Azure Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Our Company Culture: Centre is built on four core values— Trusting Partnerships , Passion for Business and Tech , Doing IT Right , and Ownership of Results . In our collaborative environment, consultants are expected to communicate transparently, take accountability from start to finish, and deliver solutions that are supportable, secure, and aligned to standards. We bring an enterprise experience with personalized service and a local touch—guiding clients through selecting, deploying, and managing technology that helps their business succeed.

Centre Company Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Options, Paid Time Off, and Paid Holidays
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k) with employer match contributions
• Stability to grow alongside hard workers in a collaborative environment with opportunities to grow professionally

Position Summary

Responsible for service delivery across public and private cloud environments, with primary emphasis on Microsoft Azure infrastructure services (compute, storage, networking, identity, and security) and secondary support within Amazon Web Services as needed. This role serves on the Subject Matter Expert (SME) team—driving standards, onboarding/offboarding, tool optimization, escalations, and proactive improvements that enhance reliability, security, and performance of customer environments.

The Senior Technical Consultant on the SME team architects and implements IT infrastructure solutions while acting as a high-level escalation resource. Success in this role requires strong ownership, disciplined adherence to Centre standards, fact-based root cause analysis, and clear communication with internal teams and customer stakeholders to consistently demonstrate “proof of value.”

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain and optimize Azure cloud infrastructure to meet availability, performance, and uptime SLAs.
• Provide proactive recommendations and continuous improvement for customer Azure environments across tenant organizations.
• Own monitoring, alerting, reporting, troubleshooting, and performance tuning (including actionable alert hygiene and meaningful operational dashboards).
• Maintain required Microsoft Azure certifications and continuously develop expertise aligned to Centre’s SME certification matrix.
• Lead high-severity incident response and serve as an escalation point; drive timely resolution, customer communication, and post-incident follow-up.
• Implement Azure solutions using repeatable standards (naming, configuration baselines, security controls, and documentation) to ensure long-term supportability.
• Conduct post-sales technical follow-ups, support onboarding/offboarding activities, and provide remote customer support as needed.
• Prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment, set expectations early, and meet committed deadlines for deliverables.
• Communicate clearly and professionally (written and verbal) with internal teams and external customers, including during escalations.
• Build trusting partnerships by collaborating respectfully, showing ownership, and providing high-quality customer service.
• Submit timesheets, expense reports, and required documentation accurately and on time.
• Stay current on Azure platform changes, security advisories, and industry best practices; recommend and implement improvements.
• Provide status updates and progress reports to leadership and/or Project Managers; surface risks early with recommended options.
• Manage multiple projects and customer priorities while maintaining quality, consistency, and professional judgment.
• Translate business requirements into secure, scalable Azure technical solutions aligned to Centre standards and customer outcomes.
• Participate in on-call schedules and act as a high-level escalation point for cloud, network, and security issues.

Education/Experience/Certifications

• Education: Associate’s Degree required (Bachelor’s Degree preferred)
• Experience: 10+ years general IT experience with 2+ years hands-on Microsoft Azure experience (5+ years Azure preferred for senior-level SME scope)
• Certifications (Microsoft Azure):
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) (required)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) (required)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) (desired)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) (desired)
  • Additional Azure certifications (optional but preferred):
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300)

• Areas of Expertise:
  • Practical operational and design expertise with Azure : Emphasize the importance of hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and managing Azure solutions, including knowledge of Azure services, architecture, and best practices.
  • Working knowledge of Windows Server, Domain Services 2019+, and Microsoft Entra : Highlight the need for expertise in managing and configuring Windows Server environments, Active Directory Domain Services, and Microsoft Entra for identity and access management.
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge and experience with Windows desktop and servers : Specify the requirement for proficiency in managing Windows desktop and server environments, including troubleshooting and performance optimization.
  • Basic knowledge and experience with Linux-based operating systems : Mention the importance of familiarity with Linux distributions such as RedHat, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, and SUSE, and the ability to manage and configure Linux environments.
  • Understanding of TCP/IP including layer 2/3 VLANs : Emphasize the need for a strong understanding of networking concepts, including TCP/IP protocols, VLAN configuration, and network troubleshooting.
  • Advanced knowledge and experience in automation : Highlight the importance of automation skills, including scripting (PowerShell/Python), workflow design, and mass deployment of software, to improve efficiency and reduce manual tasks.
  • Understanding of security topics and practices : Specify the need for knowledge of security best practices, including least privilege access, GDAP, Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Entra, to ensure the protection of sensitive data and systems.
  • Basic to advanced knowledge of data loss prevention : Highlight the need for expertise in data loss prevention strategies and technologies to safeguard sensitive information and prevent data breaches.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Some travel may be necessary to our various datacenters
• Work primarily in a climate controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.
• Occasional lifting (up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds) may be required
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities are able to perform the essential functions.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate.