Cloud Solution Architect

Shivom Consultancy is looking for an experienced Senior Cloud Solution Architect to join our growing architecture practice.

You will provide architecture leadership across cloud platforms, application hosting, container platforms, infrastructure automation, observability, resilience and modern engineering practices, with a strong focus on the Microsoft Azure ecosystem .

The role will focus on designing secure, scalable and operationally resilient cloud solutions and helping organisations modernise Legacy hosting and infrastructure through cloud native technologies, automation and repeatable engineering practices.

You will work across Azure platform services, containerised workloads, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, cloud networking, security, monitoring and operational tooling.

A key part of the role will be ensuring that architecture goes beyond simply selecting cloud services.

You will consider how platforms are engineered, deployed, monitored, secured, operated, recovered and evolved throughout their lifecycle.

You will work closely with enterprise architects, solution architects, cloud engineers, DevOps engineers, software engineering teams, security specialists, network teams, identity architects, service management teams and technology suppliers.

This role will support major UK public sector and enterprise transformation programmes within Shivom’s client portfolio.

What you will be doing

You will:

• Lead solution architecture across Microsoft Azure cloud platforms and hosted services.
• Define current, target and transition architectures for cloud hosting, infrastructure and platform services.
• Design secure, scalable and resilient Azure solutions for modern digital services.
• Architect cloud platforms supporting bespoke applications, commercial software and shared enterprise services.
• Define architecture for containerised workloads and Kubernetes based platforms.
• Design appropriate hosting patterns across Platform as a Service, containers, serverless and Infrastructure as a Service.
• Define cloud networking, connectivity and security patterns.
• Develop architecture for Azure subscriptions, landing zones, resource organisation and platform governance.
• Define resilient architectures spanning availability zones, regions and appropriate disaster recovery capabilities.
• Develop cloud migration and modernisation strategies for Legacy applications and infrastructure.
• Assess applications and services to determine appropriate rehost, replatform, refactor, replace or retire strategies.
• Promote automation and repeatability through Infrastructure as Code .
• Define architectural standards for Terraform, Bicep and automated cloud provisioning.
• Work with engineering teams to establish repeatable CI/CD and deployment patterns.
• Define architecture for Azure DevOps and GitHub based engineering workflows .
• Architect monitoring and observability as integral components of cloud solutions.
• Define logging, metrics, tracing, alerting and operational dashboard requirements.
• Architect solutions using Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics and associated Azure observability services.
• Define integration with enterprise monitoring platforms such as Dynatrace and Grafana.
• Establish standards for cloud service health, capacity, performance and operational telemetry.
• Define secure approaches for secrets, certificates, keys and workload identities.
• Work with cyber security teams to apply Zero Trust, least privilege and secure by design principles.
• Define cloud platform non functional requirements including availability, resilience, performance, scalability, security, maintainability, recoverability and supportability.
• Develop solution visions, High Level Designs, options assessments, architecture decisions and technical roadmaps.
• Support platform and technology lifecycle management.
• Identify opportunities to simplify fragmented infrastructure and reduce unnecessary platform duplication.
• Work with engineering teams throughout discovery, design, implementation and transition into live service.
• Review detailed technical designs and implementation approaches against agreed architecture.
• Identify architectural risks, dependencies and technical debt and recommend proportionate remediation.
• Prepare and present architecture decisions through technical governance and design authority forums.
• Support proofs of concept, technical feasibility exercises and platform evaluations.
• Contribute to architecture peer reviews and continuous improvement across Shivom’s architecture practice., You should understand areas including:
• Azure subscriptions and management groups
• Azure landing zones
• Azure Policy
• Role Based Access Control
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Virtual Networks
• Network Security Groups
• Private Endpoints
• Private Link
• Azure DNS
• Azure Load Balancer
• Application Gateway
• Web Application Firewall
• Azure Front Door
• ExpressRoute
• VPN connectivity
• Azure Firewall
• Azure Key Vault
• Managed identities
• Azure Storage
• Azure SQL
• Azure Database services
• Azure Functions
• App Service
• Container Apps
• Azure Kubernetes Service
• Azure Container Registry
• Azure Monitor
• Application Insights
• Log Analytics
• Backup and recovery services, * Reusable templates
• Source control
• Automated provisioning
• Environment configuration
• Policy as Code
• Secrets handling
• State management
• Environment promotion
• Automated testing
• Release governance
• Drift management
• Configuration consistency

You should understand how IaC supports security, repeatability, resilience and governance rather than treating it simply as deployment tooling.Azure DevOps and GitHubYou should have architectural understanding of modern engineering platforms and delivery pipelines.

