Azure Developer | Torchora

🎯 Role Definition

The Azure Developer is a cloud-focused application engineer responsible for designing, building, deploying, and maintaining scalable, secure, and cost-efficient solutions on Microsoft Azure. This role combines cloud-native application development, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD automation, and collaboration with product and platform teams to deliver production-ready services. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with Azure services (App Services, Functions, AKS, Storage, SQL/Cosmos DB), strong development skills in C#/ .NET (or Python/Java), and a pragmatic DevOps mindset that drives automation, observability, and repeatable deployments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Cloud Engineer or Cloud Developer
Backend Developer or Full-Stack Developer with Azure exposure
DevOps Engineer transitioning to application-level cloud work

Advancement To:

Senior Azure Developer / Staff Cloud Engineer
Cloud Architect / Azure Solution Architect
Engineering Manager for Cloud Platform or Developer Experience

Lateral Moves:

Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
DevOps / Platform Engineer
Data Engineer (with focus on Azure Data Services)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, develop, and maintain cloud-native microservices and serverless applications on Azure using Azure App Services, Azure Functions, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), ensuring code quality, scalability, and resilience.
Implement and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, ARM templates or Bicep to provision and manage Azure resources in a repeatable, version-controlled manner.
Build and operate CI/CD pipelines with Azure DevOps Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or similar tools to automate build, test, and deployment workflows for multiple environments (dev, test, staging, prod).
Develop and maintain RESTful APIs and backend services using C#/.NET Core, Python, or Java that integrate with Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Blob Storage, and other platform services.
Collaborate with product owners and architects to translate business requirements into reliable cloud solutions, writing clear technical specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
Implement robust authentication and authorization using Azure Active Directory (AAD), OAuth2, role-based access control (RBAC), and managed identities to secure APIs and resources.
Optimize application performance and cost by right-sizing compute, implementing caching strategies, leveraging autoscaling, and recommending appropriate service tiers and pricing models.
Troubleshoot production issues and perform root cause analysis, applying fixes and preventive measures while documenting incidents and recovery steps.
Design and implement observability and monitoring solutions using Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, and custom telemetry to provide actionable alerts and dashboards.
Conduct code reviews, enforce coding standards, and mentor junior engineers on Azure best practices, architectural patterns, and cloud-native design principles.
Integrate third-party SaaS and PaaS services (e.g., Event Grid, Service Bus, Key Vault) and implement reliable messaging and event-driven patterns for decoupled architectures.
Create automated testing strategies including unit tests, integration tests, and infrastructure tests (e.g., Terratest) to raise quality and reduce deployment risk.
Lead or contribute to proof-of-concepts (PoCs) for new Azure technologies and platform features, evaluating technical trade-offs and operational impact.
Maintain CI/CD configuration, release notes and manage deployment strategies (blue/green, canary, feature flags) to minimize user impact during releases.
Implement backup, disaster recovery, and data retention policies for databases and storage using Azure Backup and Recovery services.
Manage secrets and keys responsibly with Azure Key Vault, including secrets rotation, access policies, and secure connection patterns for applications.
Apply containerization best practices using Docker, create Helm charts and manage Kubernetes manifests for AKS deployments.
Ensure compliance and governance by applying policies (Azure Policy), tagging strategies, and role assignments to enforce organizational standards.
Collaborate with QA, security, and operations teams to coordinate releases, run security scans, and remediate vulnerabilities in both code and dependencies.
Optimize developer workflow and onboarding by creating reusable templates, starter projects, and internal documentation or runbooks for common Azure patterns.
Drive cross-team initiatives to standardize platform components and developer experience, contributing to internal platform engineering efforts and shared libraries.
Participate in architectural decision-making, providing estimates and risk assessments for cloud projects and feature delivery.
Keep current with Azure service updates, recommended patterns, and emerging cloud technologies; propose upgrades or migration plans as needed.
Manage and mentor contractors or external vendors delivering Azure components to ensure alignment with internal standards and delivery timelines.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Document architecture diagrams, runbooks, and deployment processes to ensure knowledge transfer and operational readiness.
Assist in cloud cost reviews and chargeback reporting to provide transparency on platform expenditures.
Participate in organizational security reviews and respond to audit or compliance requests regarding Azure usage and access controls.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Azure Platform Services: App Service, Azure Functions, AKS, Azure Storage, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Service Bus, Event Grid.
Programming Languages: C#/.NET Core (preferred), Python, or Java for cloud-native service development.
Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, ARM templates or Bicep for provisioning and lifecycle management.
CI/CD and DevOps: Azure DevOps Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins for automation of build, test, and release.
Containerization & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, AKS, Helm chart development and management.
Security & Identity: Azure Active Directory, Managed Identities, RBAC, OAuth2, Key Vault.
Monitoring & Observability: Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Prometheus/Grafana (if applicable).
Databases & Storage: Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Blob Storage, data partitioning and performance tuning.
Networking & Connectivity: Virtual Networks, Load Balancers, Application Gateway, ExpressRoute/VPN fundamentals.
Scripting & Automation: PowerShell, Azure CLI, and experience writing automation scripts for deployment and maintenance.
API Design & Integration: RESTful APIs, gRPC, OpenAPI/Swagger, API Management.
Testing & Quality: Unit testing frameworks, integration testing, and IaC testing tools (e.g., Terratest).
Observability & Logging best practices and experience implementing distributed tracing.
Source Control & Collaboration: Git best practices, branching strategies, pull requests, and code review workflows.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking with an emphasis on practical, production-safe solutions.
Clear written and verbal communication suitable for technical documentation and cross-functional collaboration.
Collaboration and teamwork: experience working in agile/scrum teams with product owners, QA, and operations.
Time management and prioritization: ability to balance feature delivery, technical debt, and operational responsibilities.
Mentorship and knowledge sharing: coach junior team members and champion best practices.
Customer-focused mindset: translate user needs into feasible technical solutions and prioritize reliability.
Adaptability and continuous learning: stay up-to-date with Azure platform changes and adopt new practices quickly.
Attention to detail, especially in security, compliance, and operational runbooks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cloud Computing, or a related field, or relevant professional certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate, Azure Solutions Architect).
Professional certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, or Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Computer Science / Software Engineering
Information Technology / Cloud Engineering
Data Systems / Distributed Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7+ years building and operating cloud applications; 2–4 years specifically on Azure preferred.

Preferred:

3+ years of production experience developing and deploying applications on Microsoft Azure.
Demonstrated experience with IaC (Terraform/ARM/Bicep), CI/CD pipelines, and container orchestration (AKS).
Track record of working in cross-functional agile teams, delivering end-to-end features from design through production support.
Prior experience with cloud security best practices, observability implementations, and cost optimization strategies.
Proven examples of mentoring teammates, driving platform improvements, or leading architecture discussions.