Azure Systems Engineer SME to provide technical leadership and engineering support for Microsoft Azure cloud environments. The
Azure Systems Engineer SME will serve as a senior technical resource responsible for the design, integration, configuration, optimization, security, and sustainment of Azure-based infrastructure and services. The position will work closely with government stakeholders, architects, cybersecurity personnel, developers, systems administrators, and other engineering teams to ensure Azure solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, supportable, and aligned with mission and enterprise requirements. The ideal candidate will possess deep hands-on Azure expertise combined with broad systems engineering experience and the ability to translate mission requirements into practical technical solutions.
Responsibilities- Serve as a senior technical authority and Azure Subject Matter Expert for the design, implementation, integration, operation, and sustainment of cloud-based systems and infrastructure.
- Architect and engineer Microsoft Azure solutions supporting enterprise and mission applications, infrastructure, networking, security, identity, storage, compute, and other cloud services.
- Evaluate existing environments and develop recommendations for Azure modernization, migration, optimization, and cloud adoption.
- Design and implement Azure infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation technologies, including tools such as Azure Bicep, ARM templates, Terraform, PowerShell, and Azure CLI.
- Develop and maintain Azure architectures that incorporate high availability, scalability, resiliency, disaster recovery, backup, monitoring, and performance requirements.
- Engineer and administer Azure networking services, including virtual networks, subnets, routing, network security groups, private endpoints, VPN/ExpressRoute connectivity, load balancing, DNS, and related services.
- Provide technical expertise in Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), identity and access management, role-based access control (RBAC), privileged access, authentication, and enterprise identity integration.
- Apply Azure security and compliance best practices using services and capabilities such as Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Policy, Microsoft Sentinel, Key Vault, security baselines, and Microsoft Cloud security controls.
- Support the implementation of Zero Trust principles and security architecture within Azure environments.
- Develop and maintain Azure landing zones, subscriptions, management groups, resource organization, tagging, policies, and governance structures.
- Analyze system requirements and develop technical designs, system architecture documentation, engineering plans, and implementation procedures.
- Lead or support cloud migration activities, including assessment, planning, dependency analysis, migration execution, validation, and post-migration optimization.
- Troubleshoot complex infrastructure, networking, identity, performance, availability, and integration issues across Azure and hybrid environments.
- Establish and maintain Azure monitoring, logging, alerting, and operational dashboards using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, and related capabilities.
- Support the development and implementation of CI/CD and DevSecOps practices for infrastructure and application delivery.
- Collaborate with software engineering teams to integrate Azure infrastructure with application development, deployment, and automated testing pipelines.
- Develop automation and scripting solutions to improve operational efficiency, system reliability, configuration consistency, and repeatability.
- Evaluate new Azure services and technologies and recommend adoption where they provide measurable mission, operational, security, or cost benefits.
- Perform capacity planning, performance analysis, system optimization, and resource utilization reviews.
- Support cloud cost management, resource optimization, and FinOps activities to improve Azure resource efficiency and eliminate unnecessary expenditures.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, configuration documentation, standard operating procedures, system engineering plans, and operational runbooks.
- Participate in technical design reviews, architecture boards, engineering working groups, change control activities, and customer technical meetings.
- Provide technical mentorship and knowledge transfer to junior and mid-level engineers and administrators.
- Coordinate with cybersecurity, network, application, infrastructure, and operations teams to identify and resolve cross-functional technical issues.
- Ensure systems are engineered and maintained in accordance with applicable federal, agency, security, configuration management, and operational requirements.
- Support vulnerability remediation, security compliance, system hardening, and continuous monitoring activities.
- Assist with incident response, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and development of long-term solutions for recurring technical issues.
- Provide technical recommendations and risk assessments to government and program leadership.
- Maintain awareness of emerging Azure capabilities, cloud engineering practices, cybersecurity requirements, and industry standards applicable to federal cloud environments.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of the program and customer mission.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience may be considered.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in systems engineering, infrastructure engineering, cloud engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, implementing, and supporting Microsoft Azure environments.
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code and automation technologies such as Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, PowerShell, or Azure CLI.
- Strong understanding of Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC, Azure Policy, Azure networking, and Azure security controls.
- Experience supporting hybrid cloud environments and integrating Azure with on-premises infrastructure.
- Experience troubleshooting complex infrastructure and cloud engineering issues across multiple technical domains.
- Experience with cloud security, vulnerability management, system hardening, and compliance requirements.
- Experience with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, source control, and automated deployment practices.
- Must be a US Citizen
- Background check with the ability to obtain a Public Trust
- Successfully pass background and drug screening
Preferred Qualifications:- Active Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Administrator Associate, Azure Security Engineer Associate, or comparable Azure certification.
- Experience supporting U.S. Federal Government or other highly regulated environments.
- Experience with Azure Government (Azure Government/DoD cloud environments).
- Experience implementing Zero Trust architectures within cloud environments.
- Experience with Microsoft Sentinel, Defender for Cloud, Defender for Endpoint, and related Microsoft security capabilities.
- Experience with Azure DevOps and Git-based development and deployment workflows.
- Experience with Kubernetes, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), containers, or cloud-native architectures.
- Experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, or other Azure data services.
- Experience with enterprise monitoring, observability, logging, and SIEM technologies.
- Experience developing and maintaining cloud architecture documentation and technical standards.
- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, Microsoft Certified:
- Cybersecurity Architect Expert, or TOGAF are desirable.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:- Ability to travel as needed
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong systems engineering, analytical, problem-solving, and technical documentation skills.
- Ability to work independently as a senior technical resource while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain the required security clearance.
- Demonstrated expertise with Azure compute, storage, networking, identity, security, monitoring, governance, and management services.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing enterprise or mission-focused cloud architectures.
- Deep technical knowledge of Microsoft Azure architecture, services, administration, security, and governance.
- Strong understanding of enterprise systems engineering principles and cloud architecture patterns.
- Ability to translate mission and business requirements into secure, scalable, and supportable technical solutions.
- Strong knowledge of networking, identity, authentication, virtualization, operating systems, databases, and enterprise infrastructure.
- Ability to diagnose complex technical problems and develop sustainable solutions rather than relying solely on short-term workarounds.
- Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles and their application to cloud infrastructure.
- Ability to automate repetitive infrastructure and operational tasks.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to provide technical leadership without requiring direct supervisory authority.
- Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with competing priorities and evolving mission requirements.
- Demonstrated commitment to technical quality, operational reliability, security, and continuous improvement.
Teleworking Permitted?Yes
Teleworking DetailsRemote with the ability to travel as needed
Estimated Salary/WageUSD $159,200.00/Yr. Up to USD $190,000.00/Yr.
