Technical Architect, Azure

The Technical Architect, Azure plays a pivotal role in driving the design and implementation of robust cloud solutions leveraging Microsoft Azure across various industries. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, strategic insight, and effective communication to architect scalable and resilient solutions aligned with business objectives. Responsibilities encompass guiding clients through Azure's capabilities, developing innovative solutions, ensuring adherence to best practices and compliance standards, and fostering collaboration across teams. The Azure Technical Architect serves as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, offering insights into Azure services, architecture principles, and implementation strategies. With a focus on continuous learning and staying abreast of Azure updates, the role embodies technical excellence, leadership, and a commitment to delivering value to clients. 

Responsibilities: 

• Understand the customer’s needs (IT and Business) and design and implement solutions to meet those needs 
• Architect, design, and deliver technical solutions that integrate and optimize connectivity to Azure AI, ML (Machine Learning), and Data services with existing client infrastructure. 
• Leverage IaC (Infrastructure as Code) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to fulfill business requirements for Coretek and its customers. 
• Develop relationships with clients to drive continued Azure Infrastructure and Platform Services adoption and continually increase their maturity along their Azure journey. 
• Lead and / or contribute to technical design sessions 
• Prepare technical design documentation and task-level project plans 
• Implement infrastructure as code (IaC) using Terraform, Ansible, or other tools to automate the provisioning and management of Azure resources 
• Translate business needs into Azure solutions 
• Work with Project Managers to manage client expectations and communications 
• Lead successful projects with a focus on Customer Success and business outcomes 
• Mentor others in Azure architecture and IaC 
• Stay informed on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.  
• Eagerly engage with innovative technologies and products on an ongoing basis, often being the first to design and implement solutions involving them. 
• Perform hands-on implementation and migration work for Coretek and its customers. 

Requirements

Cloud Architecture and Networking: 

• Design and implement advanced functions within Azure, emphasizing security, scalability, and compliance. 
• Proficiency in designing resilient cloud solutions that include Azure services such as Azure Compute and Storage. 
• Expertise in designing and implementing networking solutions within Azure including virtual networks, subnets, load balancers, VPNs, Application Gateway, DNS and Traffic Management. 
• Selecting and implementing the appropriate Azure services and configurations to optimize performance and minimize costs. 

Security and Compliance: 

• Collaborate with Enterprise Architect team to ensure the resilience, security, and optimal performance of the Azure infrastructure. 
• Drive architecture discussions to make informed decisions on cloud security, privacy, and compliance. 
• Assure use of best practices for securing Azure environments. 
• Identity and Access Management (IAM), firewalls (Palo Alto, Microsoft) 

 Automation and Azure PaaS Services 

• Understand DevOps practices and how security fits into continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines 
• Proficiency in writing code (e.g., Python, Terraform, Ansible) to automate tasks, produce consistent implementations, and enhance efficiency 
• Application modernization via containerization, automatic scaling, service delivery, lifecycle automation, and load balancing. 
• Experience with data connectors and integrations that extend the reach of AI within Azure, manage data flow into Azure Machine Learning services, and support big data platforms and connectors. 
• Familiarity with Enterprise AI implementations, prompt writing, and data chunking. 

Consulting, Business Acumen, and Soft Skills: 

Strategic Thinking 

• Bridge technical knowledge with mature business discussions. 
• Develop implementation plans based on business requirements and IT strategies. 
• Analyze problems, propose creative solutions, and implement them efficiently. 
• Strong project management alignment, including planning, prioritization, and meeting deadlines. 
• Beyond solving existing issues, anticipates potential problems and takes preventive measures. Demonstrate proactive monitoring and risk mitigation. 

Customer-Centric Approach 

• Prioritize customer needs and business outcomes. 
• Actively support sales pursuits and client relationships. 
• Understand the client’s business goals and aligning solutions with those objectives. Bridge the gap between technology and business outcomes. 
• Deliver deep technical content while aligning it with business goals. 

Effective Communication 

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable recommendations for stakeholders. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive successful project outcomes. 
• Effective communication is essential. Explain technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders and executive sponsors within Coretek and the customer teams. 
• Collaborate with developers, architects, and other team members. Being a team player and fostering positive working relationships 

Experience and Education Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business Information Systems or relevant experience and accomplishments 
• Minimum 8 years of experience in the IT field with hands-on experience relevant to the role. 
• 3-5 years of experience with cloud-based technologies (Azure preferred, AWS (Amazon Web Services), GCP (Google Cloud Platform) (Google Cloud Platform)) 
• 3 years of experience in solution design and technical leadership on enterprise engagements. 
• Ability to travel ~10-20%