Azure Cloud Architect

Job Description

Job Title: Azure Cloud Architect/Administrator

Location: Hybrid, 3 Days onsite, Athlone

Contract: Initial 12 Months with further extension of 12 months 

Start date: November 2023 as soon as possible thereafter.

Experience Level Required: 

It is a mandatory requirement, that the Resource proposed has the equivalent of 7 years’ experience in a similar technical architectural role. 

• Experience of creating Microsoft Azure Cloud platform solutions. 
• Experience of leading migrations to the Azure Cloud.

The Cloud Architect will have proven experience in assessing, planning, designing, and implementing solutions on Microsoft Azure. This experience must cover compute, storage, network, and security.

It is a mandatory requirement, that the Resource proposed hold the following qualifications or equivalents: 

• Architecting Azure Solutions certification 
• Azure Administrator Associate certification 
• Azure Architect certification

Key Deliverable: The following non-exhaustive list of Key Deliverables are applicable to this Role. 

· The Primary purpose of the Cloud Architect role is to work with the Enterprise Architecture function. Projects will span several areas of the Department including shared services and ICT service Delivery. The Cloud Architect must have advanced experience and knowledge of IT operations, including networking, virtualization, identity, security, business continuity, disaster recovery, data platforms, and governance. A professional in this role should manage how decisions in each area affect an overall solution. In addition, they should have experience in Azure administration, Azure development, and DevOps processes. 

· Infrastructure Operations Management 

Support, Configuration & Patch Management 

• Managing Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) virtual server and desktop resources. Storage accounts, virtual machines, and virtual networking. 
• Managing Platform as a Service (PaaS) resources – Azure AD, Azure App Services, Backup Centre, Data Bricks, data Factory, Functions, Key Vault, Logic Apps, Machine Learning, Monitor, Security Centre, Service Bus & SQL Server. 
• Operating System patching and vulnerability management. 
• Application patching and vulnerability management 
• Database patching and vulnerability management 
• Setting configuration & security policies 
• Resource rightsizing 

· Identity Management 

• Azure AD 
• Azure AD integration with ADFG
• User account management 
• Single Sign-On 
• MFA 
• Management of Global Administrators 
• Managing role-based access control 

· Backup Services 

• Backup for all IaaS virtual server and desktop resources 
• Backup of all PaaS 
• Assisting the DoE in developing disaster recovery plans aligning with defined Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) metrics 

· Automation and Devops 

• Automation of routine tasks 
• Development of Azure Resource Manager or Bicep to create custom templates. 
• Automatic starting and stopping of virtual machines. 
• Automatic scaling (up and down) of services 
• Container management 
• Infrastructure as Code 

· Cloud Monitoring 

• System health monitoring 
• Database monitoring 

• Application performance monitoring 
• Log analytics and alerting configuration 

· Cost Optimisation 

• Resource utilisation 
• Forecasting 
• Billing management 

· Cloud Networking 

• Network operations, managing Site-to-Site VPNs 
• Management of network security groups and routing 
• IP address management 
• Firewall appliance management 

· Security 

• Azure Security centre 
• Identity and access management 
• Web security 
• Security assessment 
• Intrusion management 
• Encryption and key management 
• Network security 
• Threat analytics

Key Experience/Competencies/Skillsets: The following Experience/Competencies/Skillsets are applicable to this Role. 

Technical Skills 

1. DE requires a senior candidate with experience of creating Microsoft Azure Cloud platform solutions. 
2. DE requires a senior candidate with experience of leading migrations to the Azure Cloud. 
3. You must have a minimum of 7 years’ experience in a similar technical architectural role. 
4. The Cloud Architect will have proven experience in assessing, planning, designing, and implementing solutions on Microsoft Azure. This experience must cover compute, storage, network, and security. 
5. It is essential that the resource has in-depth experience in the following: 

• Microsoft Azure and its relevant build, deployment, automation, networking and security technologies in cloud and hybrid environments. 
• Azure Stack, Azure AD, 
• Experience with configuration management and automation tools 

• M365 applications and configuration 
• Azure Security and Compliance 
• Authentication technologies SAML/OAuth/OIDC and MFA implementation 
• Azure Storage 
• Azure Backup 
• SharePoint on Azure 
• Cloud adoption planning 
• AWS 
• Windows, Linux, and Oracle 

1. Experience in cloud-based platform interoperability with local on-premise systems. 
2. Ensure that the overall Cloud architecture is maintained in a coherent manner and that appropriate considerations are made for its security and quality. 
3. Ensure that the respective business, application, data, and technology perspectives are in line with the organisation’s technology and governance strategies, policies and standards. 
4. Interpret, use and apply information contained with Cloud architecture to inform a range of business improvement activities, particularly those involved in the design, development, enhancement and maintenance of Cloud systems.