Cloud Architect
- United Kingdom
- Permanent
- Full-time
Work closely with business and technical teams—internally and with our clients—to understand strategic needs and craft tailored, future-proof cloud architecture solutions aligned with Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption and Well-Architected Frameworks.Lead with Expertise:
Own the early phases of cloud engagements, from shaping solution architectures to setting technical direction and governance models, ensuring smooth transitions into delivery and long-term success. You’ll also contribute directly to project engineering efforts where appropriate, offering hands-on support during key phases.Balance and Excel:
Split your time between driving client success and actively contributing to presales and proposition development. Support RFPs, run architecture workshops, and share insights through blogs, thought leadership, and internal coaching.Grow and Support the Team:
As the team scales, you will take on line-management responsibilities—supporting hiring, mentoring, and the professional development of engineers and architects under your guidance.Be at the Forefront:
Engage with clients weekly in a hybrid role that combines remote flexibility with in-person collaboration. Join a vibrant team in our London or Bristol offices—where innovation and community thrive.What you will do:
- Partner with Sales, Technical Leads, and Delivery Managers to shape, articulate, and deliver Azure-based cloud solutions that are scalable, secure, and aligned to client goals.
- Lead architectural discussions and define cloud strategies that leverage frameworks like Azure CAF and the Well-Architected Framework.
- Design and document end-to-end architectures across cloud infrastructure, security, data, integration, and application layers.
- Provide technical oversight throughout the delivery lifecycle, ensuring that implemented solutions reflect the approved design and governance principles.
- Step into project teams as needed to provide hands-on engineering expertise—particularly during critical architecture implementation or troubleshooting phases.
- Support presales engagements: run technical discovery sessions, create solution blueprints, and contribute to compelling proposals that articulate ROI and business value.
- Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., Azure Kubernetes Service, Databricks, Serverless) and contribute to the evolution of Ascent’s cloud reference architectures and reusable accelerators.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with client stakeholders—ranging from architects to C-suite—providing trusted, strategic guidance.
- Contribute to internal development through line management, mentoring junior architects/engineers, and fostering knowledge sharing across teams.
- Ensure client expectations are well managed, and delivery outcomes consistently exceed expectations.
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400).
- Bonus: Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), HashiCorp Terraform Associate.
- Hands-on experience applying the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) and Azure Well-Architected Framework (WAF) to guide cloud design decisions, ensure architectural alignment, and embed operational excellence across workloads.
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business-aligned narratives. Comfortable leading architecture sessions, stakeholder briefings, and technical workshops.
- Proven experience in pre-sales and consulting roles, including shaping cloud strategies, crafting architecture roadmaps, and supporting proposals and RFP responses with compelling technical content.
- Experience designing and implementing scalable, secure solutions on Azure, spanning PaaS services like App Services, Azure Functions, Key Vault, Azure SQL, and Azure Networking components like Virtual Networks, ExpressRoute, and Private Link.
- Experience using tools like Terraform, Bicep, or Pulumi to provision infrastructure in a repeatable, secure, and version-controlled manner. Strong grasp of CI/CD automation via Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
- Experience designing, deploying, or integrating Kubernetes-based solutions (AKS or Azure Container Apps), along with supporting technologies like Helm, Kustomize, or service mesh components.
- Deep understanding of Azure-native identity, security controls, role-based access, and policy-based governance. Familiar with enterprise risk and compliance drivers for cloud environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead small teams or line-manage engineers. Experience providing mentoring, setting architectural direction, and supporting team development.
- Familiarity with data platforms such as Azure Synapse, Databricks, and Azure Data Factory.
- Awareness of architectural frameworks such as TOGAF or industry standards like ISO 27001, NIST, etc.
- Understanding of FinOps practices and approaches to optimize cloud cost and resource efficiency.