Azure Solution Architecture Lead

The role

You will lead end-to-end Microsoft Azure solution architecture and technical assurance for a large-scale enterprise digital platform. As the senior technical authority across cloud, application, integration, data, security and infrastructure architecture, you will stay hands-on: overseeing the technical work and assuring its quality, so the solution goes live secure, scalable, resilient and ready for production.

What you will do

Solution and Azure architecture

• Define the target and detailed solution architecture: applications, integrations, APIs, data flows, infrastructure and deployment patterns.

• Design the Azure architecture across landing zones, networking, compute, containers, integration, storage, identity, security, monitoring, high availability and disaster recovery.

• Turn functional and non-functional requirements into practical technical designs.

• Keep the implementation aligned with the approved architecture and enterprise standards.

Integration and data architecture

• Design secure integrations across enterprise platforms: API-led, event-driven, synchronous and asynchronous.

• Review APIs, interfaces, message structures, data mappings, authentication, error handling and monitoring.

• Define requirements for data ingestion, processing, storage, data models, quality, reconciliation, lineage and traceability.

• Make sure the architecture supports high-volume and near-real-time processing where needed.

Security, SDLC and DevSecOps

• Build security in from the start: IAM and RBAC, least privilege, encryption, key management, network security, API security and audit logging.

• Define architecture and quality gates at every stage: design, build, SIT, UAT, deployment and stabilization.

• Review CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, environment segregation and deployment controls.

• Put the right monitoring, security event management and operational controls in place.

Hands-on technical quality assurance

• Independently review and challenge the architecture and detailed designs of vendors and system integrators.

• Review Azure configurations, APIs, integration designs, data flows and representative parts of the implementation.

• Assure SIT, integration, performance, security, resilience and disaster recovery testing.

• Support technical root-cause analysis and push for the resolution of open critical and high defects.

• Run production-readiness assessments and recommend remediation where needed.

What you bring

• 12+ years in enterprise technology, with significant experience as a Microsoft Azure solution architect.

• Strong hands-on knowledge of Azure API Management, Functions, App Service, Containers and AKS, Service Bus and Event Hubs, Azure SQL and Data Lake, Entra ID, Key Vault, Azure Monitor and Application Insights, and the relevant security services.

• Strong experience across cloud architecture, APIs and integration, data, cybersecurity, DevSecOps, the SDLC and technical QA.

• A track record on large-scale, integration-heavy and security-sensitive enterprise platforms.

Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, strongly preferred.

• TOGAF, DevOps or cloud security certifications are a plus.