Cloud/Infra Enterprise Architect || Houston, TX - Onsite || 6+ months || Video

W2 Candidates Only

Title: Cloud/Infra Enterprise Architect

Location: Houston, TX- Onsite

Duration: 6 month contract possible extensions

Interview: call with me video interview with the client

The Cloud/Infra Enterprise Architect is responsible for shaping the direction of enterprise-wide cloud and infrastructure environments, with a strategic focus on cloud platforms, hosting environments, network structure, security, technology modernization, and resiliency. This role plays a central part in developing and executing technology roadmaps, architecture strategy, and standards to ensure scalable, secure, and cost-effective technology solutions that align with business objectives.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years IT experience, including 5+ years in enterprise, cloud, infrastructure, or network architecture
• Strong cloud architecture experience - AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, hybrid cloud, and/or multi-cloud
• Broad infrastructure knowledge - networking, compute, storage, virtualization, hosting, backup/DR, resiliency, and security
• Experience defining current-state/target-state architecture, roadmaps, standards, reference architectures, and design patterns
• Cloud/infrastructure modernization - migrations, workload placement, data center modernization, and technology lifecycle planning
• Experience with architecture governance/Architecture Review Boards and evaluating solutions against enterprise standards
• Ability to identify technical debt, infrastructure risk, resiliency gaps, and modernization opportunities
• Strong cross-functional communication with engineering, security, application, operations, business, and leadership teams
• Valuable technical experience: VMware, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, IaC/DevOps, and networking/security
• Strong pluses: TOGAF/cloud certifications, FinOps, LeanIX/ServiceNow, regulated-industry experience, and Zero Trust

Key responsibilities include:

• Defining, maintaining, and communicating enterprise architecture principles, standards, reference architectures, and design patterns focused on cloud and infrastructure services.
• Developing and maintaining architectural views of current, target, and transition states across domains such as cloud, infrastructure, networking, compute, storage, backup, and disaster recovery.
• Creating and updating architecture artifacts including reference models, technology roadmaps, hosting strategies, environment diagrams, and architecture decision records.
• Partnering with business and technology teams to understand workload requirements, scalability and resiliency goals, security needs, and operational constraints.
• Participating in solution architecture reviews to ensure alignment with enterprise and security standards, cloud architecture patterns, and approved technology stacks.
• Supporting Architecture Review Boards, Cloud Governance forums, Engineering Reviews, and Infrastructure Governance initiatives.
• Identifying technical gaps, infrastructure risks, resiliency concerns, and modernization opportunities within the technology landscape.
• Assessing application and infrastructure portfolios for dependencies, lifecycle status, business criticality, and opportunities for modernization.
• Assisting in the development of cloud and infrastructure roadmaps aligned with target state architecture strategies.
• Evaluating cloud platforms, infrastructure technologies, managed services offerings, automation tools, and emerging technologies for strategic fit.
• Supporting proof-of-concept and minimum viable product (MVP) initiatives for bespoke cloud and infrastructure solutions.
• Maintaining architecture information within enterprise architecture repositories and toolsets.
• Driving the adoption of standardization, interoperability, automation, resilience, security, and cost optimization across technology environments.
• Collaborating closely with architects, engineers, cybersecurity, operations, and business teams to ensure cohesive technology delivery.
• Conducting standards exception reviews, documenting associated risks, mitigation strategies, and recommendations.
• Contributing to technology investment planning, cloud adoption strategy, infrastructure modernization, and portfolio planning activities.
• Providing architectural recommendations regarding cloud migration, workload placement, platform strategy, hosting decisions, and lifecycle management.
• Supporting efforts in cloud governance, cost optimization, service catalog management, and policy compliance.
• Effectively communicating architectural recommendations to audiences at all technical levels.
• Keeping abreast of evolving cloud and infrastructure trends, cybersecurity, automation practices, and industry technology best practices.

Essential Skills, Experience

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in Information Technology, with at least 5 years focused on enterprise, cloud, infrastructure, or network architecture roles.
• Deep experience supporting cloud, infrastructure, networking, hosting, platform engineering, and modernization initiatives in complex environments.
• Solid working knowledge of enterprise architecture principles, frameworks, design patterns, reference architectures, and governance processes.
• Proven expertise in cloud architecture, infrastructure services, networking, virtualization, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and security controls.
• Experience creating technical documentation including roadmaps, diagrams, integration and infrastructure models, and cloud architecture artifacts.
• Direct working knowledge and hands-on experience in at least two or more of the following:
  Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform), infrastructure services, compute/storage, virtualization, network architecture, hybrid cloud connectivity, identity and access management, backup/disaster recovery, observability/monitoring, infrastructure automation, security architecture, application hosting patterns.
• Strong history of collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams from business and IT disciplines.
• Excellent analytical skills and a methodical problem-solving approach.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Experience:

• Hands-on experience with major cloud platforms (Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services), along with hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Expertise in data center modernization, cloud migration, infrastructure as code (IaC), containerization, DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and platform engineering.
• Familiarity with technologies such as VMware, Windows Server, Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, Ansible, GitHub, Azure DevOps.
• Deep understanding of network technologies, including routing, firewalls, VPNs, DNS, segmentation, load balancing, and Zero Trust architectures.
• Cloud governance, FinOps, cost optimization, policy management, and security architecture experience.
• Familiarity with Enterprise Architecture Management tools such as LeanIX, Ardoq, BiZZdesign, Sparx Enterprise Architect, Orbus, Apptio, ServiceNow, and related platforms.
• Experience supporting ITSM, CMDB, Application Portfolio Management, Asset Management, or Technology Lifecycle Management initiatives.
• Exposure to highly regulated industries and/or frameworks such as Agile, SAFe, ITIL, and DevOps delivery models.
• Experience participating in Architecture Review Boards and Cloud Governance forums.

Tools & Technologies:
Candidates should have experience with a subset of the following tools and technologies: Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform), Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), VMware, Windows Server, Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, Ansible, GitHub, Azure DevOps, LeanIX, Ardoq, ServiceNow, Orbus, Apptio, enterprise architecture repositories, and modern cloud governance or monitoring platforms.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Technology, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, or a closely related field from an accredited institution (Master's degree preferred).
• Equivalent combinations of education, professional certifications, and relevant experience may be considered.
• Relevant industry certifications are strongly desired, including but not limited to:
• TOGAF Foundation or TOGAF Certified
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Administrator Associate, or Azure Fundamentals
• Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect or Associate Cloud Engineer
• VMware Certified Professional
• Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate, or Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• HashiCorp Terraform Associate
• CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+
• CISSP, CISM, or similar security certifications
• ITIL Foundation, SAFe Agilist/Architect, FinOps Certified Practitioner
• LeanIX, ServiceNow, or other relevant Enterprise Architecture platform credentials

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