Azure Solutions Architect

About us: Alif Cloud IT Consulting is a leading provider of Microsoft Services Globally, Working with Microsoft and Distributors directly. Majorly focused on Cloud and Security solutions. We are seeking a highly experienced and skilled Azure Solution Architect to join our dynamic team and lead the design and implementation of Azure-based solutions. Lead the team Project initiation and delivery.

Job Overview:

As an Azure Solutions Architect, you will be the subject matter expert in your target focus area and contribute to a variety of cloud engineering teams to deliver end-to-end cloud transformation for our customers, as part of our fast-growing Azure Practice. This challenging role requires significant knowledge and experience across many facets of cloud technology including Cloud Infrastructure, Application Modernization & Development, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, Containers and Modern Data Services – all while understanding the Governance, Security, Monitoring and Cost Management aspects of the Azure ecosystem. We are looking for disciplined consultants with deep technical backgrounds, experience building world-class cloud solutions and strong leadership skills.

The core responsibility of this role is to provide Azure architectural vision and implementation expertise throughout the assessment, proposal, design, implementation and operational phases of a customer engagement. You will work alongside Proficient resources to serve all needs within the Microsoft Azure cloud, heavily leverage Azure native services for migration and modernization and enable open source and third-party solutions on Azure infrastructure. The role often results in the Solutions Architect becoming the trusted, technical face of the engagement; strong leadership and consulting skills are necessary. Successful candidates must be willing to multitask and understand that customer engagements will vary over time and must maintain and evolve skillsets to meet those needs.

Technology Capabilities:

• Familiarity of principles summarized in the Azure Cloud Adoption and Well-Architected Frameworks is desired
• Solid experience developing infrastructure architecture, networking and security components at scale
• Applicable knowledge of principles summarized in the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework
• Expert-level technical design and thought leadership of Azure assessment and implementation engagements.
• Lead elaboration and discovery sessions to inform solution design, migration and modernization strategy
• Lead architecture design, infrastructure foundations, component and design thinking sessions with customers.
• Proven experience with a deep understanding of the following cloud platform technologies is strongly desired:
• IaaS: Compute (virtual machines via Windows & Linux), Storage (blob, file, managed disk), Networking (virtual networks, peering, routing) and Security (network security, auditing/logging, policy/compliance)
• PaaS: App Service/App Service Environment, Traffic Manager, Front Door, App Gateway, Load Balancer, Serverless SQL, Managed Instance SQL.
• Cloud Networking: Virtual WAN/VWAN, Secure Hub, Azure Firewall, NVA, Virtual Networks, NSG, Traffic Analytics, Hybrid Networking.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, AKS, OpenShift or ARO container platforms.
• Working knowledge of Azure DevOps, ARM Templates, Azure Policies, Azure Blueprints.
• Working knowledge of Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Cost Management or equivalent tooling.
• Understanding of data services including Cosmos DB, Azure SQL Database, Data Lake, Data bricks, Data Factory, Synapse and when to use each.
• ​Provide guidance on Network Security, Azure Policy and Blueprints, Azure Monitor and Azure Security and governance-compliance mechanisms in general.
• Support IaaS migration & implementation via Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix, and VMware
• Support application & data migrations and PaaS modernization
• Design and implement Azure infrastructure to support 3rd party solutions (e.g., Sitecore on Azure)
• Ability to produce high quality architecture diagrams and documents to communicate thoroughness of vision for system component topology, design, networking and security of proposed solutions
• Ensure that the established process is followed on assigned projects and maintain familiarity with industry best practices including:
• Cloud virtual network segregation and service isolation
• Web Application Firewall configuration and implementation
• System reliability and regional redundancy
• Zero Trust security design and implementation
• Automated system auditing, logging and monitoring
• Good understanding in designing and implementing platform infrastructure for web services and applications is desired. Extra consideration is given to those candidates that have experience in this area with large scale, high performance and highly redundant solutions.
• Understands Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery design principles, methodologies and tooling options. The ideal candidate should be able to define and demonstrate BCDR (Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery) solutions
• Candidates may have a focus area in either Azure Foundations, Azure Application Modernization or Azure Data Services.
• Working knowledge of Azure DevOps, ARM Templates, Azure Policies, Azure Blueprints
• Working knowledge of Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Cost Management or equivalent tooling
• Understanding of data services including Cosmos DB, Azure SQL Database, Data Lake, Data bricks, Data Factory, Synapse and when to use each
• Provide guidance on Network Security, Azure Policy and Blueprints, Azure Monitor and Azure Security and governance-compliance mechanisms in general.
• Support IaaS migration & implementation via Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix, and VMware

Azure Foundations:

• Preferred experience in platform automation methodologies and tooling (Blueprint, Template, JSON/YAML/Bicep)
• Designing Azure Identity and Role Based Access Control
• Designing Azure Platform Protection and Network Segregation
• Managing Azure Security and Optimization for infrastructure workloads

Azure Application Modernization:

• Implementation of Azure Web Apps, Function Apps, and development on these platforms
• Designing solutions that utilize Azure Cosmos Database, Azure Storage Account, and other services
• Designing solutions that utilize Azure integration services such as EventGrid, EventHub, and ServiceBus
• Managing Azure Security and Azure Identity in applications and workloads

Azure Data Services:

• Preferred experience with Azure Data services such as Data Factory, Data Bricks and Data Lake
• Design and development of data transformation, migration and manipulation pipelines
• Manage Azure Security and optimize for data pipeline and workload needs.
• Design Analytics and reporting solutions using Azure Data Bricks, Power BI, Tableau, or other systems

Requirements

• 5+ years of enterprise architecture, infrastructure and/or solution delivery experience and a Bachelor of Computer Science, MIS or equivalent degree; without a degree, three additional years of relevant professional experience (8+ years in total)
• 3+ years delivering enterprise solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform
• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is required (or achievable by the candidate within the first six months)
• Demonstrable record of accomplishment in leading and managing successful client engagements.
• Experienced understanding in structuring and leading team resources to ensure a high probability of successful engagements.
• Deep dedication to managing time while balancing several simultaneous project engagements
• Collaborate with project managers and customers to develop backlogs based off the solution design
• Serve as primary point of contact for customers including issue escalation, new feature requests and occasionally project backlog problem resolution
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodology
• Sufficient depth and breadth of technical knowledge to be individually responsible for the design and scope of deliverables within a field of expertise
• Able to communicate and present complex issues with preciseness, assurance and confidence with client representatives including management and C-suite level
• Passion for technology and a high technical aptitude
• Self-sufficient, high integrity, more than just competent
• Demonstrates the use of consulting skills including questioning, listening, ideas development, permission and rapport, and influencing
• Ability to conduct/lead oral status/technical interchange meetings with clients – serve as primary point of contact for customers including issue escalation, new feature requests, and occasionally complaints
• Owns and produces customer documentation. Ability to translate technical details into concise and easy to understand written form
• Ability to translate requirements from client meetings into requirements documents and proposal presentations

Benefits

• Competitive salary in the range of upto 35k dollar per year based on experience.
• Health Insurance
• Holidays as per government norms
• Attractive incentives