Azure Cloud Architect

Purpose:
The State is investing significantly in cloud in the next few years that will require the highest skilled cloud architect to lead and mentor the cloud team. The cloud team has some Azure cloud experience but is looking for a senior level Azure Cloud Architect. The State is seeking an experienced Azure Cloud Architect to establish the Cloud Architecture practice for the State of Missouri and lead the existing state team in developing the cloud platform

Project Goals:

The scope of this SOW will include leading the existing state Cloud Architects to establish frameworks, patterns, and automation related to Cloud Architecture. Scope will also include assessing new technologies and providing recommendation for planning and implementation of those technologies. This position will work at the direction of the Cloud Manager to establish an Azure Cloud Framework and a plan for a Statewide Cloud Architecture. This position will collaborate with various State personnel from ITSD and a number of different State agencies, as required and directed by the State.

Requirements:

• 6+ years of experience with Azure Cloud, Cloud Framework and Cloud pattern architecture in a state government or equivalent organization.
• 5+ years of experience with Azure Cloud, Cloud Framework and Cloud pattern architecture.
• 5+ years of experience with standard cloud platforms such as Aurora, Elastic Beanstalk, PaaS, IaaS, Cloud Database technologies, Ansible, Kubernete
• Candidate must possess skills to architect in a dev-ops environment as well as operations sides
• Candidate must have the ability to debate technologies and clearly state design flaws or preferred technologies
• Candidate must be able to mentor existing cloud team
• Preferred qualifications include experience and working knowledge of State of Missouri IT systems which encompasses security, cloud services, infrastructure management on multi-platform environments and management of large scale development and maintenance and operations projects.

Performance Requirements

• Design and implement infrastructure aligned with organizational security, performance, and cost optimization goals.
• Build and configure resources using best practices and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) methodologies where appropriate.
• Support agencies in cloud adoption and migration by providing both architectural planning and hands-on setup of environments.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including design diagrams, runbooks, and configuration standards.
• Collaborate with security, networking, database, and application teams to ensure cross-functional alignment and integration.
• Provide guidance on native tools, resource policies, role-based access control (RBAC), tagging strategies, and logging/monitoring configurations.
• Troubleshoot and resound technical issues related to environments, escalating complex challenges as needed.
• Ensure all work aligns with enterprise governance and compliance standards, including NIST eNA0-53 and applicable data privacy regulations.
• Provide a weekly status report to the project lead that should include:
• Summary of work completed: Overview of both architectural guidance and engineering tasks performed (e.g., environment builds, policy implementations, IaC deployment).
• Project Updates: Status of any initiatives supported, including milestones met, blockers, or shifts in scope.
• Deliverables Produced: documentation, diagrams, configurations, or scripts developed that week.
• Risks/Issues: Noted technical risks, gaps in standards or configurations, or support needs.
• Next Week's Priorities: Planned work items or areas of focus for the following week.