Azure SME

Azure SME

Location: Jackson, MS 39211 (Hybrid)

Job Type: Contract

Note: Hybrid - must be onsite at least one week per month

Job Description:

Job Functions Overview:

• Azure Environment Management – Oversee and maintain the existing Azure tenants and Management Groups while ensuring adherence to industry best practices.
• Cloud Architecture – For both ITS and agencies, design, review, and implement Azure solutions that meet performance, security, and scalability requirements.
• Troubleshooting and Support – Serve as a senior point of contact for complex Azure-related issues, including network connectivity. This will require coordination with internal teams and agencies to determine root cause and remediation strategies.
• Vendor Relationships – Work with Microsoft and other third-party vendors to integrate various products into the overall Azure ecosystem.
• Mentorship and Training – Provide knowledge transfer, training, and coaching to staff members to build internal cloud expertise. Help with the creation and maintenance of technical documentation, standards, and playbooks.
• Governance and Security – Work with ITS and agency security teams to ensure industry best practices (such as Azure Policy and Microsoft Defender for Cloud) and various compliance requirements are met.

Required Skills:

• Deep knowledge of key Azure services (VMs, Azure Storage, Azure SQL/Cosmos DB, VNet, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Functions, Azure Resource Manager templates, etc.).
• Experience leading cloud migrations or implementations in a complex multi-tenant/subscription environment.
• Strong network troubleshooting abilities to help resolve connectivity issues both inside the Azure cloud environment and ingressing/egressing to the State''s on-premises environment (e.g., ExpressRoute, VPN).
• Familiarity with Azure Landing Zone implementations and management using Azure Landing Zone reference architectures or ALZ deployment tools.
• Proficiency with infrastructure as code (ARM templates, Bicep, Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions).
• Experience implementing security best practices (e.g., Azure RBAC, encryption, network segmentation, and Azure Policies).
• Familiarity with DevOps principles, containerization (Docker, AKS, Azure Container Apps), and serverless architectures.
• Strong troubleshooting abilities across networking, storage, and compute layers in Azure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven experience mentoring staff and fostering a collaborative, learning-focused environment.
• Effective problem-solving skills and the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.
• Strong organizational skills, capable of managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to lead architectural reviews and navigate ambiguity in designing solutions to complex business problems.

Preferred Skills:

• Microsoft Azure Expert-level certification (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert).
• Experience in a government or highly regulated environment (e.g., HIPAA, CJIS, IRS 1075 compliance).
• Knowledge of ITIL, project management methodologies (e.g., PMP, Agile), and enterprise IT governance frameworks.
• Familiarity with other public cloud providers and hybrid-cloud environments (e.g., Azure Arc).

Working knowledge of common scripting/programming languages (Python, Bash, Powerhell).