Full Job Description
Role: Azure Cloud Architect
Location: Remote
Mandatory skills: Azure, Networking, Security
Position Summary
• We are seeking an experienced Azure Cloud Architect to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-effective cloud solutions on Microsoft Azure.
• The ideal candidate will have expertise in Azure architecture, cloud networking, security, identity, governance, automation, and infrastructure-as-code. This role will work closely with application, infrastructure, security, DevOps, data, and business teams to define cloud architecture standards and deliver enterprise-scale solutions.
• The Azure Cloud Architect will also provide technical leadership for cloud migrations, modernization initiatives, and platform engineering while ensuring solutions align with organizational security, compliance, reliability, and operational requirements.
Key Responsibilities
• Design enterprise-grade Azure architectures for highly available, scalable, secure, and resilient workloads.
• Define Azure architecture standards, reference architectures, design patterns, and cloud engineering best practices.
• Lead cloud migration and modernization initiatives, including assessment, architecture, planning, and implementation.
• Design Azure landing zones, management group structures, subscriptions, resource organization, and governance frameworks.
• Architect Azure networking solutions using VNets, subnets, NSGs, Azure Firewall, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, Private Link, DNS, VPN, and ExpressRoute.
• Design identity and access solutions using Microsoft Entra ID, managed identities, RBAC, Conditional Access, and privileged access principles.
• Establish cloud security controls and ensure architectures follow Zero Trust, least-privilege, and defense-in-depth principles.
• Develop infrastructure-as-code solutions using Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, or equivalent technologies.
• Establish automation and CI/CD practices using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar platforms.
• Design monitoring, logging, alerting, and observability solutions using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, and related services.
• Architect business continuity and disaster recovery solutions, including backup, replication, availability zones, and multi-region strategies.
• Define cloud governance policies covering security, compliance, resource standards, tagging, configuration, and cost management.
• Conduct architecture reviews, technical assessments, proof-of-concepts, and design validation.
• Identify opportunities to improve Azure performance, reliability, security, operational efficiency, and cost optimization.
• Partner with cybersecurity and compliance teams to ensure cloud environments meet applicable organizational and regulatory requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex cloud architecture and infrastructure issues and provide technical guidance during critical incidents.
• Mentor cloud engineers, DevOps engineers, architects, and other technical team members.
• Evaluate new Azure capabilities and recommend technologies that support the organization's cloud strategy and technology roadmap.
• Create and maintain architecture diagrams, technical standards, implementation guidance, and operational documentation.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• 12+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud engineering, systems engineering, or architecture.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience designing and implementing solutions on Microsoft Azure.
• Demonstrated experience designing enterprise-scale Azure environments and production cloud platforms.
• Strong knowledge of Azure compute, networking, storage, identity, security, monitoring, and governance services.
• Strong understanding of Azure landing zones and enterprise cloud governance.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform and/or Bicep.
• Experience implementing CI/CD and infrastructure automation.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Entra ID, Azure RBAC, managed identities, and cloud identity architecture.
• Experience designing hybrid-cloud connectivity using VPN and/or ExpressRoute.
• Strong understanding of high availability, disaster recovery, backup, and business continuity architecture.
• Experience with containers and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Working knowledge of Windows and Linux environments.
• Strong understanding of cloud security architecture and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience with cloud financial management, capacity planning, and Azure cost optimization.
• Excellent architecture documentation, communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to translate business and technical requirements into scalable cloud architecture solutions.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience designing Azure solutions in large enterprise or highly regulated environments.
• Experience with Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, Azure Key Vault, and related security services.
• Experience with API Management, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, Event Grid, Service Bus, and other integration technologies.
• Experience with Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, managed database platforms, and enterprise data services.
• Knowledge of cloud-native and microservices architecture patterns.
• Experience with FinOps practices and enterprise cloud cost-management frameworks.
• Experience supporting large-scale application modernization initiatives.
• Familiarity with multi-cloud environments and integration between Azure and AWS or Google Cloud.
Preferred Certifications
• One or more of the following certifications is preferred:
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
• Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
• HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
• TOGAF or other enterprise architecture certification
Technical Skills
• Cloud: Microsoft Azure
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Bicep, ARM
• DevOps: Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Git
• Networking: VNets, NSGs, Azure Firewall, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, Private Link, VPN, ExpressRoute, DNS
• Identity: Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC, Managed Identities, Conditional Access
• Security: Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, Key Vault, Azure Policy, Zero Trust
• Containers: Docker, Kubernetes, AKS
• Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights
• Operating Systems: Windows Server, Linux
• Automation/Scripting: PowerShell, Azure CLI, Bash, Python
• Architecture: Landing Zones, Well-Architected Framework, High Availability, Disaster Recovery, Cloud Governance, FinOps
Compensation: We are offering between $130,000 - $150,000. Applications will be accepted until Sep 11, 2026.Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
