Cloud Architect

• Practice Cloud & Infrastructure

• Technologies Infrastructure & Cloud

• Location UK, United Kingdom

• Type Contract

Senior Cloud Architect (Senior Manager)

Role Purpose

The Senior Cloud Architect defines and governs the enterprise cloud architecture strategy across AWS, Azure and hybrid environments. As the senior technical authority, this role leads cloud transformation, sets engineering standards, ensures platform security and resilience, and aligns cloud capabilities with business strategy. The role manages Cloud Architects and Engineering Lane Leads while partnering with Enterprise Architecture, Security, Operations and Product.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Cloud Strategy

• Own the enterprise cloud architecture roadmap.

• Define cloud adoption and modernization strategies.

• Assess emerging cloud technologies and trends.

• Drive platform and engineering standardisation.

• Lead technology lifecycle management and technical debt reduction.

Architecture Governance

• Lead or participate in Architecture Review Boards and Design Authority.

• Approve solution architectures for major programmes.

• Establish reference architectures and reusable patterns.

• Ensure compliance with enterprise architecture principles.

• Govern architecture quality across delivery.

Technical Leadership

• Act as the highest technical authority for cloud architecture.

• Provide leadership across AWS, Azure and hybrid cloud.

• Challenge designs for scalability, resilience, security and cost.

• Guide engineering teams through complex decisions.

• Mentor senior architects and engineering leads.

Cloud Engineering Excellence

• Define engineering standards and best practices.

• Promote IaC (Terraform, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps).

• Drive automation and CI/CD maturity.

• Improve observability, monitoring and operational excellence.

• Champion SRE and platform reliability.

Business Engagement

• Translate business strategy into cloud capability.

• Support investment decisions and value realisation.

• Influence enterprise technology direction.

Risk, Security & Compliance

• Ensure architectures meet regulatory and security requirements.

• Collaborate with Cyber Security and Risk teams.

• Drive Zero Trust and resilience best practices.

People Leadership

• Lead Cloud Architects and Engineering Leads.

• Coach senior technical professionals.

• Build capability and succession plans.

Required Experience

• 12+ years enterprise IT experience.

• 8+ years designing enterprise cloud platforms.

• Proven leadership in cloud transformation.

• Experience managing senior technical teams.

• Strong architecture governance background.

Technical Skills

• Azure, AWS (GCP desirable)

• Landing Zones, Kubernetes, Hybrid Cloud

• Terraform, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps

• Cloud Security, Zero Trust, IAM

• CI/CD, DevSecOps, SRE

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking

• Executive stakeholder management

• Architecture governance

• Technical leadership

• Coaching and mentoring

• Commercial awareness

Key Deliverables

• Enterprise Cloud Strategy

• Technology Roadmap

• Reference Architectures

• Governance Framework

• Platform Engineering Strategy

• Technical Debt Reduction Plan

Success Measures (KPIs)

• Governance compliance

• Cloud transformation delivery

• Platform reliability

• Technical debt reduction

• Cloud cost optimisation

• Stakeholder satisfaction

Organisation

Reports to: Head of Cloud / Director of Platform Engineering / Chief Architect Direct Reports: Engineering Lane Leads, Principal & Senior Cloud Architects Stakeholders: CIO/CTO, Enterprise Architecture, Platform Engineering, Security, Operations, cloud vendors

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