Senior Azure Cloud Architect

We are seeking a Senior Azure Cloud Architect to take ownership of an enterprise Azure cloud platform and lead its evolution as part of a broader infrastructure modernization initiative. This is a hands-on, high-impact role responsible for designing, building, securing, and scaling a cloud environment that supports a complex, multi-location organization. This is a newly created position with the opportunity to establish architecture, governance, operational processes, and long-term cloud strategy. The successful candidate will serve as the organization's primary Azure subject matter expert, owning cloud architecture, platform operations, automation, security, and optimization efforts. This role will partner closely with network, infrastructure, and support teams to develop a scalable, secure, and well-governed cloud environment. The current Azure environment has evolved organically over time and is now entering a formal modernization phase. This individual will play a key role in implementing best practices, improving operational maturity, establishing governance standards, and building a cloud foundation capable of supporting future business growth. Key Responsibilities: Architecture & Design Own end-to-end Azure architecture, including landing zone design, management group and subscription strategy, and platform standards.Design scalable, secure, and resilient cloud solutions supporting enterprise business operations.Develop and maintain cloud reference architectures, standards, diagrams, and technical documentation.Lead cloud initiatives supporting infrastructure modernization and digital transformation efforts. Platform & Operations Own the health, reliability, and performance of the Azure platform across compute, storage, networking, and PaaS services.Serve as the primary escalation point for Azure-related issues and incidents.Establish monitoring, alerting, operational procedures, and platform management standards.Manage capacity, performance, resiliency, and platform optimization initiatives. Infrastructure as Code & Automation Build and maintain Infrastructure as Code solutions using Terraform and/or Bicep.Establish CI/CD pipelines supporting infrastructure deployment and platform operations.Drive automation efforts to reduce manual administration and improve consistency. Security, Identity & Governance Design and manage Azure identity and access controls using Microsoft Entra ID, including RBAC, Conditional Access, and Privileged Identity Management.Implement Azure Policy, governance controls, security baselines, and operational guardrails.Support compliance and security initiatives through standardized cloud governance practices. Cost Management & Optimization Establish cloud cost visibility, governance, and optimization processes.Monitor and optimize resource utilization while balancing performance, security, and scalability requirements.Support budgeting, forecasting, and FinOps initiatives. Collaboration Partner with infrastructure, networking, and support teams to ensure successful cloud operations.Act as a trusted technical advisor to IT leadership and business stakeholders.Communicate architectural decisions, risks, and tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical audiences. What Success Looks Like A documented, secure, and well-governed Azure landing zone and cloud architecture.Infrastructure provisioning through repeatable Infrastructure as Code practices.Strong cloud security, identity, governance, and policy controls.Clear cloud cost visibility and ongoing optimization.A scalable cloud platform capable of supporting future business growth and evolving operational requirements. Required Qualifications: Candidates should possess the following experience: 7+ years of cloud engineering and/or cloud architecture experience with a strong Microsoft Azure focus.Deep expertise in Azure architecture, landing zones, governance, subscriptions, and management groups.Hands-on experience implementing Infrastructure as Code using Terraform and/or Bicep in production environments.Strong Azure security and identity experience, including Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC, Conditional Access, and Azure Policy.Proven ability to design, build, and operate enterprise cloud environments end-to-end.Experience balancing strategic architecture responsibilities with hands-on execution.Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills within complex cloud and hybrid environments. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting regulated or compliance-driven environments.Experience with AKS, Kubernetes, and containerized workloads.CI/CD experience using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar platforms.Knowledge of cloud cost management and FinOps practices.Experience with Azure PaaS and data platform services.Azure certifications such as:Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)Azure Administrator AssociateAzure DevOps Engineer Expert