Cloud Infrastructure Architect

The Cloud Infrastructure & Hybrid Architecture Architect is responsible for designing, governing, and assuring end-to-end infrastructure architectures spanning on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. The role focuses on creating secure, resilient, scalable, and cost-optimised platforms that enable modern applications, data platforms, and integration workloads.

Operating in a consulting and systems-integration context, this architect ensures seamless integration between on-prem platforms and hyperscaler cloud services, leveraging native Azure, AWS, and GCP capabilities while maintaining enterprise-grade security, operability, and resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Infrastructure Architecture

• Design hybrid architectures combining:

o On-premises data centres

o Private cloud platforms

o Public cloud services (Azure, AWS, GCP)

• Support cloud-first, hybrid-by-design, and multi-cloud strategies
• Ensure secure and performant connectivity between on-prem and cloud environments
• Enable gradual modernisation and legacy transformation through hybrid patterns

Hyperscaler-Native Integration & Connectivity

· Design and govern hybrid integration using native hyperscaler tooling, including:

Microsoft Azure

· Azure ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway

· Azure Virtual WAN, Azure Firewall, Azure Load Balancer

· Azure Arc for hybrid and multi-cloud management

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

· AWS Direct Connect, Site-to-Site VPN

· AWS Transit Gateway

· AWS Outposts for on-prem AWS workloads

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

· Cloud Interconnect, Cloud VPN

· Network Connectivity Center

· Anthos for hybrid and multi-cloud management

· Ensure low-latency, resilient, and secure connectivity for hybrid workloads

Cloud Landing Zones & Platform Foundations

• Design and implement landing zones across cloud providers, covering:

o Identity and access integration with on-prem IAM

o Network segmentation and security zoning

o Subscription / account and environment structures

• Standardise environments (DEV / TEST / UAT / PROD) across hybrid landscapes
• Ensure platforms are consistent, repeatable, and auditable

Security-by-Design & Defendable Infrastructure

• Embed security-by-design principles across hybrid architectures
• Design network isolation, segmentation, encryption, and secure routing
• Align infrastructure design with Zero Trust and enterprise security architecture
• Reduce attack surface across on-prem and cloud boundaries
• Ensure hybrid designs are defendable against cyber and operational threats

Resilience, Availability & Disaster Recovery

• Design architectures for high availability and fault tolerance across hybrid setups
• Define backup, recovery, and DR strategies spanning on-prem and cloud
• Support regional and zonal resilience on hyperscaler platforms
• Ensure architectures can withstand:

o Hardware and cloud service failures

o Network disruptions

o Data centre or regional outages

Cost Optimisation & Operational Excellence

• Design hybrid platforms with cost efficiency and transparency in mind
• Apply FinOps principles across cloud and hybrid environments
• Support sizing, scaling, and workload placement decisions
• Ensure platforms are observable, operable, and supportable

Governance, Assurance & Consulting Advisory

• Define infrastructure architecture standards, patterns, and guardrails
• Review and approve hybrid and cloud designs across programs
• Support audits, compliance, and regulatory requirements
• Act as a trusted cloud and infrastructure advisor to client stakeholders
• Mentor engineers and junior architects across delivery teams

Qualifications and Experience

Experience

• 12–18+ years of overall IT experience
• 8–12+ years in infrastructure, cloud, or hybrid architecture roles
• Strong experience in consulting or systems-integration organisations
• Proven track record designing on-prem + cloud hybrid platforms
• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise and regulated environments

Core Skills & Expertise

• Deep knowledge of:

o Azure, AWS, and GCP infrastructure services

o Hybrid networking and connectivity patterns

o Identity, security, and access integration

• Strong understanding of:

o Landing zones and platform foundations

o High availability, DR, and business continuity

o Cost optimisation and operational governance

Certifications (Mandatory / Strongly Preferred)

• TOGAF® Certified (mandatory) or equivalent architecture certification
• Hyperscaler certifications (strongly preferred):

o Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert

o AWS Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional)

o Google Professional Cloud Architect

• FinOps or cloud cost-management certifications (desirable