We are seeking an experienced****Cloud Architect to join our State and Local Platforms and Data Managed Services team. In this key role, you will design, implement, and manage cloud solutions across a diverse portfolio of client environments. You will be responsible for architecting secure, scalable, and resilient cloud infrastructures, while ensuring ongoing optimization, compliance, and client satisfaction. This is not a single-client or in-house environment: you will juggle multiple projects and maintenance responsibilities for various organizations under strict SLAs. This is a remote position that may require periodic travel to customer facilities. Candidate must be within commuting distance of Columbia, SC.

Essential Duties:

• Design, deploy, and optimize cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and/or hybrid environments) for multiple clients in line with industry best practices and compliance standards.
• Collaborate with client stakeholders and internal service delivery teams to translate business requirements into scalable, cost-effective, repeatable cloud solutions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on cloud technologies, including Oracle IaaS/PaaS services, infrastructure automation, and cloud-native application design for multiple client accounts.
• Lead client onboarding and cloud migration projects, ensuring minimal disruption and adherence to security and compliance requirements.
• Monitor and proactively manage cloud environments, leveraging monitoring tools to identify and remediate issues under contractual SLAs.
• Partner with our Network Operations Center (NOC) and Service Desk to respond to incidents, troubleshoot cloud-related issues, and manage escalations.
• Develop and maintain standardized Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates, deployment pipelines, and automation scripts for repetitive client needs.
• Stay updated on the latest cloud service offerings, cost-saving opportunities, and security best practices; advise clients on strategic improvements and modernization.
• Maintain accurate and detailed documentation for client environments, architecture diagrams, and standard operating procedures.
• Assist with pre-sales activities including technical scoping, effort estimation, and proposal development for potential clients.
• Implement and manage multi-tenant cloud environments ensuring secure resource separation, cost tracking, and compliance for each client.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of our managed services processes and cloud management frameworks.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field; or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years hands-on experience designing, implementing, and supporting cloud infrastructure in a managed services, MSP, or consulting environment.
• Deep expertise with at least one cloud platform (AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), or GCP); multi-cloud or hybrid experience highly preferred.
• Proficient in IaC tools such as Terraform, ARM, CloudFormation, Oracle Resource Manager, or Ansible.
• Strong understanding of networking, identity and access management, security best practices, and monitoring in the cloud.
• Experience with automation, CI/CD pipelines, and containerization (Kubernetes, Docker, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience with ITIL, service management frameworks, and MSP-specific toolsets (ServiceNow, etc.).
• Excellent interpersonal, client communication, and project management skills.
• Able to work efficiently in a fast-paced, multi-client, SLA-driven environment.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Strategic thinker with the ability to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Industry certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Professional Cloud Architect, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate or Professional, CISSP, etc.) are a strong plus.
• Familiarity with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), TIC 3.0, and security controls
• Exposure to AI/ML tooling within AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud and/or Google (e.g., Bedrock, SageMaker, Comprehend, Lex, Azure OpenAI, Gemini)
• Ability to mentor and guide technical teams.

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The SMX salary determination process takes into account a number of factors, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories, relevant prior work experience, specific skills, education and certifications. At SMX, one of our Core Values is to Invest in Our People so we offer a competitive mix of compensation, learning & development opportunities, and benefits. Some key components of our robust benefits include health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.

The proposed salary for this position is:

$105,200—$175,300 USD

SMX is an Equal Opportunity employer including disabilities and veterans.

Selected applicant may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.

SMX does not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization or immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1 and O-1, or any EADs or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).