Cloud Automation Engineer- Remote

Founded in 1989, Thorlabs seeks to accelerate the forward movement of scientific discovery and advancement! As a vertically integrated manufacturer of photonics components, instruments, and systems, our vast product portfolio includes over 20,000 items, ranging from optics and optomechanical positioning components to imaging systems, many of which are customer inspired.

Photonics is the foremost technology driving innovation in science and engineering. As the number of technological innovations has grown, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to play an ever increasing role serving the Photonics Industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments.

Headquartered in Newton, NJ, Thorlabs has grown to over Approximately 2,300 employees with manufacturing and sales offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, China, and Brazil. As light-based technologies push into new markets, Thorlabs plans to enter early with the products and services required to ensure the ultimate success of our customers.

The Cloud Automation Engineer is a key contributor to our digital transformation by designing and managing the cloud automation platforms for our digital services.

This position will provide automation subject matter expertise and direction on complex projects/initiatives by functioning as an automation lead in the architecture design, planning, delivery of enterprise cloud platforms leveraging Azure, Power Platform, and D365 automation that create and maintain services that support our platform environments as well as business process automation that leverage the Microsoft portfolio of tools, utilities, or custom code.

And includes hands-on development of automation to facilitate provisioning, reporting, metrics, or remediation of services in the cloud, with audit trails of work completed, and automated “undo” functionality. Develop scripting in various toolsets to pull data out of the cloud platforms for metric reporting, or to develop scripting to build / revise platform services in the cloud.

Essential Job Functions include the following, but are not limited to:

• Build and maintain automation for deployment, monitoring, and operations to streamline both business automation and cloud core platform services
• Collaborate with Web, IT, Site, Security, Enterprise App teams to ensure smooth deployment and operation of automation systems.
• Build/utilize ADO to orchestrate provisioning and deployment of automation services
• Review and influence new and evolving design, architecture, standards, and methods for automation services
• Automate Identity and Access management in Azure, D365, and M365 cloud platforms for enabling and services to support our “Zero Trust” strategy
• Provide “Tier 3” support to resolve escalated, complex problems, as needed in this area
• Maintains knowledge and understanding of current and emerging technologies, equipment, and systems
• Work with platform architects (Cloud CoE) to define components responsibilities, plan components evolution, and ensure components will meet platform automation needs
• Develop pre and post technical design and support documentation
• Develop/maintain automation tools including runbooks to monitor and update platform health, costs, and reliability
• Ensure services availability and continuity through proper response to threat incidents and requests
• Mentor, coach, train less experienced engineers, technicians, and integrators as well as review documentation, proposals, and changes proposed by less experienced staff.
• Provide recommendations on evaluation, selection, implementation and maintenance of automation elements and strategy, ensuring optimal investment and benefits
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues in development, test, and production environments.
• Communicate status and risks to the service-support teams (Web, IT, Site, Security, Enterprise App).

The Company retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Thorlabs values its diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts.  The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Qualifications

• Minimum experience requires 5+ years in IT and 3+ yrs. as a Cloud Automation Engineer
• Deep understanding of Microsoft Azure IAAS, PAAS and SAAS solutions along with cloud native design patterns and DevOps principles (Infrastructure as Code) – certifications preferred – 3+ yrs.
• Experience in DevOps (Azure DevOps) and GitOps models with a strong proficiency in translating designs into fully developed infra-as-code, config-as-code, policy-as-code, etc.
• Experience in programming and infra-automation tools –Runbooks, logic apps, ARM, Blueprints, etc..2+ yrs.
• Experience in Cloud  monitoring, and observability tools – 4+ yrs.
• Must be proficient in PowerShell, Bash, KQL with BICEP desirable – 3+ yrs.
• Experience with Container technologies (Kubernetes, Docker) a definite plus
• Experience leveraging Microsoft UI automation framework a definite plus
• Experience with the automation of key governance processes (Azure Policy, Role Based Access Control, Networking Architectures, Cost Management controls, etc.) 2+ yrs.
• Strong analytical and design skills including the ability to understand business requirements and translate into technical design
• Excellent problem management skills with the ability to quickly identify and document the root cause
• Excellent communication skills and collaboration skills and the ability to work remotely with a global team

Education:

• Minimum of a 4-year degree in Computer Science or a related discipline

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Willing to support/work off hours and weekends and travel internationally.
• Willingness and ability to take initiative and the desire to continually take on additional responsibilities.