At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and deliver secure, scalable Azure platforms for enterprise clients.
- Company: Join a growing cloud and infrastructure practice with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Engage with clients and work on complex technical challenges.
- Why this job: Shape cloud strategies and lead transformation programmes in a hands-on role.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in IT, 5+ years in Azure architecture, and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Location: UK
Working Pattern: Hybrid / Client-facing
Security Clearance: UK Government Security Clearance required
We’re looking for an experienced Azure Platform Architect to join a growing cloud and infrastructure practice, taking a leading role in the design and delivery of secure, scalable Azure platforms for enterprise and public-sector customers. This is a hands-on architecture position with significant client exposure. You’ll combine deep Azure platform expertise with strong consulting and leadership skills, helping organisations shape their cloud strategy, modernise infrastructure and deliver large-scale transformation programmes.
The Role
You’ll be responsible for defining and overseeing enterprise Azure architectures, from initial strategy and design through to implementation and ongoing optimisation. Key areas of responsibility will include:
- Architecting and designing enterprise-scale Azure platforms.
- Defining and evolving Azure Landing Zone strategies and shared-service architectures.
- Establishing Infrastructure as Code standards and automation-led engineering practices.
- Providing technical leadership and mentoring to infrastructure and platform engineering teams.
- Facilitating cloud strategy sessions, technical workshops and migration-readiness assessments.
- Designing and overseeing major infrastructure transformation initiatives, including data-centre exit and re-platforming programmes.
- Carrying out Azure Well-Architected Framework reviews and establishing appropriate governance and security controls.
- Ensuring solutions align with UK Government requirements, security classifications and relevant industry standards.
- Communicating complex architectural concepts to senior technical stakeholders and C-suite audiences.
- Supporting bids, proposals and pre-sales activity while helping to develop the wider cloud architecture capability.
What We’re Looking For
You’ll ideally bring:
- 8+ years’ experience in IT infrastructure, including at least 5 years focused on Azure platform engineering/architecture.
- Current UK Government Security Clearance.
- Proven experience leading and mentoring engineering teams.
- Strong experience delivering large-scale cloud migrations and data-centre exit programmes.
- Expert knowledge of the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework and Azure Well-Architected Framework.
- Experience providing guidance around the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Confidence working directly with clients and operating within consulting environments.
- Strong written and verbal English.
- Relevant Azure certifications, particularly AZ-305.
Technical Expertise
Strong hands-on knowledge across the following areas is essential:
- Bicep and Terraform
- Azure Landing Zones
- Hub-and-spoke and Virtual WAN networking
- ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall and Application Gateway
- Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC and PIM
- Azure Policy, Management Groups and subscription architecture
- Azure Migrate and associated discovery tooling
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel
- Azure Monitor, Log Analytics and KQL
- Zero Trust architecture
- High availability and disaster recovery
- FinOps and cloud cost optimisation
- Use of GitHub Copilot to accelerate Infrastructure as Code development
The Person
We’re looking for someone who is both an architect and an engineer — someone who can set the technical direction while remaining close enough to delivery to understand what works in practice. You’ll be:
- A hands-on technical leader who leads by example.
- Comfortable taking ownership of complex technical challenges.
- Pragmatic, commercially aware and focused on achieving outcomes.
- A confident communicator who can engage equally well with engineers, architects and senior executives.
- Comfortable operating in customer-facing environments and translating business requirements into practical technical solutions.
If you’re an experienced Azure architect looking for the opportunity to shape enterprise cloud platforms, lead technical teams and work on complex transformation programmes, we’d be keen to hear from you.
Azure Platform Architect in Slough employer: Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group
As a Senior D365 CE Functional Consultant in London, you'll join a dynamic Microsoft partner that values innovation and collaboration. The company fosters a supportive work culture where your insights and leadership are not only welcomed but essential, offering you the chance to influence project outcomes and mentor fellow consultants. With access to cutting-edge technologies and a commitment to professional development, this role provides a unique opportunity for meaningful growth in a vibrant hybrid work environment.
Contact Details:
Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Azure Platform Architect in Slough
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
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✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
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We think you need these skills to ace Azure Platform Architect in Slough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Cognitive Group | Part of the Focus Cloud Group uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
