At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of a comprehensive hosting architecture strategy across diverse environments.
- Company: Dynamic organisation with a focus on innovative cloud solutions.
- Benefits: Flexible freelance role with hybrid working options in London.
- Why this job: Shape the future of hosting architecture and make a significant impact.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in infrastructure architecture, especially Azure and AWS.
- Other info: Opportunity to work in a rapidly evolving environment with strategic influence.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
The organisation operates a fragmented hosting estate comprising on‑premises data centres (Hitachi and Cisco UCS compute), legacy cloud deployments (Azure), co‑location facilities, and external service provider connectivity (Bloomberg, Refinitiv, FX platforms). There is no overarching hosting strategy or defined landing zones. This role will develop and own the hosting architecture strategy across all categories, rationalising the current estate and defining scalable, repeatable patterns for future service deployment.
Key responsibilities
- Define a comprehensive hosting strategy spanning on-premises, hyperscaler (Azure, AWS), co-location, and managed service environments.
- Design and implement standardised cloud landing zones by service category, enabling repeatable, governed deployment patterns.
- Assess the existing Azure environment (built during COVID) and determine appropriate target architecture and integration with on-premises systems.
- Develop a hosting rationalisation roadmap, identifying workloads for migration, consolidation, or retirement.
- Define ISP and external connectivity architecture, rationalising current fragmented peering arrangements.
- Evaluate market data and financial services connectivity requirements (Bloomberg, Refinitiv, Trade Point, FX platforms).
- Work with network and security architects to ensure hosting design aligns with network and security standards.
- Produce total cost of ownership models and capacity plans across the hosting estate.
- Evaluate suitability of Hitachi and NTT infrastructure offerings in the context of the broader strategy.
Requirements
Technical requirements
- Broad infrastructure architecture experience across on-premises and cloud platforms.
- Azure architecture: landing zones, hybrid connectivity, governance frameworks.
- AWS architecture experience desirable.
- Compute platforms: Cisco UCS, Hitachi, HPE or equivalent.
- Virtualisation: VMware vSphere / NSX, Citrix (evaluation and rationalisation experience).
- Storage and data centre infrastructure design.
- Understanding of financial services connectivity: co-location, proximity hosting, market data feeds.
- ISP connectivity, BGP peering, and internet edge design.
- Cloud migration methodologies and workload assessment frameworks.
Certifications
- Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) or equivalent.
- Experience with Oracle Cloud or other tier-2 hyperscalers.
- Knowledge of offshore delivery model integration.
- FinOps practices and cloud cost management.
Soft skills
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate business requirements into architectural decisions.
- Strong written and verbal communication — able to produce clear architecture documentation and present to senior stakeholders.
- Commercial awareness: able to build business cases and challenge incumbent vendor pricing.
- Comfortable operating in an environment undergoing significant organisational change.
Infrastructure / Cloud Hosting Architect - freelance - hybrid, London, UK in City of London employer: Comgent
Contact Detail:
Comgent Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Infrastructure / Cloud Hosting Architect - freelance - hybrid, London, UK in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network, network, network! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who’s already in the field. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or a personal website showcasing your projects and achievements. This is especially important for roles like Infrastructure/Cloud Hosting Architect where practical experience speaks volumes. Make sure to link it in your applications!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s current hosting strategies and challenges. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their needs. We want to see you shine, so practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search. So, get those applications in and let’s get you that dream role!
We think you need these skills to ace Infrastructure / Cloud Hosting Architect - freelance - hybrid, London, UK in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with on-premises and cloud platforms, especially Azure and AWS. We want to see how your skills align with our fragmented hosting estate and the specific requirements of the role.
Showcase Your Strategic Thinking: In your written application, demonstrate your ability to think strategically about hosting architecture. Share examples of how you've developed or implemented hosting strategies in the past, as this is key for us in this role.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to explain your experience and achievements, especially when discussing complex topics like cloud migration methodologies or financial services connectivity.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates regarding your application status.
How to prepare for a job interview at Comgent
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technical requirements listed in the job description. Brush up on Azure architecture, hybrid connectivity, and the specific compute platforms mentioned like Cisco UCS and Hitachi. Being able to discuss these technologies confidently will show that you’re the right fit for the role.
✨Prepare Your Strategy
Since this role involves developing a comprehensive hosting strategy, think about how you would approach this task. Prepare examples of past experiences where you’ve defined or implemented similar strategies. This will demonstrate your strategic thinking and ability to translate business needs into architectural decisions.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
You’ll need to present clear architecture documentation and communicate with senior stakeholders. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Consider preparing a brief presentation on a relevant topic to showcase your communication style during the interview.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with the financial services sector and the specific connectivity requirements mentioned, like Bloomberg and Refinitiv. Showing that you understand the market data and financial services landscape will highlight your commercial awareness and ability to build effective business cases.