Hey, I am Josh
I am a Senior Cloud Engineer specialising in Microsoft Azure, with a strong track record of delivering scalable, secure, and cost-efficient cloud platforms through automation and Infrastructure as Code. I currently work at Hastings Direct, where I lead platform modernisation initiatives across DevOps, security, and infrastructure.
This blog is where I share what I am learning. Some posts are polished tutorials; others are rough field notes from problems I have had to solve.
What I work with
My core stack is Azure for cloud infrastructure, Bicep for IaC, Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipelines, and PowerShell for automation. I also work across FinOps, zero-trust security, RBAC, and stakeholder engagement to align cloud solutions with organisational strategy.
What I have delivered
- Led platform automation modernisation, migrating pipelines from Azure DevOps to GitHub with enhanced validation and compliance checks
- Built a Cloud Engineering Toolkit delivering 12+ internal tools powered by 20+ Azure Functions, cutting manual effort significantly
- Transformed Azure governance by migrating Azure Policy from a no-code model to Infrastructure as Code
- Delivered six-figure annual cost savings through resource and licence optimisation
- Strengthened platform security through Workload Identity Federation migration, automated firewall clean-up, and replacing insecure VMSS agents with GitHub-hosted runners
- Mentored engineers and presented platform initiatives to senior stakeholders at company-wide events
Certifications
Education
- PGCE — University of Greenwich (2020–2021)
- BSc (Hons) Digital Marketing, First Class — University of Chichester (2017–2020)
Outside of work
Big Leicester City fan — I try to get to away games on the South Coast when I can. I am also obsessed with Formula 1 and darts (still chasing that first 180). I play a bit of piano and guitar, mostly for fun, and I am always listening to something or looking for the next live gig.