Experience across several of the following would be beneficial:

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub
• GitHub Actions
• Azure Pipelines
• Source control
• Branching strategies
• Pull requests
• CI/CD
• Automated testing
• Artifact management
• Package repositories
• Infrastructure pipelines
• Application deployment pipelines
• Environment promotion
• Secrets and credentials
• Release approvals
• Security scanning
• Dependency scanning
• Pipeline governance

You do not need to operate as a DevOps engineer, but should be able to define the architectural principles and patterns that engineering teams implement.

Monitoring and observability

Observability is a significant part of this role.

Cloud services should be designed so that operational teams can understand service health, performance, dependencies and failures.

Experience with several of the following would be advantageous:

• Dynatrace
• Azure Monitor
• Application Insights
• Log Analytics
• Grafana
• Distributed tracing
• Metrics
• Logs
• Application Performance Monitoring
• Infrastructure monitoring
• Synthetic monitoring
• Dependency monitoring
• Centralised logging
• Alerting
• Operational dashboards
• Service health monitoring
• Capacity monitoring
• Performance monitoring
• Correlation IDs
• Health checks
• Availability monitoring

You should understand how to define meaningful telemetry and alerts rather than simply collecting large volumes of logs.

Resilience, availability and disaster recoveryA key responsibility will be ensuring solutions can operate reliably under failure conditions., * Microsoft Entra ID

• Role Based Access Control
• Privileged access
• Managed identities
• Workload identities
• Azure Key Vault
• Certificate management
• Secrets management
• Network segmentation
• Private connectivity
• Firewall architecture
• Web Application Firewalls
• Encryption
• Logging and audit
• Vulnerability management
• Cloud security posture
• Policy enforcement
• Secure configuration
• Security monitoring

You will work closely with specialist security architects and engineers rather than being expected to fulfil every security specialist function yourself.

Cloud modernisation You should be able to assess existing technology estates and define realistic modernisation pathways.

This may include:

• Legacy applications
• Virtual machines
• Traditional data centre hosting
• Bespoke platforms
• Commercial software
• Legacy middleware
• Monolithic applications
• Existing cloud services

You should understand modernisation approaches including:

• Retain
• Rehost
• Replatform
• Refactor
• Repurchase
• Replace
• Retire

You should be able to define transition architectures that deliver incremental improvement rather than assuming that every application must immediately become cloud native.

Technology experience Candidates do not need deep expertise in every technology listed below.

We are looking for strong Azure cloud architecture capability combined with broad understanding across platform engineering, DevOps, containers, observability, security and integration.

Cloud and platform

Experience with several of the following would be beneficial:

• Microsoft Azure
• Azure Kubernetes Service
• Azure Container Registry
• Azure Functions
• Azure App Service
• Azure Container Apps
• Azure Storage
• Azure networking services
• Azure Key Vault
• Azure Policy
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Azure SQL and managed database services

Engineering

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub
• GitHub Actions
• CI/CD
• Terraform
• Bicep
• Infrastructure as Code
• Policy as Code
• Automated testing
• Automated deployment
• Container build pipelines
• Configuration management

Observability

• Dynatrace
• Azure Monitor
• Application Insights
• Log Analytics
• Grafana
• Centralised logging
• APM
• Distributed tracing
• Performance monitoring
• Operational dashboards

Containers

• Kubernetes
• Azure Kubernetes Service
• Docker
• Container registries
• Helm
• Kubernetes networking
• Container security
• Workload identity

Experience with equivalent technologies is relevant where the underlying architecture knowledge is transferable, but the role has a strong Microsoft Azure focus .

Architecture and engineering alignment

This is not a role where architecture ends with the production of a High Level Design.

We are looking for someone who can work effectively with engineering teams throughout delivery.

You should be comfortable:

• Reviewing detailed designs.
• Challenging implementation decisions where necessary.
• Understanding deployment pipelines.
• Reviewing Infrastructure as Code approaches.
• Assessing platform configuration.
• Working through performance and resilience concerns with engineers.
• Reviewing monitoring and operational readiness.
• Supporting technical investigations.
• Updating architecture as delivery evolves.
• Making pragmatic trade offs when implementation constraints emerge.

