Azure Cloud SME

Job Title: Azure Cloud SME
Job Code: MS 159640
Client: State of Mississippi - Department of Information Technology Services (ITS)
Location: Jackson, MS (Hybrid)
Duration: Initial 1-Year Contract (Likely Extension)

Position Overview

The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking a highly experienced Azure Cloud SME to support and enhance the State's Azure Landing Zone and Azure Government Cloud environments. This role will serve as a senior cloud architect and technical advisor, helping agencies design, troubleshoot, secure, and optimize Azure solutions while mentoring internal teams and contributing to the State's Cloud Center of Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Azure Environment Management
• Manage and maintain Azure tenants, subscriptions, and Management Groups
• Support Azure Landing Zone and Azure Gov Cloud environments
• Ensure adherence to cloud governance and best practices

Cloud Architecture & Engineering
• Design, review, and implement Azure solutions for performance, security, scalability, and reliability
• Lead architectural reviews and solution design discussions
• Support agency cloud adoption and modernization initiatives

Troubleshooting & Support
• Serve as senior escalation point for Azure infrastructure, networking, storage, and compute issues
• Troubleshoot ExpressRoute, VPN, VNet, and hybrid connectivity challenges
• Coordinate resolution efforts across internal teams and agencies

Security & Governance
• Implement Azure security best practices including:

• Azure RBAC
• Azure Policies
• Encryption
• Network Segmentation
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud
  • Ensure compliance with regulatory and governance requirements

DevOps & Automation
• Develop Infrastructure as Code solutions using:

• ARM Templates
• Bicep
• Terraform
  • Support CI/CD pipelines using:
• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions
  • Implement containerized and serverless solutions using:
• Docker
• AKS
• Azure Container Apps
• Azure Functions

Mentorship & Documentation
• Mentor cloud engineers and technical staff
• Develop cloud standards, playbooks, architecture diagrams, and technical documentation
• Support knowledge transfer and internal cloud capability development

Required Skills & Experience

• Deep expertise with Azure services including:

• Azure Virtual Machines
• Azure Storage
• Azure SQL
• Cosmos DB
• Azure Functions
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Virtual Networks (VNet)
• Azure Resource Manager (ARM)

• Experience leading enterprise Azure migrations and implementations in multi-tenant environments
• Strong Azure networking expertise including:

• ExpressRoute
• VPN
• Hybrid Connectivity
• Network Troubleshooting

• Experience with Azure Landing Zones and Azure Landing Zone Reference Architectures
• Strong Infrastructure as Code experience (ARM, Bicep, Terraform)
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions
• Experience implementing Azure security controls and governance frameworks
• Experience with Docker, AKS, Azure Container Apps, and Serverless Architectures
• Strong troubleshooting skills across Azure compute, networking, and storage layers
• Excellent communication, mentoring, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
• Experience leading technical design reviews and architectural discussions

Preferred Skills

• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert Certification
• Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification
• Government or highly regulated industry experience

• HIPAA
• CJIS
• IRS 1075

• Knowledge of:

• ITIL
• PMP
• Agile Methodologies
• Enterprise Governance Frameworks

• Experience with Hybrid Cloud environments and Azure Arc
• Scripting experience with:

• Python
• Bash
• PowerShell

Key Competencies

• Azure Architecture
• Azure Landing Zones
• Azure Governance & Security
• Azure Networking
• Cloud Migration
• Infrastructure as Code
• DevOps & CI/CD
• Hybrid Cloud
• Cloud Operations
• Technical Leadership & Mentoring

Primary Skills

Azure, Azure Landing Zone, Azure Gov Cloud, Azure Architecture, Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Storage, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Functions, ARM Templates, Bicep, Terraform, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Docker, AKS, Azure Container Apps, Azure RBAC, Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud, ExpressRoute, VPN, Hybrid Cloud, Azure Arc, Python, Bash, PowerShell, Cloud Migration, Cloud Governance, ITIL, Agile

About SR International INC

SR International has been a leading name among the IT consulting companies with offices in US and India. For past 16 years, our industry experience and domain knowledge have enabled us to provide innovative solutions to our customers.

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Today, the world of business information represents the realization of our collective efforts toward improving the future. Held only by the limits of our imagination, the business world is accelerating at an ever-increasing pace. Imagine a better way of doing business, of implementing the perfect software, of refining practice or business integration. All it takes are benchmark standards in service, support, and technical know-how, which have been our bread and butter.

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