Senior Azure Architect

Position Overview :

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Azure Architect to lead enterprise-scale cloud architecture initiatives and drive digital transformation across our organization. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in Microsoft Azure services, proven experience in designing complex multi-tier solutions, and strong leadership capabilities to guide technical teams and influence strategic decisions. This role requires a visionary technologist who can translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and cost-effective cloud architectures.

Key Responsibilities :

Solution Architecture & Design :

- Design and architect enterprise-scale Azure solutions supporting complex business requirements

- Develop comprehensive solution blueprints including technical specifications, architecture diagrams,

and implementation roadmaps

- Define cloud-native architectures, microservices patterns, and API-first design strategies

- Create reference architectures and reusable patterns for development teams

- Conduct architecture reviews and provide technical governance across multiple projects

- Drive architectural decisions for hybrid and multi-cloud environments

Technical Leadership & Strategy :

- Lead architectural design sessions and technical workshops with stakeholders and development teams

- Provide strategic guidance on cloud adoption, modernization initiatives, and technology roadmaps

- Mentor and coach junior architects, solution architects, and senior engineers

- Establish architecture standards, best practices, and design principles across the organization

- Collaborate with enterprise architects to align cloud solutions with overall enterprise architecture

- Drive innovation through evaluation and adoption of emerging Azure services and technologies

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication :

- Partner with business leaders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions

- Present architectural designs and recommendations to executive leadership and steering committees

- Collaborate with security, compliance, and risk management teams to ensure architectural compliance

- Work closely with project managers and delivery teams to ensure successful solution implementation

- Engage with Microsoft and technology vendors for strategic partnerships and solution guidance

Governance & Optimization :

- Establish and enforce cloud governance policies, security standards, and operational procedures

- Design and implement cost optimization strategies and financial management frameworks

- Define monitoring, alerting, and observability standards for cloud-native applications

- Create disaster recovery and business continuity strategies for critical workloads

- Ensure compliance with industry regulations and organizational security policies

Required Skills & Experience :

Azure Platform Expertise (9+ years) :

- Compute Services : Azure VMs, App Services, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Container Instances, Azure Functions, Logic Apps

- Storage & Data : Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Synapse Analytics, Data Lake Storage, Blob Storage, Azure Files

- Networking : Virtual Networks, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager, ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, Private Link

- Identity & Security : Azure Active Directory, Azure AD B2C, Key Vault, Security Center, Sentinel, Conditional Access

- Integration : API Management, Service Bus, Event Grid, Event Hubs, Azure Data Factory

- DevOps : Azure DevOps, ARM templates, Bicep, Terraform, Azure Resource Manager

Architecture & Design Skills :

- Proven experience designing solutions for enterprise-scale environments (10,000+ users)

- Expertise in microservices architecture, distributed systems, and cloud-native design patterns

- Deep understanding of software architecture principles, design patterns, and architectural styles

- Experience with event-driven architectures, CQRS, and domain-driven design (DDD)

- Knowledge of API design principles, RESTful services, and GraphQL implementations

- Understanding of data architecture, ETL/ELT processes, and analytics platforms

Technical Leadership Experience j:

- 10+ years in enterprise technology roles with 5+ years in senior architecture positions

- Proven track record of leading large-scale cloud transformation initiatives

- Experience managing technical teams and driving consensus on complex architectural decisions

- History of successful project delivery in Agile/DevOps environments

- Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and drive organizational change

Integration & Migration Expertise :

- Experience with hybrid cloud architectures and on-premises integration patterns

- Knowledge of legacy system modernization and application transformation strategies

- Understanding of enterprise integration patterns and middleware technologies

- Experience with data migration strategies and ETL/ELT pipeline design

- Familiarity with SAP, Oracle, mainframe, and other enterprise system integrations

Required Certifications :

Microsoft Azure Certifications :

- Required : Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)

- Preferred : Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)

- Preferred : Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)

- Preferred : Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203)

Additional Certifications :

- Preferred : TOGAF 9 Certified

- Preferred : AWS Solutions Architect or Google Cloud Architect (multi-cloud experience)

