Azure Solution Architect

Job Purpose:

The Solution Architect is responsible for designing, governing, and evolving our cloud-native digital platform architecture, with a strong focus on Azure, microservices, secure integrations, and scalable customer-facing solutions.

This role translates business and product requirements into secure, resilient, and scalable

architecture patterns, aligned with our Azure landing zone, AKS platform, and API-driven

ecosystem. The architect partners closely with engineering, DevOps, security, and business teams to ensure solutions are production-ready, observable, and aligned to enterprise standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. Architecture Design & Governance

• Define and maintain end-to-end solution architectures across:

o Azure Front Door, WAF, App Gateway

o AKS-based microservices platform

o API Gateway and integration layer

• Produce architecture artifacts: logical/physical diagrams, standards, and design blueprints

• Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture, security, and cloud governance frameworks

• Lead architecture reviews and design authority checkpoints

2. Cloud & Platform Engineering Alignment

• Architect solutions leveraging:

o Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for containerized workloads

o Azure DevOps pipelines (CI/CD, release automation)

o Infrastructure-as-Code principles (Bicep/Terraform – preferred)

• Partner with DevOps teams on:

o Deployment patterns (blue/green, rolling upgrades)

o Environment strategy (lower / middle / production)

• Ensure solutions are designed for scalability, resiliency, and fault tolerance

3. Security & Identity Integration

• Design secure access patterns using:

o Azure Entra ID (internal and external tenants)

o OAuth2, OIDC, SAML-based integrations

• Ensure compliance with:

o Zero Trust principles

o Network isolation (Private Endpoints, NSGs)

o Secrets management using Azure Key Vault

• Incorporate DDoS protection, WAF policies, and network segmentation

4. API & Integration Architecture

• Define and govern API-first design patterns:

• Architect integrations across:

o Internal services (AKS microservices)

o External partners (Propel, payment gateways, SaaS vendors)

o On-prem systems via VPN / hybrid connectivity

• Drive use of:

o REST APIs

o Event-driven patterns (where applicable)

• Establish API governance (versioning, security, throttling)

5. Data & Platform Services Architecture

• Design data solutions leveraging:

o Azure SQL (tenant + central models)

o Redis caching strategies

o Azure Storage / Data Lake

o Azure Cognitive Search (where applicable)

• Define data access, tenancy models, and performance optimization strategies

6. Reliability, DR & Observability

• Architect for:

o High availability (multi-zone / regional)

o Disaster recovery (Canada East DR replication strategy)

• Define:

o Monitoring & logging (platform observability patterns)

o Backup and recovery strategies

• Ensure alignment with RPO/RTO requirements

7. Partner & Vendor Integration

• Evaluate and integrate third-party platforms (Boomi, SaaS, CMS, payment providers)

• Define secure data exchange patterns (REST, SFTP, VPN)

• Provide architecture oversight for vendor-delivered components

8. Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

• Collaborate with:

o Product, engineering, security, and infrastructure teams

• Present architectural designs and trade-offs to senior leadership

• Mentor developers and engineers on architecture best practices

• Contribute to architecture standards, reference patterns, and reusable frameworks

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Required Experience

• 10+ years in solution architecture, with strong cloud-native experience

• 5+ years designing solutions on Microsoft Azure

• Proven experience with:

o Microservices & container architectures

o API-driven ecosystems

o Enterprise integration patterns

Technical Expertise

• Azure Services:

o AKS, Azure Front Door, App Gateway, WAF

o Azure DevOps (CI/CD)

o Azure Key Vault, Private Endpoints

o Azure SQL, Redis Cache, Storage, Cognitive Search

• Architecture Patterns:

o Microservices, REST APIs

o Event-driven architecture (preferred)

o Multi-tenant SaaS design

• Security & Identity:

o Entra ID (AAD), External ID (B2B/B2C patterns)

o OAuth2, OIDC, SAML

• Networking:

o VNET design, NSGs, hybrid connectivity (VPN)

• DevOps & Automation:

o CI/CD pipelines

o Infrastructure as Code (nice-to-have)

Nice-to-Have

• Experience with:

o Retail / pharmacy / healthcare ecosystems

o Headless CMS and digital experience platforms

o Integration platforms (e.g., Boomi)

• Familiarity with:

o Blue/green deployments and progressive delivery

o Observability tooling (APM, centralized logging)

Key Competencies

• Strong architectural thinking and system design skills

• Ability to balance business outcomes with technical constraints

• Clear and executive-level communication capability

• Strong collaboration across cross-functional teams

• Proactive ownership and continuous improvement mindset

Context & Environment

• Fast-paced, cloud-first transformation environment

• Hybrid ecosystem (cloud + on-prem integrations)

• High emphasis on security, scalability, and customer-facing reliability.