The objective is architecture that can be implemented and operated successfully.Our architecture approach

At Shivom, we place strong emphasis on:

• Cloud appropriate architecture
• Secure by design
• Automation and repeatability
• Infrastructure as Code
• Platform reuse
• Simplification and convergence
• Containerisation where appropriate
• Modernisation of Legacy technology
• Resilience and operational readiness
• Observability by design
• Zero Trust
• Engineering aligned architecture
• Sustainable technology choices
• Pragmatic architecture governance
• Effective collaboration across multiple suppliers and delivery teams

Our architects remain close to engineering and delivery while maintaining the wider enterprise perspective required to prevent platform fragmentation and unnecessary technical complexity., * Understand complex cloud and infrastructure landscapes quickly.

• Define clear target architectures and realistic transition roadmaps.
• Select appropriate Azure services based on business and technical requirements.
• Avoid unnecessary cloud complexity.
• Build automation and Infrastructure as Code into architecture from the outset.
• Design platforms that engineering teams can deploy consistently.
• Define secure and scalable container architectures where appropriate.
• Build monitoring, logging and observability into solutions by design.
• Design for resilience and failure rather than assuming infrastructure will always be available.
• Ensure operational readiness is considered throughout the architecture lifecycle.
• Modernise Legacy platforms incrementally and pragmatically.
• Produce architecture that engineering teams can practically implement.
• Work effectively with cloud engineers, DevOps teams, software engineers and security specialists.
• Challenge technology decisions constructively.
• Make clear recommendations when faced with competing technology, resilience, cost and delivery considerations.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, delivery teams, suppliers and fellow architects.

Security requirements

Applicants must either hold current Security Check (SC) clearance or be eligible to obtain SC clearance .Candidates who do not currently hold SC clearance must be willing to complete the required security vetting process as a condition of appointment.

The successful candidate will be expected to work in accordance with applicable client and government security policies when undertaking assignments involving sensitive information or systems.

Working arrangements

This is a UK based hybrid role.

You should be comfortable working remotely while also attending Shivom offices, client locations and other UK sites where collaboration, delivery activities or security requirements make in person attendance appropriate.

The frequency of on site attendance may vary depending on the nature and stage of individual assignments.

Benefits At Shivom, we want our people to build long term careers while working on meaningful and technically challenging programmes.

Our benefits package includes:

• Private medical insurance
• Critical illness cover
• Employer pension contribution
• Generous annual leave entitlement plus UK bank holidays
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, subject to client requirements
• Support for professional certifications and technical training
• Continuous professional development opportunities
• Access to architecture, cloud, DevOps, security, data and engineering learning opportunities
• Support for maintaining and progressing professional and security clearances
• Career progression within Shivom’s architecture and technology leadership practice
• Opportunities to work on major UK public sector and enterprise transformation programmes
• Regular knowledge sharing, technical forums and architecture communities of practice
• Employee wellbeing support
• Company sponsored social and team events
• Employee referral opportunities
• Recognition and performance related reward opportunities, You will work at the intersection of Microsoft Azure, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, DevOps, observability, security and cloud modernisation, helping organisations move from traditional infrastructure and manually configured environments towards resilient, automated and sustainable cloud platforms.

We combine the variety and technical challenge of consultancy with the opportunity to build longer term relationships with clients and delivery teams, influence architecture direction and see solutions progress from early design through implementation and live service.

Equal opportunities

Shivom Consultancy is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment.

• Significant experience working as a Cloud Solution Architect, Azure Architect, Technical Architect, Platform Architect or Infrastructure Architect within complex enterprise environments.
• Strong Microsoft Azure architecture experience.
• Experience designing large scale, business critical cloud solutions.
• Strong understanding of cloud architecture principles and Azure platform services.
• Experience designing highly available and resilient cloud environments.
• Experience designing containerised and Kubernetes based solutions.
• Good understanding of Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, serverless and container hosting models.
• Experience designing Azure networking and secure cloud connectivity.
• Experience defining cloud security architecture.
• Strong understanding of identity, access control, workload identities, secrets and certificate management.
• Strong understanding of Infrastructure as Code.
• Experience with Terraform and/or Bicep.
• Experience defining CI/CD and automated deployment approaches.
• Practical understanding of Azure DevOps and/or GitHub.
• Strong understanding of monitoring and observability.
• Experience with Azure Monitor, Application Insights and Log Analytics.
• Experience architecting operational monitoring for distributed cloud services.
• Experience with Dynatrace, Grafana or equivalent observability platforms.
• Experience defining operational readiness, resilience and disaster recovery requirements.
• Experience modernising Legacy infrastructure or applications for cloud environments.
• Experience producing architecture artefacts including HLDs, options assessments, architecture decisions, roadmaps and transition architectures.
• Experience defining and assuring non functional requirements.
• Experience working within technical governance or architecture review processes.
• Experience working across multiple engineering teams and technology suppliers.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate architecture clearly to both engineering teams and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to make pragmatic architectural decisions balancing strategic direction, security, resilience, cost and delivery requirements.

Microsoft Azure architecture

Strong Azure architecture experience is central to this role., You should be able to choose the appropriate services based on architecture needs rather than defaulting to a single hosting model.

Containers and KubernetesExperience with containerised platforms will be important.

You should understand:

• Docker and container architecture
• Kubernetes
• Azure Kubernetes Service
• Container registries
• Container image management
• Kubernetes networking
• Ingress
• Service discovery
• Configuration and secrets
• Workload identity
• Scaling
• Resource management
• Availability and resilience
• Cluster upgrades
• Platform security
• Policy enforcement
• Observability
• Deployment strategies
• Operational support

You do not need to be a Kubernetes administrator, but should be able to architect secure and supportable container platforms and make appropriate decisions about when Kubernetes is or is not required.

Infrastructure as Code and automation

Modern cloud environments should be reproducible and automated.

You should be comfortable defining architecture and engineering standards covering:

• Terraform
• Bicep
• Infrastructure as Code, * High availability
• Availability Zones
• Regional resilience
• Failover
• Backup and restore
• Disaster recovery
• Recovery Time Objectives
• Recovery Point Objectives
• Data resilience
• Application resilience
• Graceful degradation
• Retry and timeout patterns
• Capacity management
• Autoscaling
• Dependency failure
• Operational recovery
• Business continuity
• Resilience testing

You should be able to balance resilience requirements against cost, complexity and business criticality.

Cloud securitySecurity should be incorporated into platform architecture from the outset.

You should have good architectural understanding of:

• Zero Trust, * Deep Microsoft Azure architecture experience.
• Experience designing large scale Azure platform or landing zone environments.
• Strong Azure Kubernetes Service architecture experience.
• Experience designing Kubernetes platforms supporting multiple applications or teams.
• Strong Terraform experience.
• Experience with Bicep.
• Experience defining Infrastructure as Code standards across enterprise environments.
• Strong Azure DevOps experience.
• Experience with GitHub and GitHub Actions.
• Experience designing enterprise CI/CD capabilities.
• Strong architecture experience with Azure Monitor, Application Insights and Log Analytics.
• Experience with Dynatrace.
• Experience with Grafana.
• Experience establishing observability standards across multiple services.
• Experience with cloud cost optimisation and FinOps practices.
• Experience modernising Legacy applications and infrastructure.
• Experience migrating data centre hosted applications to Azure.
• Experience architecting microservices based applications.
• Experience with API and event driven architectures.
• Experience delivering architecture within UK central government, healthcare, financial services, defence, policing or another regulated environment.
• Experience working with sensitive or regulated information.
• Experience supporting highly available or business critical services.
• Experience working within complex multi supplier environments.
• Existing SC security clearance.
• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
• Kubernetes or cloud platform certifications.
• Terraform certification.
• TOGAF or equivalent architecture certification.

Professional certifications are desirable rather than mandatory where equivalent practical experience can be demonstrated.

Shivom Consultancy is a UK based technology consultancy specialising in architecture, cloud, data, security, software engineering and digital transformation.

We work with organisations delivering complex and business critical technology services, helping them modernise Legacy estates, adopt cloud and digital platforms, strengthen cyber security and build secure, resilient and scalable technology capabilities.

Our architecture practice focuses on practical architecture that connects strategy with engineering. We believe architects should remain close to delivery, understand the operational impact of their decisions and help teams make technology choices that remain sustainable beyond the immediate project.You will join a growing architecture community with opportunities to work across cloud platforms, DevOps, infrastructure, integration, data, identity, security and modern application architecture.

Why join Shivom?

You will have the opportunity to shape modern cloud platforms and digital services while developing your career within a growing architecture practice.