Azure Cloud Architect

The Senior Azure Architect will lead complex enterprise cloud migration and modernization initiatives with strong hands‑on and architectural expertise in Azure Functions, real‑time streaming solutions, and Azure Databricks. The role is responsible for designing scalable, secure, and cost‑optimized Azure architectures, particularly focused on legacy platform migrations (on‑prem / Cloudera / Hadoop / monolithic apps) to modern Azure‑native services.

This role acts as a technical authority and advisor, working closely with business stakeholders, program leadership, and engineering teams to deliver cloud‑first, data‑driven solutions at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Migration & Modernization (Primary Focus)

• Architect and lead end‑to‑end migration programs from:
• On‑prem data warehouses and applications
• Cloudera / Hadoop ecosystems
• Legacy batch and monolithic systems
• Define migration strategies including re‑host, re‑platform, refactor, and re‑architect
• Drive parallel run, cutover, and decommissioning strategies
• Identify migration risks, dependencies, and mitigation plans

Azure Architecture & Solution Design

• Design enterprise‑grade Azure architectures aligned with security, scalability, and performance requirements
• Define and govern Azure Landing Zones, reference architectures, and design standards
• Perform design reviews and ensure compliance with Azure Well‑Architected Framework

Azure Functions & Event‑Driven Architectures

• Architect serverless solutions using Azure Functions for data processing, orchestration, and integration use cases
• Design event‑driven and microservices‑based architectures
• Integrate Functions with Event Hub, Service Bus, Logic Apps, and APIs

Streaming & Real‑Time Data Platforms

• Design and govern real‑time streaming solutions using:
• Azure Event Hub
• Azure Kafka / Kafka on Azure
• Stream Analytics / Databricks Structured Streaming
• Enable near‑real‑time ingestion, processing, and analytics for enterprise data platforms

Data Platforms & Databricks

• Lead architecture for Azure Databricks‑based data platforms
• Define lakehouse architectures using ADLS Gen2 + Databricks
• Support migration of ETL pipelines to modern Spark‑based frameworks
• Define data performance, scalability, and cost‑optimization strategies

Security, Governance & Reliability

• Define Azure security architecture (Azure AD, RBAC, Key Vault, Defender, Sentinel)
• Implement governance using Azure Policy, Landing Zones, and cost controls
• Architect high availability, disaster recovery, and resiliency models

DevOps, Automation & Operations

• Promote Infrastructure as Code using Terraform / ARM / Bicep
• Define CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions
• Establish monitoring and observability using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as trusted advisor to customers and internal leadership
• Support architecture justifications, cost models, RFPs, and executive reviews
• Mentor architects and senior engineers
• Work effectively across Agile / SAFe delivery models

Required Technical Skills

Azure Core

• Azure Compute, Networking, Storage, Identity & Security
• Azure Landing Zones and enterprise governance models

Mandatory Specializations

• Cloud Migration & Platform Modernization
• Azure Functions & Serverless Architectures
• Streaming Platforms (Event Hub, Kafka, Structured Streaming)
• Azure Databricks & Lakehouse Architectures

DevOps & Automation

• Azure DevOps / GitHub
• Terraform / ARM / Bicep

Required Experience

• 15+ years of overall IT experience
• Proven delivery of large‑scale Azure migration programs
• Strong architecture background in data‑intensive and event‑driven systems
• Experience working with global customers, vendors, and multi‑vendor delivery teams

Certifications (Preferred)

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Azure Data Engineer / Azure DevOps Expert (nice to have)