Cloud Architect - Information Systems

Office of the Illinois Secretary of State

Alexi Giannoulias

Job Title: Cloud Architect – Information Systems
Division: Architecture
Union: N/A
Location: 115 S LaSalle St, Chicago, IL – Cook County
Salary: Salary commensurate with experience
Benefits:

Attention : Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; the Office of the Secretary of State will not complete certification and/or sponsorship requests .

Overview:

Under the general direction, the Cloud Architect is tasked with overseeing the agency’s cloud computing strategy, including cloud adoption plans, cloud application design, and cloud management and monitoring. This role involves collaboration with IT security to monitor the company's cloud privacy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Formulate comprehensive cloud strategies that align with the organization's goals, including selecting cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models (public, private, hybrid, multi-cloud). This involves assessing current IT infrastructure, applications, and data to identify opportunities for cloud adoption.
• Ensure cloud architectures are designed with security as a priority, incorporating best practices and tools to protect against threats. This includes configuring identity and access management, encryption, network security, and compliance with data protection regulations.
• Establish and lead the governance framework for cloud architecture, setting standards, policies, and best practices. This role involves overseeing the architectural review process and ensuring designs adhere to agreed principles and guidelines.
• Work closely with IT security to ensure cloud solutions comply with internal and external regulations.
• Lead the planning and design phases of cloud projects, translating business requirements into technical cloud solutions. This includes selecting appropriate cloud services, designing for scalability and high availability, and integrating cloud resources with on-premises systems.
• Conduct regular evaluations of deployed cloud solutions, assessing performance, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with business objectives. Recommend optimizations or migrations based on these evaluations to ensure the organization's cloud environment remains efficient and competitive.
• Create and maintain comprehensive disaster recovery plans for cloud-based systems, ensuring business continuity through strategies like data backup, replication, and failover processes.
• Act as a consultant on cloud computing strategies and issues.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned.

Specific Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of cloud computing principles, services, and architectures across major providers (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Experience designing scalable, secure, and cost-efficient cloud solutions.
• Skills in cloud migration strategies and implementing hybrid cloud environments.
• Proficiency in cloud security best practices and compliance standards.
• Understanding of containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools for CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong project management skills to lead cloud initiatives.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills for vendor and stakeholder management.
• Relevant cloud certifications (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert).
• Experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools (Terraform, CloudFormation).
• Requires willingness to travel and possession of a valid Illinois driver’s license as required by individual positions within the class and the ability to perform physical activities such as lifting, carrying, and pushing/pulling items weighing up to 50lbs.

Education and Work Experience:

Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of four years college, preferably with courses in computer science, management information systems, mathematics or statistics AND minimum of three years' experience as a Cloud Architect.

• Please visit to apply by completing the online application; you may also upload a resume or other attachments as needed .
• Preference will be given to Illinois residents in the hiring and selection process, in accordance with the Illinois Secretary of State Merit Employment Code.
• Questions regarding this posting or Illinois Secretary of State employment practices may be directed to Job Counselors at our Personnel offices in Chicago (312-793-5515) or Springfield (217-782-4783).

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the United States .
Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, or the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or disability.