90% Remote: Senior Cloud Platform & Solution Architect

Our client is preparing the migration and modernization of a productive, business-critical data-processing application. Since the preferred strategic platform may not provide all required services, approvals, and operational capabilities in time, a feasible contingency solution must be evaluated and prepared. The objective is to assess suitable cloud, container, and hybrid platform alternatives and recommend the best feasible option. The selected solution should preserve existing application operations wherever possible and provide a reliable basis for the subsequent implementation. The assignment focuses on an application-specific assessment and the preparation of an actionable implementation package. It is not a general cloud or enterprise platform strategy project., * Define application-specific requirements, decision criteria, assumptions, scope boundaries, and mandatory exclusion criteria.

• Analyze the existing and planned application architecture, components, interfaces, connectivity, data flows, and operational requirements.
• Assess suitable Microsoft Azure, OpenShift/Kubernetes, and hybrid platform alternatives, including Azure data services and managed platform services.
• If required, conduct a limited assessment of suitable sovereign European cloud alternatives.
• Evaluate the technical, legal, security, data-protection, governance, and operational feasibility of each option.
• Assess the availability and suitability of technologies such as Azure Databricks, Spark, Kafka, object storage, Delta Tables, and related integration services.
• Identify required changes to the application, platform, interfaces, connectivity, identity and access management, and security controls.
• Determine the necessary platform ownership, support model, service levels, responsibilities, skills, and resources.
• Identify blockers, prerequisites, dependencies, approvals, risks, procurement requirements, and indicative implementation and operating costs.
• Compare the alternatives using consistent criteria and provide an evidence-based recommendation.
• Develop an actionable implementation package, including a high-level target architecture, prioritized backlog, roadmap, responsibility model, resource and budget estimates, and risk and dependency overview.
• Prepare management-ready documentation to support the final decision and subsequent implementation.

• Several years of senior-level experience in cloud, platform, and solution architecture for productive, business-critical applications.
• Proven experience with platform assessments, cloud migrations, target architectures, and implementation planning.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure and Azure data services, particularly Azure Databricks or comparable data-processing platforms.
• In-depth knowledge of Red Hat OpenShift, Kubernetes, containerized workloads, operators, and managed services.
• Experience designing and assessing hybrid cloud and platform architectures.
• Strong knowledge of Spark, Kafka, object storage, Delta Tables or equivalent technologies, and data-integration patterns.
• Sound understanding of cloud security, identity and access management, data protection, data residency, and governance.
• Experience defining platform operating models, ownership structures, support responsibilities, and service levels.
• Ability to assess complex technical options, identify critical blockers, and provide transparent, evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience working in regulated, security-sensitive, or business-critical environments.
• Strong stakeholder-management, workshop-facilitation, and management-presentation skills.
• Fluent English is required; German language skills are a plus.
• Relevant Azure, OpenShift, Kubernetes, security, or architecture certifications are a plus.