Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME)

This Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) role is essential to the success of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3). In this position, you will play a key role in shaping our cloud strategy and leveraging advanced technologies to enhance our capabilities.

As part of your responsibilities, you will focus on the following key areas:

Key Responsibilities:

• Architectural Design: Design and implement secure Azure enterprise architectures and cloud-based solutions tailored for sensitive information environments.
• Cloud Migration Leadership: Establish and execute comprehensive cloud migration project plans to ensure seamless transitions of workloads to a secure cloud environment.
• Technical Consulting: Provide strategic guidance on cloud strategy engagements, technology architecture, and deployments. Educate stakeholders on best practices for effective cloud solutions.
• Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, engineers, and cross-functional teams to develop specifications for new cloud-based products and services.
• Performance Evaluation: Oversee the deployment and performance evaluation of cloud management platforms, implementing enhancements based on feedback and operational metrics.
• Portfolio Development: Expand and enrich the product portfolio of cloud services, conducting cost-benefit analyses of various hosting options.
• Operations and Automation: Manage operations and maintenance of secure cloud platforms while implementing automation to enhance operational efficiency, including alerting and auto-remediation. Develop and deploy infrastructure as code (IaC) using CI/CD pipelines.
• Compliance Oversight: Ensure adherence to NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and other relevant compliance frameworks and participate in technical review meetings.
• Containerization and IaaS/PaaS: Lead the design and implementation of PaaS/IaaS services using containerization technologies and infrastructure automation tools.
• Mentorship: Mentor junior engineers and teams on secure coding practices and emerging cloud technologies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• 12 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree (BS/BA),
• 10 years with a Master’s degree (MS/MA), or
• 7 years with a Ph.D.
• Additional 4 years of relevant experience can be considered in lieu of Bachelor's degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience working with Microsoft Azure Government and multi-Cloud environments (AWS, Azure and GCP).
• Proven experience in designing flexible, scalable, and highly available systems.
• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, AKS, EKS).
• Proficient in using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, ARM templates, and CloudFormation.
• Familiar with DevOps concepts and tools (e.g., GitLab, JIRA, Maven, Jenkins, Chef, Ansible).

Certifications:

IAT Level II (one or more in good standing)

• CompTIA Security+,
• SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner),
• CCNA Security,
• CySA+,
• GICSP,
• GSEC

Cloud Security (one or more in good standing)

• CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional),
• Cloud+ (CompTIA Cloud Plus),
• GCLD (GIAC Cloud Security Essentials),
• GCSA (GIAC Cloud Security Automation)

Cloud (one or more in good standing)

• Azure Solutions Architect Expert,
• Azure Administrator Associate,
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional/Associate)

Clearance: Must possess an active Secret clearance (TS/SCI eligibility preferred).

Familiarity:

• Understanding of DoD IT processes, regulations, and current IT cloud initiatives.
• In-depth knowledge of Department of the Air Force (DAF) CloudWorks.

Desired Qualifications:

Project Management Certifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP),
• PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP),
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM),
• Recent DAWIA Level II Certification,
• ITIL Certification

Additional Certifications:

• Cloud Certification(s) beyond those listed in mandatory qualifications.

Technical Skills:

• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts, techniques, and tools, including experience with specific AI/ML platforms and frameworks.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) to create dashboards and reports for ongoing and future projects.
• Hands-on experience with cyber threat intelligence platforms and tools, including knowledge of threat modeling and vulnerability management.

Collaboration Tools:

• Proficiency in using JIRA and Confluence for sprint planning, issue tracking, workflow management, and documentation.