Koniag Technology Solutions, a Koniag Government Services company, is seeking an experienced Azure Cloud Architect to serve as a technical subject matter expert supporting enterprise-level cloud architecture, strategy, design, and implementation. The ideal candidate is a seasoned technical leader with a deep passion for cloud technologies, DevSecOps methodologies, and automation - committed to delivering secure, scalable, and highly available solutions for our government customers. This position requires an active Secret clearance at minimum, with Top Secret preferred.
We offer competitive compensation and an extraordinary benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, 401K with company matching, flexible spending accounts, paid holidays, three weeks paid time off, and more.
The Azure Cloud Architect will act as the primary technical SME for Azure architecture, strategy, design, and ongoing support across enterprise programs. This individual will be responsible for designing and delivering secure, scalable, and highly available cloud and hybrid cloud solutions while working closely with government customers, stakeholders, and cross-functional technical teams. Principal responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Serve as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for Azure architecture, strategy, design, and support across enterprise programs and customer environments.
- Design and implement security-driven Azure enterprise architectures, including enterprise systems, service-oriented architectures (SOA), and interoperability frameworks.
- Provide architectural expertise in the design of services and systems supporting customer applications, including service specifications, integration specifications, and associated DevSecOps models.
- Architect high-performing, flexible, scalable, and highly available enterprise systems leveraging Azure Cloud Native and Hybrid Cloud architectures.
- Lead the development and implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools such as HashiCorp Terraform within non-containerized environments.
- Build and maintain fully automated CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI or comparable YAML-based CI/CD pipeline tools, with a strong focus on IaC deployments.
- Develop and maintain PowerShell scripts to support automation, deployment, and infrastructure management tasks.
- Identify constraints and bottlenecks across engineering lifecycles and implement automation solutions to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort.
- Present complex system and component architectures in clear, concise language to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and automation across technical teams.
- Operate within Agile development environments, applying methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, and Test-Driven Development (TDD).
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of cloud architecture with organizational security requirements and government compliance standards.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to development and infrastructure teams on architecture best practices and DevSecOps principles.
Education and Experience:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
- At least 10 years of experience providing technical and/or management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments involving DevSecOps and technical architectures.
- At least 5 years of hands-on experience in Microsoft Azure for enterprise architecture and design.
- At least 5 years of experience developing non-containerized DevSecOps solutions, including Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD Pipelines, and PowerShell scripting.
- Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) Certification.
- Active Secret Clearance or higher.
Desired:
- Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
- Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) Certification.
- Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) Certification.
Required Skills and Competencies:- Exceptional communication skills in English - both written and oral - with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience architecting and scaling flexible, highly available, and secure enterprise systems in Azure.
- Deep expertise in Azure Cloud Native and Hybrid Cloud architectures.
- Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code development using HashiCorp Terraform.
- Experience building and managing fully automated CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI or comparable YAML-based pipeline tools.
- Strong PowerShell scripting skills for automation, deployment, and infrastructure management.
- Experience with enterprise-level architecture in the cloud, including service-oriented architectures and interoperability frameworks.
- Proven ability to identify engineering lifecycle bottlenecks and implement automation-driven solutions.
- Experience working in Agile development environments, specifically utilizing Scrum, Kanban, and Test-Driven Development (TDD) methodologies.
- Ability to design and communicate system and component architectures in simple, clear language for diverse audiences.
- Commitment to building a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement through automation.
Desired Skills and Competencies:- Experience working in a federal government IT environment.
- Microsoft Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, Azure Developer Associate).
- Familiarity with containerized environments and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or Docker.
- Experience with additional CI/CD toolsets such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Azure DevOps Pipelines.
- Knowledge of Zero Trust Architecture principles and federal security compliance frameworks (e.g., FedRAMP, NIST 800-53).
- Experience with Mulesoft or other middleware/integration platforms.
- Familiarity with additional IaC tools such as Ansible or Pulumi.
- Knowledge of single sign-on (SSO) concepts using SAML and OAuth2.
