Job Summary

The SAP RISE Infrastructure Architect, frequently titled as a RISE Cloud Architect & Advisor, acts as the technical authority guiding enterprise customers moving from traditional on-premises SAP landscapes to RISE with SAP cloud environments. This role bridges core SAP application architecture, managed infrastructure services, and major public cloud hyperscalers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP), with Microsoft Azure implementation experience highly preferable. The architect is responsible for evaluating legacy SAP environments, designing secure and high-performing target cloud architectures, and orchestrating migration roadmaps to RISE with SAP Private Edition. Operating as a trusted advisor, this person collaborates with IT directors, system integrators, and SAP engineering teams to ensure optimal infrastructure performance, business continuity, and alignment with SAP Clean Core concepts.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture Design & Governance
• Map legacy "as-is" technical requirements to secure, scalable "to-be" cloud target architectures.
• Design deployment frameworks on preferred IaaS hyperscalers, including AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Enforce SAP Clean Core principles to limit heavy code customization and ensure safe upgrade paths.
• Incorporate SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) for side-by-side extensibility and integration patterns.
• Provide extensive expertise in cloud network setup and connectivity to RISE environments.
• Guide SAP Basis and cloud networking teams in the design of virtual networks and peering methods.

Migration & Technical Assessment
• Conduct technical assessment workshops to define cloud migration roadmaps, including Greenfield, Brownfield, or Selective Data Transition approaches.
• Evaluate custom code and environment readiness utilizing tools such as SAP Readiness Check.
• Design and govern system sizing, OS/DB migrations, and conversions to SAP HANA or S/4HANA.

Infrastructure, Security & Operations
• Architect resilient infrastructure models leveraging High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) frameworks.
• Maintain a solid understanding of SAP RISE infrastructure components, IP NATting, and DNS configurations.
• Audit network and cybersecurity parameters, including encryption, firewalls, and key management, to align with SAP cloud standards.
• Clarify complex operational boundaries across SAP RISE roles and responsibilities, distinguishing tasks handled by SAP Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) from those managed by partners or clients.
• Support infrastructure performance, security, connectivity, and operational readiness throughout the RISE migration lifecycle.

Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory
• Deliver highly technical presentations to senior client leadership, including CIOs, CISOs, and IT Directors.
• Partner closely with internal pre-sales and account execution teams and external systems integrators.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor throughout cloud architecture, migration, and implementation activities.

Required Qualifications

Professional Experience
• 8+ years of direct customer-facing SAP Technical Consulting experience, such as SAP Basis Administration, Database Administration, or complex SAP upgrades.
• 3+ years of experience designing complex technical solutions, cloud enterprise architectures, or large-scale SAP implementations.
• Demonstrable experience navigating large-scale enterprise migrations from on-premises environments to public cloud architectures.

Technical Skills & Tools
• Comprehensive expertise in SAP NetWeaver, SAP HANA, and S/4HANA architecture.
• Deep practical knowledge of public cloud platform services, including virtual private clouds (VPCs), storage tiers, and compute optimization.
• Strong understanding of cloud networking, connectivity, virtual networks, peering, IP NATting, and DNS configurations.
• Experience with architectural blueprinting platforms such as SAP LeanIX or Signavio is highly advantageous.
• Exposure to SAP Cloud ALM (CALM) and configuration.
• Exposure to sensitive data element encryption or decryption tools.
• Background in Enterprise Linux operating systems, including SUSE and RHEL.
• Strong understanding of SAP RISE infrastructure components and the operational responsibilities across SAP ECS, partners, and clients.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and side-by-side extensibility.
• Experience with SAP Readiness Check and SAP migration assessment activities.
• Experience with SAP LeanIX or Signavio.
• Experience with HA/DR architecture for SAP environments.
• Experience with cloud security, encryption, firewalls, key management, and compliance considerations.
• Experience supporting SAP RISE Private Edition environments.
• Experience with Greenfield, Brownfield, or Selective Data Transition SAP migration approaches.

Certifications
• SAP Certified Professional - Enterprise Architect.
• Hyperscaler certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, or Google Cloud Architect.
• TOGAF or SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework (LeanIX EAM) accreditation.

Core Competencies
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the capacity to explain deeply technical cloud concepts in clear, non-technical business language.
• Sharp problem-solving capabilities when resolving complex networking, data residency, and cloud compliance challenges.
• Strong customer-facing consulting and advisory skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with SAP Basis, cloud networking, security, infrastructure, systems integration, and executive stakeholders.
• Ability to guide technical teams and drive architecture decisions across complex enterprise environments.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites as needed.