Cloud Architect

Overview

Role Overview

The Azure Lead cum Architect will be responsible for designing, leading, and implementing enterprise‑grade cloud solutions on Microsoft Azure. The role demands deep technical expertise in Azure services—including Azure Entra ID, Azure Functions, API Gateways, AKS, AKR, CI/CD, and Terraform—and the ability to architect scalable, secure, and resilient cloud-native systems.

This position will work closely with cross-functional teams, development leads, DevOps engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure robust cloud architecture, adherence to best practices, and successful delivery of cloud transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture & Solution Design

• Architect end‑to‑end cloud solutions using core Azure services including Azure Entra ID (AD), Azure Functions, API Management, AKS, and Azure Kubernetes-related services.
• Lead cloud-native and hybrid architecture design efforts ensuring scalability, availability, and security.
• Develop high-level and low-level architecture documents, diagrams, and reference architectures.
• Define best practices for cloud adoption, governance, resource organization, and cost optimization.
  
  

Azure Identity & Access Management

• Implement and manage Azure Entra ID (Azure AD) for identity, authentication, RBAC, and conditional access policies.
• Integrate Entra ID with enterprise applications, SSO, and secure access patterns.
  
  

Serverless & API Architecture

• Design and develop solutions using Azure Functions (serverless computing).
• Architect and manage API lifecycle using Azure API Gateway / API Management.
• Implement routing, throttling, security policies, and version management for APIs.
  
  

Containerization & Orchestration

• Architect and deploy Kubernetes workloads using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Manage AKS clusters, node pools, scaling policies, networking, and operational insights.
• Leverage Azure Container Registry (ACR) and AKR equivalents for image management.
  
  

DevOps, CI/CD & Automation

• Lead CI/CD pipeline implementation using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar tools.
• Implement infrastructure as code using Terraform for provisioning, configuration, and management of cloud resources.
• Integrate automated testing, code quality checks, and deployment gates into CI/CD workflows.
  
  

Security, Governance & Compliance

• Implement cloud security best practices including network segmentation, encryption, identity governance, and secrets management.
• Ensure compliance with organizational and industry standards.
• Incorporate Azure Security Center, Defender for Cloud, and Sentinel for monitoring and threat detection.
  
  

Technical Leadership

• Guide development and DevOps teams on cloud implementation best practices.
• Conduct architecture reviews, code reviews, and security assessments.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead cross-functional technical discussions.
• Represent the architecture team in client or stakeholder meetings.
  
  

Core Azure Expertise

• Azure Entra ID (Azure AD): IAM, RBAC, SSO, conditional access
• Azure Functions: Serverless compute, event-driven patterns
• Azure API Management / Gateway
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): K8S, cluster setup, networking, scaling
• Azure Container Registry (ACR) or equivalent repositories
• Azure Networking: VNets, load balancers, firewalls, private endpoints
  
  

DevOps & Automation

• Hands-on experience with Terraform (IaC)
• CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub, or Jenkins
• Repository and branching strategies (Git)
• Automated deployments and testing frameworks
  
  

Cloud Architecture Competencies

• Well‑architected framework (security, cost, reliability, operational excellence)
• API lifecycle management
• Microservices and distributed systems
• Monitoring and logging (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics)
  
  

• 10–12 years overall IT experience with at least 6+ years in Azure cloud architecture.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and operating complex cloud-native solutions.
• Strong understanding of modern DevOps practices, automation, and cloud governance.
• Hands-on experience leading cloud projects end-to-end.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.
  
  

• Microsoft Certified:
  
  

○ Azure Solutions Architect Expert (highly preferred)

○ Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

• Experience with multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud environments.
• Knowledge of API security, zero-trust, and microservices patterns.
  
  

Soft Skills

• Strong leadership and decision‑making capabilities
• Ability to mentor and guide engineering teams
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Strong communication and client-facing skills