Platform Engineer (Azure)

Job description

Platform Engineer (Azure), Boulder, CO (Hybrid or Remote) The Platform Engineer is responsible for the design, build, and day-to-day operation of Ascend Analytics' Azure cloud platform, working in conjunction with the Senior Platform Engineer to support production and development environments for PowerSIMM, PowerVAL, SmartBidder, BatterySIMM, and Market Intelligence. This role sits at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and identity/security administration. An individual in this position will partner closely with Development, Model Support, and client-facing teams to deliver reliable hosted environments, support the ongoing migration of clients from on-premises hosting into Azure, and help maintain the company's security and compliance posture. A successful Platform Engineer should have strong hands-on Azure skills, a habit of automating and documenting everything they build, and the communication skills to work effectively with both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders. Our Mission @ Ascend At Ascend Analytics, our mission centers on creating sustainable economic value for energy buyers and producers to transform the power industry. Our team combines advanced analytics, cloud-based technology, and deep market expertise to help our clients solve complex challenges across grid reliability, power market volatility, renewable integration, infrastructure development, and energy investment strategy. As a high-growth, private equity–backed company, Ascend continues to expand its market leadership while investing in innovation, talent, and scalable solutions for an increasingly dynamic energy market. Your Impact @ Ascend Real influence. Real outcomes. At every level. High-impact work. Shape the tools and decisions that drive the clean energy transition. Direct exposure. Work alongside executive leadership and key utility and corporate clients. Room to grow. A rapidly scaling SaaS business with real advancement opportunities. Collaborative culture. A team that values creative thought, inclusion, and work-life balance. Key Responsibilities Design, deploy, and maintain Azure resources, including virtual machines, App Services and deployment slots, container apps, batch accounts, storage accounts, file shares, and key vaults. Build and maintain Azure networking, including VNets and subnets, site-to-site and point-to-site VPN, private endpoints, NAT gateways for static IP requirements, and Front Door routing. Develop and maintain infrastructure as code with Terraform, delivered through Azure DevOps pipelines. Configure and manage Azure Virtual Desktop host pools, images, scale plans, auto-shutdown policies, and published applications for analyst and developer workstations. Maintain VM backup, monitoring, and alerting coverage across development and production environments. Build and maintain Azure DevOps pipelines for application build, versioned deployment, and environment promotion, including service connections, self-hosted agents, and federated identity credentials. Support development teams in moving build and test workloads from legacy on-premises environments into Azure. Administer Entra ID, including user and group provisioning, conditional access, MFA, SSO integrations, and app registrations, with automated monitoring of expiring secrets and certificates. Manage Privileged Identity Management role eligibility, access reviews, and approval of elevation requests. Administer role-based access and permissions for client-facing platforms and resolve customer authentication and MFA issues escalated through the IT case queue. Deploy and maintain endpoint security tooling, including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Provide evidence, control descriptions, and technical clarification for SOC 2 Type II audits and customer security assessments and advise on audit scope for newly production-hosted systems. Support client onboarding and migration activities, including storage access, VPN connectivity, and third-party integrations. Serve as an escalation point for platform-related incidents affecting internal users and hosted clients. Produce and maintain network diagrams and platform documentation, keep hosting documentation current as environments change, and lead internal cross-training sessions on Azure architecture. Provide weekly status reporting on priorities, progress, and blockers. Key Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field. Azure certifications: AZ-104 or similar intermediate level required . 4+ years in cloud platform, DevOps, or infrastructure engineering, with at least 3 years hands-on in Microsoft Azure. Strong working knowledge of Azure IaaS and PaaS: VMs, App Services, Storage, Key Vault, Container Apps, Azure Batch. Strong working knowledge of Terraform and infrastructure-as-code practices . Demonstrated Azure networking experience: VNet design, VPN gateways, private endpoints, NAT, DNS, and firewall rules. Hands-on Entra ID administration: conditional access, MFA, SSO, app registrations, PIM. Proficiency with PowerShell and KQL for automation and reporting. Experience building CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps. Ability to write clear technical documentation and communicate with non-technical stakeholders. Certifications: AZ-104 or any similar intermediate level certificate. Preferred Experience supporting a SOC 2 Type II audit cycle. Azure Virtual Desktop administration at scale. Bicep infrastructure-as-code experience. Power BI Embedded capacity management. Oracle Database or Autonomous Database on Azure. Background supporting SaaS products in energy, utilities, or another regulated industry. Expert Certifications: AZ-305, AZ-400, or SC-300. Our Values @ Ascend Ascend Analytics promotes a culture of teamwork, inclusion, work-life balance, creative thought, and learned ideas. We operate by five core pillars: Integrity: We act with honesty and uphold the highest ethical standards, doing the right thing even when it's difficult. Purpose Driven: We are united by a shared purpose — to deliver meaningful impact for our customers, our industry, and the energy transition to a low carbon future. Belonging: We foster a respectful, inclusive environment where everyone is valued, diverse perspectives are embraced, and equitable opportunities are provided for all. Innovation: We anticipate and address new challenges, embracing change and continuous improvement One Team Mindset: We collaborate across teams and functions, supporting one another and prioritizing shared success over individual wins. Your Value @ Ascend We offer competitive compensation — calibrated to your experience and structured to grow with you — along with a comprehensive benefits package: Medical, dental, and vision coverage. Life and disability insurance. Parental leave for growing families. FSA, HSA, and dependent care accounts. 401(k) with 3% non-elective contribution. Flexible PTO to take time when you need it. Join a team that values your work, supports your growth, and invests in your future! We offer a competitive salary range of $85,000–$115, 000 USD Annually . Compensation is flexible and will be tailored to your experience and background — we're proud to offer pay that is often above industry average. But the perks don’t stop there — we’re committed to creating a workplace where people can do meaningful work, grow their careers, and still have a life outside the office. You’ll enjoy flexible work hours, a collaborative environment, and real opportunities for advancement. Collaboration is in our DNA, and we thrive on the energy of working together — the spontaneous ideas, face-to-face teamwork, and culture you can only build in a room. But we also value the focus and freedom that remote flexibility brings. That's why our Boulder, CO office runs on a hybrid schedule (3 days in-office, 2 days remote). We prefer candidates who can work from Boulder HQ, though we're open to strong remote candidates as well. Need accommodations? Contact us at . Ascend Analytics is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive environment for all employees regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, or genetic information. Note: We regret that we are currently unable to offer visa sponsorship.