Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Work Location: Fully Remote with occasional onsite visits required. (The consultant should anticipate being onsite approximately 2-4 business days per month or as frequently as directed by DEA leadership., Remote, with on-site attendance at the DEA offices in Columbia, SC as required by project needs. The consultant should anticipate being on-site approximately 2-4 business days per month, or more frequently as directed by DEA leadership. VPN or state equipment? VPN Interview format: Virtual or in-person? Virtual If candidate is local, we would like an option of in person interview., Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of enterprise Azure cloud solutions supporting DEA s modernization initiatives. Design and establish scalable cloud-native integration patterns utilizing APIs, event-driven architecture, data integration, and Azure platform services. Provide technical leadership and architecture guidance to development teams, project teams, and implementation partners throughout the solution lifecycle. Develop and maintain cloud architecture standards, technical documentation, governance practices, and solution recommendations aligned with enterprise objectives. Collaborate with business stakeholders, enterprise architects, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and vendors to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable enterprise solutions. Mentor technical staff and support knowledge transfer while promoting cloud engineering best practices and continuous improvements.

Candidate Location: No South Carolina residency required. Open to nationwide candidates; must be able to work eastern time zone hours. All travel-related costs for onsite work will be the responsibility of the resource, regardless of the frequency of onsite work., Required skills (must include years of experience, in order of importance) Minimum of 10 years of experience designing, developing and implementing enterprise technology solutions. Minimum of 7 years of experience designing and implementing cloud solutions and cloud-native architectures using Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform), or comparable enterprise cloud platforms. Demonstrated experience designing enterprise integration solutions utilizing REST APIs, event-driven architecture, asynchronous messaging, and distributed systems. Experience designing and implementing enterprise data platforms using cloud-based data lake, analytics, or data engineering technologies. Preferred Skills (Rank in order of Importance):

Experience integrating SAP, SAP S/4HANA, ERP platforms, HR systems, or enterprise financial applications. Experience supporting large-scale government, public-sector, or highly regulated technology environments. Experience with Azure API Management, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, Event Grid, Ivalua, or other ERP systems. Experience establishing enterprise architecture standards, cloud governance practices, and technical design patterns. Microsoft Azure, TOGAF, or comparable cloud and enterprise architecture certifications.

Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and development automation using tools such as Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, or equivalent technologies. Strong understanding of cloud security, identity and access management, scalability, performance optimization, monitoring, and operational support. Experience establishing cloud architecture standards, technical design pattern, governance practices, and solution documentation. Required Education: Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering Data Science, or a related technical field. An equivalent combination or relevant education, professional certifications, and progressively responsible experience may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement. Required / Preferred Certifications: Preferred: Azure Solutions Architect Expert Azure Developer Associate Azure Data Engineer Associate TOGAF or equivalent Enterprise Architecture certification