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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Infrastructure Cloud Architect (Azure) - **Company:** TalentFish LLC - **Location:** Chicago, IL, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $160,000.0 - $200,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Applications Architecture, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Engineering, Data Centers, DevOps, Domain Name System (DNS), Network Security, Routing, Role-Based Access Control, Virtualization Technology, Load Balancing, HybridCloud, Firewalls (Computer Science), Storage Technologies, Information Technology, Hardware Infrastructure, Network Server, Vmware - **Published:** October 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.dice.com/job-detail/32b80015-547a-4d3e-91b8-30a9bd14c4de ## About the Role * A senior Infrastructure/Cloud Engineer ready to step into architecture, or a current Architect who has stayed close to the technology. * Possess a true hands-on track record and can confidently say, "I designed it, I built it, I configured it, I supported it, and I troubleshot it. Candidates whose experience is primarily coordinating migrations, managing implementation partners, or reviewing others' work are an unlikely fit. What You Bring To The Role (Ideal Experience) * 10+ years of progressive experience across enterprise infrastructure, engineering, or architecture, with a strong foundation in traditional on-premises infrastructure that has evolved into Azure and hybrid cloud * Deep, hands-on Microsoft Azure infrastructure experience, including significant Azure/on-premises hybrid-cloud work. * Strong Azure networking expertise: VNets, routing, DNS, ExpressRoute, private endpoints, firewalls, load balancing, and segmentation. * Solid understanding of networking and security dependencies across a complex hybrid environment. * Experience with compute, servers, virtualization (VMware, Azure VMware Solution), and storage architecture. * Working knowledge of identity, RBAC, security controls, and cloud governance. * Infrastructure as Code experience. * Proven infrastructure resiliency, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills in large-scale, complex environments (scale and complexity matter more than industry). * Ability to build architecture diagrams, standards, and patterns and clearly explain technical decisions to leadership. ## Description TalentFish is casting a line for an Infrastructure Cloud Architect. This is a full-time, direct hire hybrid role in Chicago, IL. * This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role that will guide our client's Azure-first hybrid infrastructure transformation as they exit legacy data centers and expand their Azure footprint. * This is an infrastructure-focused position not application architecture or DevOps spanning Azure, traditional enterprise infrastructure, networking, security, compute, storage, virtualization, resiliency, and governance. * You'll set architectural direction while staying hands-on enough to design, build, troubleshoot, and support the infrastructure yourself., * Provide architectural direction and technical leadership for an Azure-first hybrid infrastructure transformation, including the exit of legacy primary data centers. * Help transition workloads to new colocation facilities located closer to Azure regions. * Leverage Azure VMware Solution (AVS) during the transition while gradually reducing VMware dependency. * Move additional workloads toward Azure IaaS. * Establish infrastructure standards, patterns, and governance for the future hybrid environment * Personally design, build, configure, and support infrastructure across networking, security, compute, storage, and virtualization roughly 60% architecture/strategy and 40% hands-on implementation and operational support in Year 1. * Serve as a senior technical escalation point, joining critical incidents to quickly assess what changed, identify dependencies, determine where to start, and drive the technical investigation. * Develop and maintain architecture diagrams and documentation and communicate technical decisions to leadership. * Participate in the on-call rotation (primary or secondary roughly every 6 7 weeks) for after-hours emergencies. ## Related Videos - [Azure-Well Architected Framework - designing mission critical workloads in practice](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1529-azure-well-architected-framework-designing-mission-critical-workloads-in-practice) - [Shifting Stress to Progress— Understanding DevOps to do DevOps Better](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/268-shifting-stress-to-progress-understanding-devops-to-do-devops-better) - [WebAssembly: The Next Frontier of Cloud Computing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/972-webassembly-the-next-frontier-of-cloud-computing) - [Creating a routing app with Google Maps API from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/831-creating-a-routing-app-with-google-maps-api-from-scratch) - [A Technical Introduction to Bitcoin's 2nd Layer- The Lightning Network](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/15-a-technical-introduction-to-bitcoin-s-2nd-layer-the-lightning-network) - [Generating code with Angular schematics](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/129-generating-code-with-angular-schematics) ## Related Articles - [What Are The Top Skills Required For Azure Developers?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/77-what-are-the-top-skills-required-for-azure-developers) - [7 Cloud Computing Trends Coming in 2025 for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/412-7-cloud-computing-trends-coming-in-2025-for-developers) - [The 12 Best Jobs for Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/401-the-12-best-jobs-for-software-engineers) - [The Geometry of Incidents: Connecting User Impact to Architecture](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/764-the-geometry-of-incidents-connecting-user-impact-to-architecture) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Why Upskilling And Reskilling is Important For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/428-why-upskilling-and-reskilling-is-important-for-developers)