Senior Consultant (AVD)

About Doherty Associates

Doherty Associates (DA) has delivered IT solutions for over 30 years to world-renowned, international clients. We deliver a broad range of consulting and managed services to a highly loyal and expanding client base. We specialise in risk-focused sectors, including capital markets and legal, where security capability and service quality are highly valued. We are a highly accredited Microsoft partner with four Solutions Partner Designations, ISO27001, ISO9001 and Cyber Essentials Plus and operate a multi-geographic 24/7 support service. Our customers rely on us to bring specialist expertise and innovation across cloud solutions, hybrid working, modern workplace, data and BI, cyber security, governance and compliance. We have built a reputation as a company that keeps its promises and delivers quality.

About The Role

This is a technically advanced, hands-on senior consulting role that will best suit an experienced technical professional, with experience of designing and delivering enterprise-grade Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) solutions.

The role requires consultative approach and the ability to translate customer objectives into secure, scalable and operationally supportable cloud solutions.

You will work across the full project lifecycle, from discovery, assessment and design through to implementation, testing, transition and operational handover.

The role is primarily focused on AVD workloads but will also require strong working knowledge across Entra ID, Azure infrastructure and networking, FSLogix, automation and DevOps infrastructure-as-code practices.

You will act as the subject matter expert with enterprise customers, supporting workshops, presales activity, stakeholder engagement and delivery governance.

Responsibilities

Technical Delivery

• Design, deploy and optimise enterprise Azure Virtual Desktop environments, including host pools, session hosts, application delivery, profiles, image management and operational handover.
• Translate customer requirements into secure, scalable and supportable AVD designs aligned to Microsoft best practice, customer governance and operational requirements.
• Implement and integrate core supporting services, including Entra ID, Conditional Access, identity integration, Azure networking, routing, DNS, private connectivity and security controls.
• Configure and troubleshoot FSLogix profile solutions, storage dependencies, access controls and performance considerations for multi-user virtual desktop environments.
• Deliver Azure infrastructure components using IaaS services, including virtual machines, storage, backup, monitoring, logging and enterprise landing-zone principles where applicable.
• Use PowerShell and automation to improve repeatability, reduce manual configuration and support consistent deployment and operational standards.
• Contribute to DevOps and infrastructure-as-code approaches using tools such as Bicep, Terraform, Azure DevOps or GitHub, where appropriate to customer requirements.
• Plan, test and execute deployments, migrations and service transitions, ensuring risks, dependencies and change impacts are clearly managed.

Client Engagement and Presales

• Engage directly with enterprise customers to understand business drivers, user personas, security requirements, operational constraints and success measures.
• Lead or contribute to discovery workshops, assessments and design sessions focused on AVD and related Azure infrastructure services.
• Provide clear technical guidance to both technical and non‑technical customer stakeholders, including options, recommendations, risks and trade‑offs.
• Support presales activity through technical input, solution shaping, estimates, assumptions, design reviews and customer‑facing conversations.
• Work collaboratively with Project Managers, Enterprise Architects, Technical Leads and operational teams to ensure a smooth end-to-end customer experience.

Governance, Documentation and Handover

• Produce clear and professional technical documentation, including high-level designs, low-level designs, migration plans, test plans, implementation plans and handover materials.
• Ensure delivered solutions meet security, compliance, resilience and operational acceptance requirements.
• Identify delivery risks early and communicate impacts, options and mitigations clearly to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Support knowledge transfer into managed services and service desk teams to ensure the solution can be operated effectively after project closure.

Other

• Stay abreast with Microsoft Azure, AVD, identity, endpoint, automation and cloud infrastructure developments.
• Share knowledge, mentor colleagues and contribute to reusable standards, patterns and delivery accelerators.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Must have

• Strong hands-on experience designing and delivering Azure Virtual Desktop solutions for enterprise or complex customer environments.
• Proven experience delivering client-facing consulting engagements in a B2B environment, including workshops, technical discovery, design playback and stakeholder management.
• Strong understanding of Entra ID, identity integration, Conditional Access and authentication considerations for cloud and hybrid environments.
• Solid Azure networking capability, including virtual networks, routing, firewall considerations, private connectivity, DNS and hub-spoke or landing-zone patterns.
• Practical FSLogix experience, including profile containers, cloud cache considerations, storage dependencies and troubleshooting.
• Strong Azure infrastructure knowledge across IaaS, storage, monitoring, backup, governance and security controls.
• Proficiency with PowerShell for deployment, configuration, troubleshooting and operational automation.
• Ability to produce professional, accurate and customer-ready technical documentation.
• Excellent communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice to have

• Experience with infrastructure as code using Bicep, Terraform, ARM templates or equivalent tooling.
• Experience using Azure DevOps, GitHub or similar tooling for source control, pipelines and repeatable deployment practices.
• Exposure to Microsoft Intune, endpoint management, application packaging or Windows 365.
• Experience with migrating from traditional VDI, RDS or on-premises desktop environments into AVD.
• Experience working in regulated, security-conscious or professional services customer environments.

Preferred Certifications

• Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140).
• Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104).
• Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).
• Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300).
• DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) or relevant infrastructure-as-code certification would be advantageous.

About You

• Professional and consultative, with the credibility to engage enterprise customers confidently.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with a passion for solving complex technical challenges.
• Clear communicator who can simplify complexity without losing technical accuracy.
• Collaborative and supportive, with a commitment to knowledge sharing and high delivery standards.
• Curious and proactive in staying ahead of Azure, AVD and automation best practice.

Professional qualities

• Empathy: able to listen, understand and support customer and colleague needs.
• Adaptable: able to adjust to changing workloads, priorities and customer environments.
• Positive can-do attitude with a strong sense of urgency and accountability.
• Proactive, self-motivated and comfortable taking ownership.
• Team player who fosters an inclusive and collaborative working environment.
• Keen to learn, share knowledge and lead by example.

What We Offer In Return

• Basic salary plus performance bonus
• 34 days of annual leave (incl. 8 UK bank holidays and a day off on your birthday)
• Incentives for achieving Microsoft accreditations
• Enhanced family-friendly benefit schemes including company sick pay
• Sponsored training and development and where applicable to the role, a technical exams incentive scheme
• Private medical insurance and Employee Assistance Programme
• Income protection and life insurance
• Company Pension scheme

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