Lead Azure DevOps

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Key Responsibilities
1. Release & Deployment Management
* Own the end-to-end release management process for our .NET/IIS-based applications and services.
* Manage and orchestrate deployments across hybrid environments (on-prem Windows Server clusters and Azure).
* Develop and maintain the release calendar, coordinating dependencies between SQL Server schema changes, application deployments, and infrastructure updates.
* Lead go/no-go meetings with a focus on validating health across IIS application pools, Windows Services, and AKS pods.
2. Process & CI/CD Pipeline Management
* Manage, optimize, and secure our Azure DevOps (Azure Pipelines) CI/CD workflows.
* Oversee the promotion of build artifacts through staging environments to production.
* Implement and enforce Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using ARM Templates and Terraform for consistent environment provisioning.
3. Operational Excellence & Systems Management
* Ensure the performance, security, and availability of our IIS web applications and Windows Server infrastructure.
* Partner with the DevOps team to manage and scale our Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters.
* Oversee database deployment processes related to SQL Server, working with DBAs/Data Engineers to manage scripts and ensure data integrity during releases.
4. Incident & Problem Management
* Act as the incident commander for production issues, coordinating efforts between development, infrastructure, and database teams.
* Utilize deep knowledge of the stack to help triage issues—from IIS logs and Windows Event Viewer to Azure Monitor, Application Insights, and Kubernetes logs.
* Drive rigorous Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for incidents and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
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Required Qualifications & Skills
* 5+ years of experience in a technical production, release, or platform management role.
* Deep, hands-on experience with the Microsoft Stack: Windows Server, IIS configuration/administration, and SQL Server.
* Proven expertise in managing Azure CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps (Azure Pipelines). Must understand build agents, YAML pipelines, and artifact management.