Cloud Platform Security Architect

Role Title: Cloud Platform Security Architect

Duration: 3 month initial contract

Location: London. Hybrid, 2 days per week onsite

Rate: up to £506 p/d Umbrella inside IR35

Role purpose / summary

Job Description:

The Cloud Platform & Security Architect is responsible for defining and governing the architecture of FSCS cloud, hybrid infrastructure and security platforms. The role provides strategic and technical architectural leadership across Microsoft Azure, cloud platforms, networking, identity, security and resilience, ensuring technology solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, supportable and aligned with FSCS technology strategy and architectural principles.

The role defines target-state architectures, reference architectures, technical standards, patterns and architectural guardrails that guide the design and evolution of FSCS technology platforms.

Working closely with Enterprise Architecture, Information and Cyber Security, the IT Infrastructure & Security Manager, Product and Engineering teams, and strategic technology partners, the role provides architecture direction and design assurance across technology change and investment.

The role acts as a senior technical authority for cloud platform and security architecture, supporting strategic technology decisions while ensuring solutions remain aligned with FSCS business, security, resilience and operational requirements.

My Priorities - what I will deliver

Cloud Platform Architecture

• Define and maintain target-state architecture for Microsoft Azure, cloud and hybrid technology platforms.
• Define reference architectures and reusable patterns for Azure landing zones, Management Groups, subscriptions, networking, identity, compute, storage, monitoring and governance.
• Establish architectural principles and guardrails covering Azure Policy, RBAC, PIM, private connectivity, resource organisation, logging and platform governance.
• Define architecture patterns that enable scalable, secure and consistent technology delivery across FSCS.
• Provide architectural direction for cloud migration, modernisation and re-platforming initiatives.
• Assess new Azure services and cloud technologies and provide recommendations for their adoption.
• Ensure cloud architecture balances security, resilience, scalability, performance, operational supportability and cost efficiency.
• Define architectural direction for Infrastructure as Code and automated cloud provisioning, including Terraform and Azure DevOps.
• Maintain cloud platform architecture roadmaps aligned with FSCS technology strategy.

Hybrid Infrastructure Architecture

• Define target-state architecture for FSCS hybrid infrastructure and its integration with Microsoft Azure.
• Define target-state architectural patterns and standards for core infrastructure services, including technologies such as Active Directory, Entra ID, DNS, DHCP and PKI.
• Provide architectural direction for compute, virtualisation, storage and associated platform technologies.
• Define secure and resilient integration patterns between cloud, on-premises and third-party environments.
• Develop architecture roadmaps supporting infrastructure modernisation and reduction of legacy technology.
• Identify architectural dependencies, constraints and technical debt associated with hybrid infrastructure.
• Ensure infrastructure architecture supports agreed security, resilience, lifecycle and operational requirements.

Network & Connectivity Architecture

• Define target-state network architecture across cloud and hybrid environments.
• Define reference architectures and patterns for Azure networking, routing, segmentation, firewalls, private connectivity, VPN, load balancing and application delivery.
• Define network architecture aligned with FSCS Zero Trust principles and security requirements.
• Provide architectural direction across Azure networking, Cisco technologies, Zscaler and associated network and security platforms.
• Define secure connectivity patterns between Azure, on-premises infrastructure, SaaS services, third parties and external services.
• Establish architecture standards and principles for network resilience, segmentation, availability and secure connectivity.
• Assess emerging networking technologies and recommend appropriate strategic direction.

Security Architecture & Technical Controls

• Define cloud platform and infrastructure security architecture aligned with FSCS security policies, enterprise architecture principles and regulatory requirements.
• Define security architecture patterns and technical guardrails across cloud, identity, network and infrastructure platforms.
• Provide architectural direction for Microsoft Defender, Sentinel and associated Microsoft security technologies.
• Define identity architecture covering Entra ID, Conditional Access, PIM, RBAC, MFA, SSO, managed identities and workload identities.
• Define architectural patterns for Azure Firewall, WAF, DDoS Protection, Key Vault, encryption, certificates and secrets management.
• Define architecture patterns aligned with Zero Trust principles across identity, networks, applications and cloud platforms.
• Ensure security, vulnerability management, hardening, logging and monitoring requirements are incorporated into reference architectures and solution designs.
• Work closely with Information and Cyber Security to ensure platform architectures align with security policies, standards and risk requirements.
• Evaluate emerging security technologies and recommend appropriate architectural approaches.

Resilience, Backup & Disaster Recovery

• Define architecture principles and patterns for availability, resilience, backup, recovery and disaster recovery.
• Define appropriate resilience and redundancy patterns for critical cloud and hybrid platforms.
• Ensure architecture supports agreed recovery objectives and operational resilience requirements.
• Define reference architectures for backup, replication, failover and recovery capabilities.
• Identify architectural risks and single points of failure and recommend appropriate design improvements.
• Ensure resilience and recoverability are incorporated into architecture from the earliest stages of technology design.
• Provide architectural direction for the evolution of FSCS disaster recovery capabilities.

