Azure Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Location: Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, TX

Our Company Culture:

Centre Company Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Options, Paid Time Off, and Paid Holidays
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k) with employer match contributions
• Stability to grow alongside hard workers in a collaborative environment with opportunities to grow professionally

Position Summary

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain and optimize Azure cloud infrastructure to meet availability, performance, and uptime SLAs.
• Provide proactive recommendations and continuous improvement for customer Azure environments across tenant organizations.
• Own monitoring, alerting, reporting, troubleshooting, and performance tuning (including actionable alert hygiene and meaningful operational dashboards).
• Maintain required Microsoft Azure certifications and continuously develop expertise aligned to Centre’s SME certification matrix.
• Lead high-severity incident response and serve as an escalation point; drive timely resolution, customer communication, and post-incident follow-up.
• Implement Azure solutions using repeatable standards (naming, configuration baselines, security controls, and documentation) to ensure long-term supportability.
• Conduct post-sales technical follow-ups, support onboarding/offboarding activities, and provide remote customer support as needed.
• Prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment, set expectations early, and meet committed deadlines for deliverables.
• Communicate clearly and professionally (written and verbal) with internal teams and external customers, including during escalations.
• Build trusting partnerships by collaborating respectfully, showing ownership, and providing high-quality customer service.
• Submit timesheets, expense reports, and required documentation accurately and on time.
• Stay current on Azure platform changes, security advisories, and industry best practices; recommend and implement improvements.
• Provide status updates and progress reports to leadership and/or Project Managers; surface risks early with recommended options.
• Manage multiple projects and customer priorities while maintaining quality, consistency, and professional judgment.
• Translate business requirements into secure, scalable Azure technical solutions aligned to Centre standards and customer outcomes.
• Participate in on-call schedules and act as a high-level escalation point for cloud, network, and security issues.

Education/Experience/Certifications

• Education: Associate’s Degree required (Bachelor’s Degree preferred)
• Experience: 10+ years general IT experience with 2+ years hands-on Microsoft Azure experience (5+ years Azure preferred for senior-level SME scope)
• Certifications (Microsoft Azure):
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) (required)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) (required)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) (desired)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) (desired)
  • Additional Azure certifications (optional but preferred):
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203)
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300)

• Areas of Expertise:
  • Practical operational and design expertise with Azure: Emphasize the importance of hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and managing Azure solutions, including knowledge of Azure services, architecture, and best practices.
  • Working knowledge of Windows Server, Domain Services 2019+, and Microsoft Entra: Highlight the need for expertise in managing and configuring Windows Server environments, Active Directory Domain Services, and Microsoft Entra for identity and access management.
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge and experience with Windows desktop and servers: Specify the requirement for proficiency in managing Windows desktop and server environments, including troubleshooting and performance optimization.
  • Basic knowledge and experience with Linux-based operating systems: Mention the importance of familiarity with Linux distributions such as RedHat, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, and SUSE, and the ability to manage and configure Linux environments.
  • Understanding of TCP/IP including layer 2/3 VLANs: Emphasize the need for a strong understanding of networking concepts, including TCP/IP protocols, VLAN configuration, and network troubleshooting.
  • Advanced knowledge and experience in automation: Highlight the importance of automation skills, including scripting (PowerShell/Python), workflow design, and mass deployment of software, to improve efficiency and reduce manual tasks.
  • Understanding of security topics and practices: Specify the need for knowledge of security best practices, including least privilege access, GDAP, Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Entra, to ensure the protection of sensitive data and systems.
  • Basic to advanced knowledge of data loss prevention: Highlight the need for expertise in data loss prevention strategies and technologies to safeguard sensitive information and prevent data breaches.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Some travel may be necessary to our various datacenters
• Work primarily in a climate controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.
• Occasional lifting (up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds) may be required
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities are able to perform the essential functions.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate.