Principal Cloud Architect (Azure)

Job Description: Principal Cloud Architect (Azure)

Role Overview

We are seeking a visionary Principal Cloud Architect with over 15 years of IT experience to lead the architecture, design, and secure evolution of our cloud ecosystem. In this role, you will be the strategic blueprint owner for our global enterprise footprint, bridging the gap between cutting-edge Microsoft Azure cloud native infrastructure and SAP RISE environments.

You will own the design of highly secure enterprise-scale Azure Landing Zones (ALZ), ensuring that our infrastructure is resilient, compliant, and optimized for mission-critical enterprise workloads.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture

Design and deploy enterprise-scale Microsoft Azure infrastructure, specifically tailored to host and interface with SAP RISE (S/4HANA Cloud) deployments.

Architect robust, low-latency network topologies and integration patterns between Azure native services and the SAP RISE managed environment.

Lead complex cloud migration strategies, translating legacy infrastructure into agile, cost-effective, and highly available cloud models.

Azure Landing Zones & Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Own the architecture, governance, and scaling of Azure Landing Zones, ensuring strict alignment with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF).

Enforce "Infrastructure as Code" (IaC) as the standard delivery mechanism using tools like Terraform, Bicep, or Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates.

Establish guardrails around subscription topology, identity management, resource organization, and management groups.

Cloud Security & Governance

Embed Zero Trust architecture and Cloud Security Principles into every layer of the cloud design (Identity, Network, Data, and Workload).

Implement strict compliance frameworks using Azure Policy, Azure Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and enterprise key management (Azure Key Vault).

Collaborate with InfoSec to design robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) architectures using Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), role-based access control (RBAC), and Privileged Identity Management (PIM).

Strategy & Stakeholder Leadership

Act as the primary technical liaison between enterprise infrastructure teams, SAP Basis teams, and Microsoft architects.

Provide technical mentorship to cloud engineers and developers, fostering a culture of cloud excellence and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Experience & Background

15+ years of experience in enterprise IT infrastructure design, systems engineering, and architecture.

5+ years of dedicated hands-on experience architecting complex environments on the Microsoft Azure platform.

Proven track record with SAP on Azure / SAP RISE: Deep understanding of the RISE with SAP model, including boundaries of responsibility, integration architectures, and network connectivity (e.g., ExpressRoute, VPN topologies).

Technical Depth

Enterprise-Scale Landing Zones: Demonstrated experience designing multi-region, multi-subscription Azure environments utilizing Management Groups and automated governance.

Networking Expertise: Mastery of Hub-Spoke architectures, Azure Virtual WAN, Azure Firewall, Application Gateways, and ExpressRoute routing optimized for SAP traffic.

Automation: Highly proficient in Terraform or Bicep for automated provisioning.

High Availability & DR: Deep understanding of Azure Availability Zones, Backup, and Site Recovery strategies for database layers (HANA, SQL) and application tiers.

Preferred Certifications (High Value)

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate