deliveriesDemonstrated analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with a focus on detail and high qualityDemonstrated expert‑level experience with Exchange Online: mail flow troubleshooting, advanced transport configuration, security and compliance policies, and integration with third‑party servicesStrong experience using KQL in Microsoft 365 Defender, Sentinel, or Log Analytics to query logs, create custom detections, and analyze security or operational eventsDeep understanding of identity and access concepts: SSO, OAuth/OIDC, federation, conditional access, MFA, and privileged identity managementProficiency with PowerShell for automation, bulk operations, and configuration management in Microsoft 365 and Entra IDSolid knowledge of security, compliance, and governance capabilities in M365 (e.g., DLP, retention, eDiscovery, audit, safe links/attachments)Exposure to Azure DevOps, GitHub, or similar tools to manage scripts, pipelines, and infrastructure‑as‑code definitions for Microsoft 365Familiarity with container platforms (e.g., Kubernetes/AKS) and how they integrate with Entra ID for identity and access controlPassion for the craft with a demonstrated ability to learn and understand the technology both at a high level and at a detailed levelExperience using Microsoft Graph API for automation, integration, and advanced reporting scenarios is preferred, but not requiredExperience with Microsoft Sentinel or similar SIEM platforms for M365 and Entra monitoring and analytics is preferred, but not requiredExperience with the Varonis platform, AWS, and/or Google Workspace is preferred, but not requiredCompany OverviewAn independent, not-for-profit corporation which performs basic and applied research It was founded in 1946, and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is http://www.air.org/.Company H1B SponsorshipAmerican Institutes for Research has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 12 in 2025, 21 in 2024, 12 in 2023, 29 in 2022, 33 in 2021, 37 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.