Executive Summary
A leading insurance organization urgently needed a Senior DevOps Engineer contractor capable of serving as their internal Azure subject matter expert while supporting multiple application teams delivering new software to production. The market was flooded with narrow specialists and candidates with superficial cloud knowledge. Through a highly targeted and rigorously vetted search, nexus IT group delivered two exceptional candidates, resulting in a hire within 38 days who possessed the rare combination of deep Azure expertise, cross-scripting proficiency, and multi-team enablement experience.
Client Overview
| Industry | Insurance |
| Client Role | Senior DevOps Engineer |
| Engagement | Contract Placement |
| Objective | Secure a Senior DevOps Contractor to serve as the internal Azure DevOps subject matter expert and support multiple application teams delivering new software into production. |
Client Profile
The client is a prominent player in the insurance industry, managing complex application portfolios that require robust, automated deployment pipelines. With multiple development teams simultaneously delivering new software, they required a DevOps leader who could scale support across the organization, not merely manage isolated infrastructure components.
The Challenge: Finding a True Multi-Discipline Azure Expert
The client faced significant hurdles in identifying a contractor who could immediately step into a high-impact, cross-team role.
- Overspecialization in the Market: Candidates were frequently experts in a single tool (such as Kubernetes) but lacked comprehensive DevOps automation experience across the full software delivery lifecycle.
- Superficial Cloud Expertise: Many applicants claimed multi-cloud proficiency but could not demonstrate the deep, practical Azure knowledge the role demanded.
- High-Stakes, Multi-Team Environment: The successful candidate needed experience supporting multiple development teams simultaneously, not operating in a silo.
- Rare Technical Combination: The role required strong scripting abilities across Python, Bash, and PowerShell—a difficult combination to find in a single professional.
- Urgent Timeline & Hybrid Requirements: The contractor needed to start within weeks of offer acceptance and commit to a hybrid onsite schedule, further narrowing an already limited talent pool.
The Solution: A Precision Screening and Outreach Strategy
nexus IT group moved beyond standard keyword matching, implementing a customized process designed to identify genuine, high-impact DevOps talent.
- Pipeline-First Screening Approach: We built a screening process that prioritized practical Azure DevOps pipeline experience over general cloud exposure, ensuring candidates could deliver value from day one.
- Technical Depth Validation: Candidates were pre-qualified on YAML proficiency and real-world automation scripting ability across Python, Bash, and PowerShell, confirming the rare technical combination required.
- Multi-Team Experience Focus: Outreach targeted engineers with proven track records of supporting multiple development teams, ensuring the hire could scale their impact across the organization.
- Transparent Expectation Setting: We clearly communicated the hybrid schedule and fast-start timeline upfront, preventing candidate drop-off later in the process.
- Curated Candidate Slate: Rather than overwhelming the client with volume, we delivered only two highly aligned candidates, maximizing interview efficiency and decision-making speed.
Results & Metrics
The partnership delivered exactly what the client needed—quality over quantity, with speed and precision.
- Submittals Requested: 2
- Hires Needed: 1
- Days to Fill: 38
- Projected Contract Length: Minimum 2 Years
The Outcome
The client successfully filled their critical DevOps capacity gap with a contractor who met every requirement—deep Azure expertise, multi-team enablement experience, and the rare scripting versatility needed to support diverse application teams.
- Reduced Deployment Bottlenecks: The new hire immediately began supporting multiple development teams, accelerating the delivery of new applications into production.
- Minimal Interview Investment: By receiving only pre-vetted, highly aligned candidates, the client’s leadership team saved significant time and resources.
- Long-Term Stability: With a projected minimum two-year contract, the organization secured continuity and deep institutional knowledge for their Azure DevOps function.
Client Testimonial
“Nexus understood we didn’t just need a DevOps engineer — we needed an Azure expert who could support many teams and start quickly. The candidates were accurately vetted and saved our team significant interview time.”
— Hiring Manager, Insurance Industry Client
About nexus IT group
nexus IT group is a specialized technical recruiting firm that partners with organizations to build elite, high-impact technology teams. We combine deep market knowledge with a rigorous process to deliver candidates who drive long-term success.