Azure Cloud Architect

Background:

Innosoft is seeking an accomplished Cloud Architect for our NEA program, to become an integral part of our vibrant team, focusing on a pivotal
Infrastructure Modernization initiative. This role is central to reshaping and
advancing the technology framework of a distinguished client, celebrated for
its support of cultural and artistic projects. The chosen candidate will be
instrumental in devising and executing avant -garde solutions, spanning
AI -driven applications, streamlined document management systems, and secure
data repositories.

Core Azure Platform

• Advanced, hands -on expertise
  across compute services, including Virtual Machines, VM Scale Sets, App
  Services, Azure Functions, Container Apps, AKS, and Azure Batch, paired
  with the judgment to choose the right option for a given workload.
  
• Full lifecycle knowledge of
  Blob Storage, Azure Files, Managed Disks, and storage lifecycle management
  policies.
  
• Advanced networking spanning
  Virtual Networks, NSGs, UDRs, Private Endpoints, Load Balancer,
  Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, Front Door, Virtual WAN,
  ExpressRoute, and VPN Gateway, plus the ability to design hub and spoke
  topologies and DNS strategy at an enterprise level.
  
• Identity expertise covering
  Microsoft Entra ID administration and architecture, including Conditional
  Access, Privileged Identity Management, B2B and B2C scenarios, federation
  with on premises Active Directory, managed identities, and RBAC design.
  
• Data platform experience across
  Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL Flexible Server, Synapse Analytics,
  Microsoft Fabric, and Data Lake Storage, from both an administration and a
  solution design perspective.
  
• Integration services knowledge
  including API Management, Service Bus, Event Grid, Event Hubs, and Logic
  Apps.
  

Architecture &
Design

• Deep mastery of the Azure
  Well -Architected Framework across reliability, security, cost
  optimization, operational excellence, and performance efficiency.
  
• Fluency with the Cloud Adoption
  Framework, including enterprise scale landing zone design and governance
  blueprints.
  
• Ability to design multi region,
  highly available, and disaster resilient solutions with defined recovery
  time and recovery point objectives.
  
• Experience producing reference
  architectures, diagrams, and architecture decision records that an
  engineering team can implement directly.
  
• Application modernization
  expertise, including microservices, event driven architectures, serverless
  patterns, and strangler fig migrations.
  

Migration & Hybrid

• Experience leading workload
  assessments with Azure Migrate and mapping applications to the five Rs of
  rehost, refactor, rearchitect, rebuild, and replace.
  
• Wave planning for large scale
  datacenter exits, including dependency mapping and cutover planning.
  
• Hybrid architecture experience
  using Azure Arc, Azure Stack HCI, and Azure Stack Edge.
  

Infrastructure as Code
& Automation

• Expert level, hands -on
  proficiency in Bicep or Terraform, including module design, state
  management, and reusable patterns, plus the ability to review and validate
  code written by others.
  
• Working knowledge of ARM
  templates for legacy or complex deployments.
  
• Strong scripting ability in
  PowerShell, Bash, and Python for automation and validation.
  
• Ability to define
  infrastructure as code standards and repository structure for a team.
  

CI/CD & DevOps

• Experience building and
  maintaining pipelines in Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
  
• Release strategies including
  blue and green, canary, and ring based deployments.
  
• Artifact management, secret
  scanning, and pipeline security hardening.
  

Containers &
Kubernetes

• Production experience operating
  AKS, including upgrades, node pool management, and networking through
  Azure CNI or Calico.
  
• Helm chart authoring and GitOps
  workflows using Flux or ArgoCD.
  
• Working knowledge of service
  mesh concepts through Istio or Open Service Mesh.
  

Security, Compliance
& Governance

• Hands -on experience with
  Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, and Key Vault, including
  secret rotation practices.
  
• Governance design using Azure
  Policy, Management Groups, and Blueprints.
  
• Zero Trust architecture
  principles applied across identity, network, and data layers.
  
• Familiarity with relevant
  frameworks such as the CIS Azure Benchmark, NIST 800 53, FedRAMP, HIPAA,
  or PCI DSS, depending on industry.
  

Operations &
Monitoring

• Advanced configuration of Azure
  Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
  
• Strong KQL query writing for
  diagnostics, alerting, and dashboards.
  
• Incident command experience,
  including root cause analysis and capacity planning at scale.
  

Cost Management &
FinOps

• Practical experience with Azure
  Cost Management, reserved instances, savings plans, and rightsizing.
  
• Ability to build total cost of
  ownership and return on investment models for executive stakeholders.
  
• Understanding of Enterprise
  Agreement, Microsoft Customer Agreement, and bring your own license
  structures.
  

Leadership &
Stakeholder Skills

• Experience leading a team of
  engineers, including task assignment and design reviews with clear,
  constructive feedback.
  
• Ability to lead architecture
  review boards or design authority meetings.
  
• Skilled at facilitating
  discovery workshops with business and technical stakeholders.
  
• Comfortable presenting solution
  designs and tradeoffs to CIOs, CTOs, and senior leadership.
  
• A track record of mentoring
  engineers and architects on design patterns and troubleshooting technique.
  

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related IT field. Master's degree preferred.
  
• 15 years of total
  IT experience, including at least 7 years of hands -on Azure
  engineering and at least 4 years operating at an architecture or
  technical leadership level.
  
• A career path that progressed
  from hands -on engineering into architecture, since this search
  specifically requires both skill sets in one candidate.
  
• Background in Windows Server,
  Linux administration, or virtualization platforms such as VMware, which is
  valuable for migration and hybrid scenarios.
  
• Exposure to a regulated
  industry such as financial services, healthcare, or government is a strong
  plus.
  
• Ability to translate business
  requirements into technical designs for both executives and engineers.
  
• Clear written and verbal
  communication, including polished design documentation.
  
• Strong stakeholder management,
  negotiation, and influence without direct authority.
  
• An ownership mentality and
  comfort operating with ambiguity.
  

Preferred Certifications (Azure
Only)

• Required: AZ -305, Azure
  Solutions Architect Expert, and AZ -104, Azure Administrator Associate.
  AZ -500, Security Engineer Associate
  
• Bonus: AZ -700, Network Engineer
  Associate, SC -100, Cybersecurity Architect Expert, or CKA, Certified
  Kubernetes Administrator.
  

Benefits