Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME)

The Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Peraton plays a critical role in designing secure Azure architectures, leading cloud migration projects, providing technical consulting, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. This expert will also focus on managing operations and automating processes while mentoring junior engineers, all towards enhancing the capabilities of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3).

To qualify for the Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) position at Peraton, candidates must possess either an Associate's degree with 14+ years of experience, or a Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of experience in cloud technologies, particularly with Microsoft Azure and multi-cloud environments. Relevant certifications and a minimum of 3-5 years working in these environments are essential, alongside possessing an active Secret clearance.

The Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Peraton ensures that all cloud architectures are compliant with NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and other necessary compliance frameworks. They actively participate in technical reviews to assure adherence to these standards, thereby safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center's cloud operations.

In the Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) role at Peraton, automation is pivotal for enhancing operational efficiency. This includes managing operations of secure cloud platforms through automation, implementing alerting, auto-remediation, and developing infrastructure as code (IaC) using CI/CD pipelines, ensuring streamlined processes and quicker deployments.

The Cloud Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Peraton is encouraged to mentor junior engineers and teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This role involves sharing knowledge about secure coding practices, emerging cloud technologies, and providing guidance that contributes to the professional growth of team members.

When asked about your experience with Microsoft Azure in the Cloud Architect SME role, focus on specific projects you've completed in the Azure environment. Discuss how you have designed secure architectures, managed migrations, or utilized Azure tools and technologies, emphasizing measurable outcomes and your understanding of Azure's compliance standards.

In answering this question, outline your process for developing comprehensive migration plans that include risk assessment, resource allocation, and alignment with organizational goals. Highlight your experience in developing a phased migration approach, training corporate stakeholders, and ensuring that all compliance measures are met during the transition.

When addressing compliance with NIST 800-53 and FedRAMP, discuss the specific controls and guidelines you apply in your cloud architectures. Explain how you incorporate compliance into every phase of cloud deployment, from design to deployment, by staying updated with regulatory changes and working closely with compliance teams.

In your response, highlight components such as scalability, security, automation, and resilience. Discuss how you ensure these elements are integrated into your architecture design, offering examples of past designs that successfully incorporated these principles. Emphasize how these factors contribute to overall effectiveness and performance.

Describe specific tools you have used, like Terraform or CloudFormation, and provide examples of how you have developed IaC scripts for cloud deployments. Talk about the benefits this brought to your previous teams, such as reducing errors, speeding up deployment times, and improving overall efficiency.

Discuss your philosophy on mentoring, focusing on creating a supportive environment that encourages questions and fosters development. Share how you tailor your mentorship approach based on an engineer's current skills and goals, and provide examples of mentoring success stories in your previous roles.

Provide an overview of your familiarity with tools like Jenkins, GitLab, and Ansible. Discuss how you've integrated these tools into the development workflow to enhance collaboration and streamline processes, highlighting specific outcomes such as reduced deployment times or improved code quality.

Explain your hands-on experience with technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, highlighting how you’ve leveraged containerization to optimize deployment and efficiency. Offer examples of how you’ve designed containerized applications or managed Kubernetes clusters, tying back to their impact on project success.

Share your strategy for fostering effective collaboration among teams, emphasizing clear communication, shared goals, and regular check-ins. Use examples from previous projects to illustrate how successful collaboration led to meeting milestones or exceeding expectations.

Discuss your methodology for evaluating performance, including metrics you monitor and feedback collection. Elaborate on how you use this data to make informed improvements, speaking to instances where you’ve implemented enhancements based on performance evaluations.