Cloud Architect

Position Overview

A growing technology organization is seeking a hands-on Cloud Architect to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of its Microsoft Azure cloud environment. This individual will be responsible for architecting scalable, secure, and highly available cloud solutions while serving as the technical leader for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and platform engineering initiatives.

This is not a purely architectural role. The ideal candidate will be both a strategic architect and a hands-on engineer capable of designing enterprise cloud solutions while actively building, deploying, automating, and supporting cloud infrastructure. Success in this role requires deep expertise with Azure, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, cloud networking, automation, and DevOps best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture

• Design, implement, and maintain secure, scalable, and highly available Microsoft Azure cloud environments.
• Develop enterprise cloud architecture standards, governance, and best practices.
• Evaluate existing cloud infrastructure and recommend improvements for scalability, performance, reliability, and cost optimization.
• Design cloud solutions that support business-critical applications and enterprise workloads.

Azure Platform Engineering

• Lead the design, deployment, and administration of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Build and maintain cloud platforms that support application development and deployment.
• Develop Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates, or similar technologies.
• Implement cloud networking, identity management, monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery solutions.

Kubernetes & DevOps

• Architect and support containerized applications running within Azure Kubernetes Service.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines supporting cloud-native application deployments.
• Partner with software engineering teams to optimize Kubernetes deployments and platform reliability.
• Troubleshoot complex Azure infrastructure, Kubernetes, and cloud platform issues.

Technical Leadership

• Collaborate with engineering, DevOps, security, and infrastructure teams on cloud initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership and architectural guidance across the organization.
• Research emerging Azure technologies and recommend solutions that improve platform capabilities.
• Participate in architecture reviews and enterprise technology planning.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience designing and implementing Microsoft Azure cloud solutions.
• Strong hands-on experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Experience with cloud architecture and platform engineering.
• Experience designing highly available, scalable, and secure cloud environments.
• Strong knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates, or similar).
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and container orchestration.
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar tools.
• Strong understanding of Azure networking, identity management, security, monitoring, and governance.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred

• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
• Azure Administrator or Azure DevOps Engineer certification.
• Experience supporting enterprise cloud migrations.
• Experience implementing cloud governance and cost optimization strategies.
• Experience with scripting languages such as PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Experience working in Agile and DevOps environments.