The Opportunity We are seeking an experienced Azure Cloud Infrastructure & Security Architect to lead the modernization of mission-critical infrastructure for a federal government customer. This is a fully onsite role in Washington, D.C. or Bethesda, MD. This is a senior, hands-on technical role for an architect who can both design the target-state Azure environment and help drive its implementation. You will serve as a technical authority for Microsoft Azure Government, leading cloud architecture, migration, security, and operational efforts while working closely with government stakeholders and engineering teams. The ideal candidate brings deep Azure expertise, a strong understanding of secure federal cloud environments, and the ability to translate mission and security requirements into scalable, production-ready architecture. What You'll Do As an Azure Cloud Infrastructure & Security Architect, you will: • Serve as a technical authority for Microsoft Azure Government, leading cloud architecture, design, implementation, and modernization efforts. • Architect and support the migration of on-premises and legacy workloads into Azure Government environments, including GCC High and/or Azure Government Secret, based on program accreditation requirements. • Design secure, scalable, resilient, and highly available Azure infrastructure aligned with federal security and compliance requirements, including FedRAMP, NIST SP 800-53, and RMF. • Partner with ISSOs, ISSMs, security teams, and government stakeholders to support Authorization to Operate (ATO) activities and ensure architecture aligns with applicable security controls. • Architect identity and access management solutions using Microsoft Entra ID, including Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), role-based access controls, and integration with on-premises identity systems. • Design and implement Azure networking solutions spanning VNets, routing, private connectivity, firewalls, VPNs, and hybrid connectivity. • Develop and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, or similar technologies. • Establish monitoring, logging, security, and operational visibility using technologies such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Microsoft Sentinel, and Defender for Cloud. • Support priority mission initiatives, including cloud infrastructure supporting large-scale ETL and data ingestion across distributed data sources. • Troubleshoot complex cloud infrastructure, networking, identity, security, and performance issues. • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers while collaborating with program leadership and cross-functional technical teams. • Translate mission, operational, and security requirements into practical cloud architecture and engineering solutions. • Produce and maintain architecture diagrams, technical designs, runbooks, implementation documentation, and standard operating procedures. What You Bring • Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. • U.S. citizenship. • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience. • 8+ years of overall IT/infrastructure engineering experience. • 5+ years of hands-on experience architecting, engineering, and supporting Microsoft Azure environments. • Strong hands-on knowledge of Azure infrastructure, including networking, compute, storage, identity, security, monitoring, and hybrid connectivity. • Experience designing and implementing secure, production-grade cloud environments. • Current Microsoft Azure certification at the Associate level or higher. • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively with engineers, program leadership, security teams, and government stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications • The strongest candidates will also bring experience in several of the following areas: • Hands-on experience designing, deploying, or operating Azure Government, GCC High, Azure Government Secret, or other restricted government cloud environments. • Experience with federal cloud security and compliance frameworks, including FedRAMP, NIST SP 800-53, RMF, and DoD Impact Levels. • Experience supporting or contributing to ATO packages, security control implementation, and accreditation activities. • Deep Azure networking expertise, including VNets, ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall, Private Link, VPN Gateway, and Virtual WAN. • Advanced experience with Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, PIM, RBAC, federation, and hybrid identity. • Experience building cloud infrastructure through Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, and CI/CD pipelines. • Experience with Microsoft Sentinel, Defender for Cloud, Azure Policy, and Microsoft Purview. • Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Security Engineer Associate, or other advanced Microsoft cloud/security certifications. • Prior experience supporting federal civilian, Department of Defense, or Intelligence Community customers. • Familiarity with AWS and AWS GovCloud in support of hybrid or multi-cloud environments. • Current SCI indoctrination or previous SCI access. Compensation The estimated salary range for this position is $195,000 – $225,000 annually, based on market benchmarks within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This range represents a good faith estimate and may vary depending on several factors, including the scope of the role, geographic location, education, certifications, technical skills, and overall relevant experience.