Azure Cloud Subject Matter Expert

Job Description The Azure Cloud Subject Matter Expert will support the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) on the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE) project. ITS serves as the central IT organization for the state of Mississippi, functioning as a service provider and service broker for state agencies. Over the past two years, ITS has implemented an Azure Landing Zone and an Azure Gov Cloud Landing Zone and is actively working to build internal cloud expertise to sustain and expand these environments. The selected contractor will oversee Azure environment maintenance, provide architectural guidance, resolve complex cloud issues, and mentor staff as ITS builds its Cloud Center of Excellence. Responsibilities Oversee and maintain existing Azure tenants and Management Groups in accordance with industry best practices. Design, review, and implement Azure solutions for ITS and agency partners that meet performance, security, and scalability requirements. Serve as the senior point of contact for complex Azure-related issues, including network connectivity, and coordinate with internal teams and agencies on root cause analysis and remediation. Manage and strengthen relationships with Microsoft and third-party vendors to integrate products into the Azure ecosystem. Provide knowledge transfer, training, and coaching to ITS staff to build internal cloud expertise. Develop and maintain technical documentation, standards, and operational playbooks. Collaborate with ITS and agency security teams to enforce industry best practices, including Azure Policy and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Lead architectural reviews and assist in designing solutions to complex business and technical problems. Support cloud migrations and implementations within a complex multi-tenant and multi-subscription Azure environment. Provide on-call support as needed to troubleshoot cloud infrastructure issues. Requirements Minimum Qualifications Deep knowledge of key Azure services, including Virtual Machines, Azure Storage, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, VNet, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Functions, and Azure Resource Manager templates. Experience leading cloud migrations or implementations in a complex multi-tenant or multi-subscription environment. Strong network troubleshooting skills to resolve connectivity issues within Azure and between cloud and on-premises environments, including ExpressRoute and VPN. Familiarity with Azure Landing Zone implementations and management using Azure Landing Zone reference architectures or ALZ deployment tools. Proficiency with infrastructure as code tools (ARM templates, Bicep, Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions). Experience implementing security best practices, including Azure RBAC, encryption, network segmentation, and Azure Policies. Familiarity with DevOps principles, containerization (Docker, AKS, Azure Container Apps), and serverless architectures. Strong troubleshooting capabilities across networking, storage, and compute layers in Azure. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Proven experience mentoring staff and fostering a collaborative, learning-focused environment. Effective problem-solving skills with the ability to remain focused under pressure. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously. Ability to lead architectural reviews and navigate ambiguity when designing solutions to complex business problems. Preferred Qualifications Microsoft Azure expert-level certification such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert or Azure DevOps Engineer Expert. Experience working in a government or highly regulated environment, including familiarity with HIPAA, CJIS, or IRS 1075 compliance requirements. Knowledge of ITIL, project management methodologies (PMP, Agile), and enterprise IT governance frameworks. Familiarity with other public cloud providers and hybrid-cloud environments, including Azure Arc. Working knowledge of common scripting and programming languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell. Additional Requirements Fingerprint screening required. Occasional overtime may be required. On-call availability required as needed to support cloud infrastructure troubleshooting. Work Location and Schedule Location: 3771 Eastwood Dr, Jackson, MS 39211 Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Work Arrangement: Hybrid. Candidate must be willing to report onsite a minimum of once per month. This position is not 100% remote. Air InfoSec, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran disability or genetic information or any other reason prohibited by law in employment.