Lead Azure Architecture SME - 173504

ZP Group; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary commensurate with experience

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions seeks an experienced Senior Azure Cloud Architect to support a high-visibility federal mission in a hybrid Washington, DC environment. You will lead Azure architecture, migrations, and security initiatives within a regulated DoD context.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in IT/infrastructure with 5+ years Azure in DoD IL5/IL6, strong networking, Entra ID, IaC, and STIG compliance. Active Secret clearance and Security+ are required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional IT, infrastructure, cloud, or engineering experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Azure experience within DoD IL5/IL6 or comparable high-security government environments.
• Extensive experience designing and implementing Azure cloud architectures in enterprise or federal environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with Azure networking and Entra ID.
• Experience with Azure Site Recovery and enterprise cloud migration initiatives.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools: Terraform, Bicep, ARM.
• Experience with Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions for infrastructure automation.
• Strong scripting/automation using PowerShell and/or Ansible.
• Experience securing and hardening cloud environments per DISA STIGs/DoD security requirements.
• Active Secret clearance required.
• CompTIA Security+ certification required.
• Ability to work onsite in Washington, D.C. at least 3 days per week.
• Experience creating/updating architecture and network diagrams using Visio.

Responsibilities

• Design, architect, and implement secure, scalable Microsoft Azure environments for federal/DoD requirements.
• Develop enterprise cloud architecture solutions across compute, storage, networking, identity, security, monitoring, governance.
• Design/troubleshoot complex Azure networking (VNets, subnets, NSGs, ExpressRoute, Firewall, VPN).
• Architect and implement Microsoft Entra ID solutions (RBAC, CA, identity governance).
• Lead on-premises to Azure migrations including planning and cutovers.
• Utilize Azure Site Recovery for DR and migration initiatives.
• Develop IaC with Terraform, Bicep, and/or ARM templates; automate deployment with PowerShell/Ansible/Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions.
• Maintain architecture/network diagrams and doc using Microsoft Visio.
• Ensure DoD security requirements and STIGs compliance across environments.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders and technical teams; lead architecture reviews and customer presentations.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship as Azure SME; troubleshoot complex issues.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Architectural design

Mentorship

Problem-solving

Tools

Azure

Terraform

Bicep

ARM templates

PowerShell

Ansible

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Microsoft Visio

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking an experienced Senior Azure Cloud Architect to support a high-visibility federal mission focused on designing, securing, and modernizing enterprise cloud infrastructure within a highly regulated DoD environment. This position is based hybrid in Washington, D.C., where the selected candidate will serve as a senior technical leader supporting Azure architecture, cloud migrations, networking, identity, infrastructure automation, and cybersecurity initiatives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience architecting and implementing Azure IL5/IL6 environments, with strong expertise in Azure networking, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Site Recovery, Infrastructure as Code, and DoD security requirements.

ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE REQUIRED | SECURITY+ REQUIRED | HYBRID WASHINGTON, D.C.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, architect, and implement secure, scalable Microsoft Azure environments supporting federal and DoD mission requirements.
• Develop enterprise cloud architecture solutions across compute, storage, networking, identity, security, monitoring, and governance.
• Design and troubleshoot complex Azure networking environments, including VNets, subnets, NSGs, routing, Azure Firewall, VPN, ExpressRoute, load balancing, and cloud-to-on-premises connectivity.
• Architect and implement Microsoft Entra ID solutions, including RBAC, Conditional Access, identity governance, authentication, and enterprise identity integrations.
• Lead and support on-premises to Azure cloud migrations, including migration planning, dependency mapping, replication, failover testing, cutovers, and post-migration validation.
• Utilize Azure Site Recovery (ASR) to support disaster recovery, workload replication, and migration initiatives.
• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform, Bicep, and/or ARM templates.
• Automate cloud infrastructure deployment, configuration, and operational processes using PowerShell, Ansible, Azure DevOps, and/or GitHub Actions.
• Develop, maintain, and update cloud architecture diagrams, network diagrams, and technical documentation using Microsoft Visio.
• Ensure Azure environments comply with DoD security requirements, DISA STIGs, and applicable federal cybersecurity standards.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders, engineers, system administrators, cybersecurity teams, and other technical personnel to develop and implement cloud solutions.
• Lead technical discussions, architecture reviews, design sessions, and customer-facing presentations.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineering teams while serving as a senior subject matter expert for Azure cloud architecture.
• Troubleshoot complex infrastructure, networking, identity, security, and cloud connectivity issues.
• Support the continuous modernization, optimization, and hardening of enterprise cloud environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional IT, infrastructure, cloud, or engineering experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Azure experience within DoD IL5/IL6 or comparable high-security government environments.
• Extensive experience designing and implementing Azure cloud architectures in enterprise or federal environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with Azure networking, including VNets, subnets, NSGs, routing, Azure Firewall, VPN, ExpressRoute, and load balancing.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Entra ID, including RBAC, Conditional Access, identity governance, and enterprise identity architecture.
• Experience with Azure Site Recovery and enterprise cloud migration initiatives.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform, Bicep, and/or ARM.
• Experience with Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions for infrastructure automation and CI/CD.
• Strong scripting and automation experience using PowerShell and/or Ansible.
• Experience securing and hardening cloud environments in accordance with DISA STIGs and DoD security requirements.
• Active Secret clearance required.
• CompTIA Security+ certification required.
• Experience creating and maintaining technical architecture and network diagrams using Microsoft Visio.
• Ability to work onsite in Washington, D.C. at least 3 days per week.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact directly with government customers and technical stakeholders.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience architecting Azure Government environments.
• Azure Solutions Architect Expert or other relevant Microsoft Azure certifications.
• Experience supporting DoD, federal, or intelligence community cloud programs.
• Experience with Azure landing zones, governance, policy, and enterprise-scale cloud implementations.
• Experience with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, or other Azure security and monitoring capabilities.
• Experience with cloud disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
• Experience with database or data management environments.
• Familiarity with Agile development and engineering methodologies.
• Experience leading technical teams or serving as a cloud architecture SME.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex cloud, networking, identity, and infrastructure challenges.
• Excellent communication skills with both technical teams and government stakeholders.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for customers and leadership.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to provide technical direction and mentorship.
• Comfortable leading architecture reviews, customer meetings, and technical presentations.
• Self-motivated and capable of independently managing multiple technical priorities.
• Strong attention to detail, particularly when working within highly regulated and security-focused environments.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary:$200,000 - $230,000 annually, based on experience, education, certifications, and overall qualifications.
• Contract-to-Hire: 6-month Contract-to-Hire opportunity with potential for long-term conversion.
• Schedule: 40 hours/week.
• Location:Hybrid Washington, D.C. — 3+ days onsite per week.
• Travel: Less than 10%.
• Clearance:Active Secret clearance required.
• Certification:CompTIA Security+ required.
• Opportunity to support a high-visibility federal program focused on secure cloud modernization and enterprise Azure architecture.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, parental leave, referral bonuses, and professional development reimbursement.

Keywords

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