Solutions Architect - Azure Cloud

Join our Client's Information Technology Services as we architect and build the next generation IT platform. We enable our business and engineering teams to execute and deliver the amazing products and services. We’re seeking an engaged, talented, collaborative teammate to join and contribute to our small team and learn, grow, and share in our collective success. The Solutions Architect (SA) for Azure Cloud leads design and architecture activities for a variety of Azure cloud computing environments and project activities to support IaaS and PaaS requirements in the Azure Cloud, and ensures those designs adequately represent and support the needs of the business and application teams.   

Intimately involved with both the Enterprise Architecture and the business solutions teams, the SA ensures alignment of designs to business and IT visions, requirements, and architectural standards and frameworks. The SA has a deep understanding of business goals, objective and business outcomes, business capabilities, value-streams, and business processes.

The SA provides the necessary leadership, analysis and design tasks related to support the development of technology solutions to ensure that solutions meet business needs and align with architectural governance and standards. He or she creates architectural deliverables for managing the organization's portfolio of "to be" and "as is" solutions to enable and drive targeted business outcomes. 

What You’ll Do

• Collaborate with business partners, Business Relationship Managers, and Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) in translating business and technical requirements into architectural blueprints to achieve business objectives.
• In coordination with Enterprise Application, Infrastructure, Security, and Data Architects,  lead the creation of a 3-5 year enterprise cloud vision and strategy (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)  to support the key business processes and requirements.
• Guide execution of the cloud vision by providing technical expertise/guidance in cloud technologies.
• Ensure security needs are met.  Understand and ensure compliance to regulatory requirements for applications and infrastructure components.   
• Research, analyze, determine information capabilities and propose technology solution alternatives that address specific business needs and product/service strategies
• Lead analysis and documentation of current state application portfolio architecture, interfaces, processes, data, and dependencies.   Lead envisioning of future state architecture based on enterprise business strategy, IT strategy, business capabilities, value-streams, business requirements and enterprise standards.
• Define overall architecture and develop documentation deliverables for solutions, including applications, databases, application and data integration components, security, processes, configuration, reporting, and more.
• Ensure that solution architecture supports realization of technology investment.  Understand and leverage existing technology investments, and when appropriate, make the business and technical case for a new investment.
• Engage with the architectural review process (e.g., Architectural Review Board (ARB)), developing required documents, leading presentations and facilitation of review discussions, including any follow-up action items and requested modifications to proposed solution architecture.
• Clearly communicate with business teams to describe solutions, and address questions regarding the technical solution.
• Challenge the implementation teams in adherence to architectural intent.
• Follow established architectural standards, frameworks, and policies to ensure conformity and impacts to architecture standards for design under review.
• Understand, manage, and communicate dependencies across a broad portfolio of projects and products.
• Analyze portfolio of applications and detect critical deficiencies, technical debt, and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Facilitate the evaluation and selection of software product standards and services, as well as the design of standard and custom software configurations.
• Support product/service owners with product decisions to maintain, refresh or retire products, services or systems.
• Work closely with product and service owners to ensure a robust architectural runway that can support future business requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Provide consulting support and mentorship to technical architects within delivery teams.
• Estimate initial project proposal scope, initial cost estimation and develop initial logical system architecture.
• Ensure compliance of solutions with IT standards, company and regulatory security requirements.
• Maintain architecture artifacts in an Enterprise Architecture Toolset including high level architecture, detail architecture, integration diagrams, roadmaps, and capability mapping.
• Work with the Enterprise Architects to align external and internal capability and technology roadmaps.

• What You’ll Need

• Related Bachelor’s and 10 or more years of related experience; or HS Diploma and 16 or more years of related experience  (degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education).
• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Associate’s, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for additional years of experience.
• Experience in designing, implementing and supporting cloud infrastructure in support of business applications and other business requirements
• Broad knowledge of all layers of Azure cloud infrastructure, services, and security.
• 5 years of experience in a solution architecture, systems engineering, software development, systems administration, or similar role
• Good presentation and communication skills, with the ability to translate and clearly formulate technical issues for technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Trusted and respected thought leader who can influence and persuade business and IT leaders and IT development teams.
• Motivated and driven by achieving long-term business outcomes.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment including cross-functional teams and business stakeholders.
• Knowledge of various aspects of an enterprise technology architecture like business, information, technology, and security.
• Experience developing architectural deliverables including project architectures, strategies, and roadmaps.
• Broad platform and technical exposure including On-Premise, Cloud, SaaS.
• Ability to be technology neutral: remain unbiased toward any specific technology or vendor and be more interested in results than personal preferences.

• Nice to have:
  • Knowledge of cloud financial models and budgeting preferred.
  • Understanding and knowledge of IT service management (ITSM) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) preferred.
  • Experience with Enterprise Architecture Toolset for capturing architecture deliverables and roadmaps (e.g. Orbus Software iServer) preferred
  • Experience in Enterprise Architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF preferred).
  • Experience in Business Capability Mapping (e.g. APQC preferred).

Benefits

A current DoD clearance and/or SCI access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position, however applicant must be willing and eligible for submission within 60-90 days after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access.  

By applying to this position, you are agreeing to complete a National Security Clearance Pre-Screen Questionnaire to evaluate your general ability to obtain the required security clearance or government customer access associated with this position.

Relocation for this position is available.