Cloud Architect (Senior/Principal Level)

Company Description

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future. As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

1. Architect and Design Cloud Solutions: Design and implement end-to-end cloud solutions on Azure and AWS that align with business and technical requirements, ensuring scalability, security, and cost-efficiency.
2. Cloud Strategy and Governance: Lead the development of cloud strategies, architecture frameworks, and best practices, ensuring alignment with industry standards and company policies.
3. Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Environments: Design solutions that integrate with on-premises data centres and multi-cloud environments, ensuring seamless interaction between systems.
4. Cloud Migration: Lead and execute cloud migration projects, including the assessment, planning, and execution of migrating applications and data to Azure or AWS.
5. Solution Development: Collaborate with development teams to define the technical architecture for new applications, ensuring that cloud services, microservices, and APIs are optimised for performance and maintainability.
6. Security and Compliance: Ensure that solutions comply with security standards (e.g., IAM, encryption, firewalls) and industry regulations (e.g., Govt Standards (GDS, DPR, HIPAA), implementing security controls across cloud platforms.
7. Cost Optimisation: Analyse and optimise cloud costs, ensuring resources are efficiently allocated and maintained while meeting performance requirements.
8. Collaboration: Act as a technical liaison between business stakeholders, developers, infrastructure teams, and third-party vendors to translate business needs into technical solutions.

Qualifications

Experience:

1. 5+ years of experience as a Solution Architect or Cloud Architect, with a focus on Azure and AWS environments.
2. Proven experience designing and implementing cloud architectures, especially in hybrid or multi-cloud setups.
3. Experience with large-scale cloud migrations, DevOps practices, and CI/CD pipelines.

Technical Skills:

1. Proficient in cloud services from both Azure and AWS (e.g., Azure Functions, AWS Lambda, Azure Kubernetes Service, AWS ECS, Azure Active Directory, IAM).
2. Strong understanding of cloud-native application architectures, microservices, and serverless frameworks.
3. Hands-on experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM templates).
4. Deep knowledge of networking, security, databases, and storage solutions in cloud environments.
5. Experience with automation, monitoring, and deployment pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, Ansible, and Docker.

Soft Skills:

1. Excellent problem-solving skills with a focus on delivering high-quality, scalable solutions.
2. Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical details to non-technical stakeholders.
3. Ability to work in cross-functional teams, balancing business and technical perspectives.
4. Adaptability and willingness to embrace emerging technologies and practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional) or Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
2. Experience in cloud security best practices, including DevSecOps.
3. Familiarity with containerisation technologies like Kubernetes (AKS, EKS) and Docker.
4. Understanding of Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Additional Information

Life At PA encompasses our peoples’ experience at PA. It’s about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

We are currently operating a discretionary hybrid working model which is designed to help you plan your work and your life. We want our people to come into the office at least two days a week.

We believe diversity fuels ingenuity. Diversity of thought brings exciting perspectives; diversity of experience brings a wealth of knowledge, and diversity of skills brings the tools we need. When we bring people together with diverse backgrounds, identities, and minds, embracing that difference through an inclusive culture where our people thrive; we unleash the power of diversity – bringing ingenuity to life. We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people.

Check out some of our extensive benefits:

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare for you and your family
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives
• Annual performance-based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

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