- Nice to have : Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

- Nice to have : Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert

Advanced Technical Requirements :

Programming & Scripting :

- Languages : Proficiency in C#, .NET, Python, PowerShell, or Java

- Infrastructure as Code : Advanced experience with ARM templates, Bicep, Terraform, Pulumi

- Scripting : PowerShell, Azure CLI, Bash for automation and management tasks

- Database : T-SQL, NoSQL query languages, database performance optimization

Specialized Knowledge Areas :

- AI/ML Integration : Azure Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, AI Builder integration

- IoT Architecture : Azure IoT Hub, IoT Central, Edge computing solutions

- Big Data & Analytics : Synapse Analytics, HDInsight, Stream Analytics, Power BI integration

- Blockchain : Azure Blockchain Service and distributed ledger technologies

- Mixed Reality : HoloLens, Azure Mixed Reality services

Security & Compliance :

- Deep understanding of zero-trust security models and implementation

- Experience with regulatory compliance frameworks (SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR)

- Knowledge of threat modeling, security architecture reviews, and risk assessment

- Understanding of identity federation, SAML, OAuth, and modern authentication protocols

- Experience with security information and event management (SIEM) solutions

Industry & Domain Expertise :

Preferred Industry Experience :

- Financial Services (banking, insurance, fintech)

- Healthcare and Life Sciences

- Manufacturing and Supply Chain

- Government and Public Sector

- Retail and E-commerce

Business Acumen :

- Understanding of business process optimization and digital transformation strategies

- Experience with change management and organizational transformation

- Knowledge of IT service management (ITSM) and ITIL frameworks

- Understanding of financial models, cost-benefit analysis, and ROI calculations

Leadership & Soft Skills

Communication & Presentation

- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

- Ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

- Experience creating executive-level presentations and business cases

- Strong documentation and technical writing capabilities

- Multilingual capabilities preferred for global organizations

Strategic Thinking :

- Ability to balance technical excellence with business pragmatism

- Strategic thinking and long-term technology planning capabilities

- Risk management and mitigation strategy development

- Vendor relationship management and technology evaluation skills

Team Leadership :

- Experience building and leading high-performing technical teams

- Mentoring and career development capabilities for junior staff

- Conflict resolution and consensus-building skills

- Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management

- Change management and organizational influence capabilities

Key Deliverables & Success Metrics :

Architecture Deliverables :

- Comprehensive solution architecture documents and technical specifications

- Reference architectures and design patterns for organizational reuse

- Technology roadmaps and migration strategies

- Cost optimization recommendations achieving 20-30% savings

- Security and compliance architecture frameworks

Business Impact :

- Successful delivery of enterprise-scale solutions supporting business growth

- Reduced time-to-market for new digital initiatives by 40%+\br />- Improved system reliability and availability (99.9%+ uptime)

- Enhanced scalability supporting 10x user growth without major rearchitecture

- Measurable improvements in operational efficiency and cost management

Team Development :

- Established center of excellence for cloud architecture

- Trained and developed junior architects and technical leads

- Created comprehensive knowledge base and best practices documentation

- Implemented architecture review processes and governance frameworks

Education & Professional Development :

Education Requirements :

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field

- Master's degree preferred (MBA or MS in Computer Science)

- Continuous learning through Microsoft certifications and industry training

Professional Experience :

- Minimum 10 years in enterprise technology roles

- Minimum 5 years in senior architecture or technical leadership positions

- Proven track record of large-scale cloud transformation projects

- Experience in consulting or professional services environment preferred

Working Arrangements & Expectations :

Role Characteristics :

- Travel Requirements : Up to 10% travel for client engagements, conferences, and team meetings

- On-call Expectations : Availability for critical system issues and major deployments

- Collaboration : Work across multiple time zones in global organization

- Innovation Time : 20% time allocation for research, prototyping, and innovation projects

Career Progression :

- Clear path to Principal Architect or Chief Technology Officer roles

- Opportunities to lead Center of Excellence and Architecture Board

- Speaking opportunities at industry conferences and technical events

- Potential for consulting and advisory roles with key clients and partners