Architecture Governance & Design Authority

• Act as a key member of the Technology Design Authority and relevant architecture governance forums.
• Define and maintain cloud platform, infrastructure and security architecture principles, standards, reference architectures and patterns.
• Provide architectural review and design assurance for technology solutions and major changes.
• Ensure proposed solutions align with enterprise architecture, technology strategy, security requirements and approved architecture standards.
• Define and assure non-functional architectural requirements covering availability, resilience, performance, scalability, security, supportability and cost efficiency
• Identify and document architectural risks, dependencies, constraints and technical debt.
• Review architectural exceptions and provide recommendations on appropriate treatment.
• Maintain architecture decision records and other relevant architecture documentation.
• Provide architecture assurance throughout the technology delivery lifecycle.
• Work with Enterprise Architecture to ensure domain architecture remains aligned with FSCS enterprise technology direction.
• Ensure strategic suppliers and technology partners align their designs with FSCS architecture principles and standards.

Technology Strategy & Roadmaps

• Contribute and maintain cloud platform, infrastructure, network and security technology roadmaps.
• Translate FSCS technology strategy into target-state architecture and practical architecture transition plans.
• Define transition architectures and sequencing required to move from current-state to target-state technology architecture.
• Identify opportunities for platform modernisation, consolidation, standardisation and simplification.
• Assess technology lifecycle, obsolescence and technical debt and recommend appropriate strategic responses.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and determine their potential relevance and value to FSCS.
• Provide architectural input into technology investment decisions, business cases and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure architectural decisions consider long-term sustainability, interoperability, resilience, security and cost.
• Provide clear architecture recommendations to senior technology stakeholders.

Emerging Technology & AI

• Assess emerging technologies, including AI-enabled services, for their potential impact on FSCS cloud and technology architecture.
• Ensure appropriate architecture and security considerations are incorporated when AI-enabled technologies integrate with cloud and platform services.
• Maintain awareness of relevant developments in AI, automation and cloud technologies and advise on their architectural implications.

My knowledge - what I need to know

Essential

• CCSP, CISSP, or equivalent industry-recognised cloud/security certification.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure architecture across networking, identity, security, compute, storage, monitoring and governance.
• Strong knowledge of Azure landing zones, Management Groups, Azure Policy, RBAC, PIM and cloud governance.
• Strong enterprise networking and security knowledge, including routing, segmentation, firewalls, VPNs and private connectivity.
• Advanced knowledge of Active Directory, Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, SSO, certificates and authentication technologies.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Zero Trust and cloud security architecture.
• Strong understanding of hybrid infrastructure, resilience, backup and disaster recovery architecture.
• Good practical understanding of Infrastructure as Code, including Terraform, Azure DevOps and automated cloud deployment.
• Understanding of AI-enabled technologies and associated architecture and security considerations.
• Strong knowledge of architecture governance, design assurance, reference architectures and technical standards.
• Strong analytical, communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience
• Extensive experience designing and assuring cloud platform, security and hybrid infrastructure architectures in complex enterprise environments.
• Proven experience in a senior architecture role, with strong expertise in Microsoft Azure, networking, identity, governance, resilience and platform security.
• Experience developing target-state architectures, reference architectures, standards and reusable architectural patterns.
• Experience providing architecture assurance through design-authority or architecture-governance processes.
• Experience supporting cloud migration, modernisation, re-platforming and technology transformation initiatives.
• Experience identifying and managing architectural risk, technical debt, lifecycle and obsolescence.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and automated cloud deployment, including Terraform and Azure DevOps.
• Experience assessing AI-enabled technologies from an architecture and security perspective.
• Experience working across Enterprise Architecture, Information and Cyber Security, Product, Engineering, operational teams, suppliers and managed-service partners.
• Experience communicating complex architecture decisions, risks and options to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience producing technology roadmaps, architecture documentation and decision records.
• Experience working within a regulated environment.

Desirable

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or demonstrable equivalent expertise.
• TOGAF or equivalent architecture framework knowledge.
• Additional relevant certifications such as Microsoft Azure Security Engineer, CCNP or HashiCorp Terraform Associate.
• Experience with FinOps and cloud cost-optimisation practices.
• Knowledge of AI governance, responsible AI and emerging AI security considerations.
• Experience with enterprise architecture modelling and documentation tools.
• Knowledge of Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and wider cloud security technologies
• Experience with SIEM/SOAR technologies beyond Microsoft Sentinel.

All profiles will be reviewed against the required skills and experience. Due to the high number of applications we will only be able to respond to successful applicants in the first instance. We thank you for your interest and the time taken to apply!

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