Job Title : Senior Azure Cloud Architect

Location: Jackson, MS, Onsite

Rate : Best competitive rate

**Position Overview**

The Mississippi Department of Finance & Administration (DFA) is seeking a Senior Azure Cloud Architect to serve as the lead architect for the agency’s enterprise cloud transformation initiatives.

This role will be responsible for defining cloud strategy, designing secure and scalable Azure architectures, and leading the migration of critical enterprise workloads from on-premises and mainframe environments to Microsoft Azure.

A major component of this initiative includes developing and executing the strategy to transition enterprise systems—including the state payroll system (SPAHRS)—from zLinux-based mainframe platforms into secure, resilient, and modern Azure cloud environments.

This is both a strategic and hands-on technical leadership role requiring deep Azure architecture expertise, DevOps capabilities, governance experience, and the ability to mentor internal teams for long-term sustainability.

**Key Responsibilities**

Serve as the primary architect for DFA’s Azure cloud adoption strategy.

Design and implement Azure-based IaaS and PaaS solutions.

Lead migration of on-premises and mainframe workloads (including zLinux environments) to Azure.

Develop and enforce cloud governance, security, compliance, and cost-control policies.

Implement infrastructure automation using DevOps and Infrastructure-as-Code practices.

Architect hybrid cloud integrations between Azure and existing on-prem systems.

Design containerized and scalable application environments.

Provide subject matter expertise across Windows Server, Linux, and legacy system modernization.

Collaborate with technical and administrative stakeholders to align cloud initiatives with business objectives.

Deliver comprehensive documentation and structured knowledge transfer to DFA staff.

**Required Qualifications**

All candidates must meet the following mandatory requirements:

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field from an accredited institution.

Experience

Minimum 5+ years of direct experience building Azure environments and migrating systems from on-premises to cloud platforms.

Minimum 5+ years of Azure Solutions Architecture experience.

Minimum 5+ years of DevOps engineering experience.

Minimum 5+ years of experience driving cloud security, privacy, and compliance initiatives.

Minimum 5+ years of network administration experience.

Demonstrated experience with enterprise-scale cloud transformation initiatives.

Strong documentation and knowledge transfer experience.

Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.

**Required Technical Expertise**

Category   Technology / Competency   Skill Level   Requirement

Cloud Architecture   Microsoft Azure Architecture   Advanced (5–7 yrs)   Required

Methodology   Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure   Advanced   Required

DevOps   Azure DevOps (Pipelines, Boards, Test Plans)   Advanced   Required

Operating Systems   Windows Server (2019, 2022, 2025)   Advanced   Required

Automation   PowerShell   Advanced   Preferred

Networking   Enterprise Network Architecture   Advanced   Required

**Skill Level Definitions:**

Beginner (1–2 yrs) | Intermediate (3–5 yrs) | Advanced (5–7 yrs) | SME (7+ yrs)

**Preferred Qualifications**

The following experience is desirable but not required:

Mainframe administration experience

zLinux experience

Linux distributions (Red Hat, Ubuntu, SUSE)

AI and Machine Learning exposure

Application performance monitoring and observability tools

Experience supporting government or large enterprise environments