Cloud Architect (Azure), London

HH Global are the leader in tech-enabled creative production and procurement. We amplify marketing campaigns through unrivaled production, procurement leadership and the most advanced sustainability capabilities available. All delivered at scale through industry-leading technology and the passionate expertise of our people.

With more than 4,500 colleagues, 26 creative studios and over 5,800 strategic supplier partners across 64 countries, we work with the best talent across the world to partner with our clients to create big impact through big ideas.

Purpose of the Role

We are seeking an experienced Cloud Architect to join our Global Cloud Team to design and deliver Azure-based cloud solutions. This role is primarily project-focused and is responsible for defining architecture, implementing solutions, and ensuring successful delivery of cloud initiatives across our global organization. The Cloud Architect will play a key role in advancing our Cloud First Strategy, with a strong emphasis on leveraging Azure Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) as the preferred solution pattern. This role will influence strategic technical direction, ensure alignment with best practices, and support the adoption of scalable, secure, and modern cloud architectures. This role operates on a blended basis between the local HH Global office and home as necessary.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and document Azure cloud architectures, including target states, baselines, standards, and reference designs.
• Lead technical workshops with project stakeholders and vendors and produce high-quality High-Level Designs (HLD) and Low-Level Designs (LLD) with the appropriate level of technical detail.
• Provide hands-on implementation support where required, while mentoring and upskilling implementation resources to ensure high-quality delivery.
• Build and manage Proof of Concept (PoC) environments to validate new solutions, technologies, and architectural patterns for key initiatives.
• Conduct periodic architectural reviews of core platforms to ensure optimal performance, scalability, reliability, and continued alignment with business requirements.
• Support remediation of cloud security issues, including addressing vulnerabilities identified through penetration tests and assisting internal security teams with secure design guidance.
• Deliver knowledge transfer and training sessions to operational teams to support the smooth transition of newly implemented solutions into BAU service.
• Enhance and maintain architectural documentation including diagrams, solution overviews, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Azure-hosted applications.
• Monitor, analyze and optimize Azure cost and performance for key cloud applications, working closely with application stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills + Experience

• Proven ability to solve complex business and technical challenges, with strong stakeholder management skills and the capability to build consensus through clear solution modelling, trade-off analysis, and effective communication in diverse group settings.
• Deep understanding of the Azure Well-Architected Framework, with hands-on experience designing enterprise-grade Azure solutions and producing high-quality HLD and LLD documentation.
• Extensive practical experience across core Azure IaaS and PaaS services, including (but not limited to): Virtual Machines, App Services and App Service Environments, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure SQL Managed Instances, Azure Front Door, and Azure Web Application Firewall.
• Strong knowledge of VNET-based application architectures, including the use of service endpoints and private endpoints for secure and scalable deployments.
• Excellent understanding of cloud disaster recovery and data protection technologies, such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure Backup, and Rubrik.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID, including identity architecture and SSO integrations using SAML and OIDC.
• Solid grasp of cloud networking concepts, including DNS, routing, firewalls/NVAs, and Zero Trust Network Access (SASE/ZTNA) principles.
• Experience working with industry security frameworks and accreditations, such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and Cyber Essentials Plus.
• Practical experience with cloud automation, particularly using ARM templates (with knowledge of Bicep seen as an advantage).
• Basic knowledge of AWS is highly desirable, particularly dealing with EC2, VPC, Security Groups, and SQS services.
• Any level of AWS certification would be an advantage.
• Appropriate Azure certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).
• Technical background and education to degree level or equivalent within technology background.
• Must be able to commute on a blended basis to either our London or Wakefield offices.