Cloud Architect

Job Title: Cloud Architect

Office Location: Dublin 2, Ireland (Hybrid, Minimum one day per week onsite (Thursday preferred))

Contract Start Date: Early Jan 2027

Contract: 12 Months, with further extensions anticipated to go upto 3 years.

Organisation Overview

The organisation supports six independent statutory bodies that share centralised Corporate Services, including ICT support.

Its IT environment is built around a Microsoft Azure cloud ecosystem, supporting key applications such as Dynamics 365, SharePoint Online and bespoke business applications. The environment leverages Microsoft 365 security services, including Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud and Defender for Endpoint.

The organisation is seeking Cloud Architect to support the ongoing development, management and security of its Azure environment. Responsibilities include optimising existing cloud infrastructure, implementing best-practice architecture, strengthening security controls and ensuring alignment with NIS2, Irish NCSC guidance and public sector cybersecurity requirements.

The scope covers the organisation's Azure cloud environment, with coordination required with external ICT providers where cross-tenant integrations or dependencies arise.

Nature of the Services Required:

The Cloud Architect will assist the Office through services not limited to; 

·         Responsible for aligning the organisation Cloud strategy with its business strategy.  

·         Creation, maintenance and management of Cloud architecture models and their components.  

·         Developing Infrastructure, network and security designs for new and existing solutions. 

·         Devising code release management and process improvements 

·         Maintaining and creating CI/CD pipelines 

·         Improving performance management and monitoring of applications and resources, as needed 

·         Deploying guard-rails and security ring-fencing for artificial intelligence agents and /or agentic solutions, in accordance with best practices and Office policy. 

·         Participating in data solution design discussions 

Key Responsibilities:

Minimum Requirements (Mandatory)

It is a mandatory requirement, that the Resource proposed must have: 

·         at minimum of seven (7) years’ experience as a qualified Azure Cloud Solutions Architect on Microsoft technologies, providing clear evidence of supporting similar scale Microsoft cloud ecosystems 

·         skillsets in Microsoft Azure cloud solutions development and deployment, with secure access over Office 365, Exchange Online, Azure Entra ID, MS Defender and integrations with PowerPlatform / Dynamics 365 application stack. 

·         Experience of working in conjunction with and/or as part of public/civil service ICT cloud systems development and deployment teams. 

·         Experience of delivering Cloud Architecture services and solutions using architecture/SDLC methodologies 

Qualifications

It is a mandatory requirement, that the Resource proposed hold the following qualifications or equivalents: 

·         Certified Computer Science or associated technology qualification 

·         Microsoft Certified Professional (Expert), or more recent equivalent 

·         Microsoft Azure Security Architect, or more recent equivalent 

·         Microsoft Azure Security Engineer, or more recent equivalent 

·         Microsoft Certified DevOps Solution Specialist 

·         Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert, or more recent equivalent 

·         Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, or more recent equivalent 

Language Requirements

·         Fluent English language skills (C2 Proficient)

Key Deliverables

The following non-exhaustive list of Key Deliverables are applicable to this Role. 

·         Performing Security assessments and design for Cloud native security products 

·         Performing Cloud adoption assessment and well architected assessment for existing environment for gap analysis 

·         Performing feasibility assessments with the Office and developing proposals / statements of work against business requirements 

·         Clear in communication, customer facing roles 

·         Experience in managing Microsoft Technologies implementation/migration projects for both cloud and on-premises 

·         Working in multi-vendor and multi-business unit environments 

·         Experience in design, development and implementation of Client Dashboards 

·         Design, deploy, maintain and support of Hybrid Infrastructure estate across Azure Cloud, Office 365 and OGCIO-BTS federated services. 

·         Ensure ICT ecosystem and environment aligned with OMB-ICT and OGCIO-BTS security strategies and policies. 

·         Clear in communication, customer facing roles. 

·         Experience in managing Microsoft Azure ecosystem technologies and co-ordination in cloud-native implementation / migration projects. 

·         Working in multi-vendor and cross-business unit environments.

Key Experience/Competencies/Skillsets

The following Experience/Competencies/Skillsets are applicable to this Role. 

·         Microsoft Azure - Successfully completed Azure exams and certifications around Azure Infrastructure services, Azure Data Service and Azure Security and compliance 

o    Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Architect 

o    Microsoft Certified: Azure Architect 

o    Microsoft Certified: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions 

o    Microsoft Certified: Data Engineer

Experience public/civil service environment 

·         Delivering digital services transformation projects / programs. 

·         Leading design workshops and ROI analysis for enterprise architecture development 

·         Leading and implementing end-to-end solutions for secure applications and cloud portal platforms 

·         Understanding business requirements, perform gap analysis, problem solving, requirement mapping, solution designing, implementing, and customizing the product/solutions as per business requirements. 

·         Strong knowledge of Azure and AWS Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and Platform as a service (PaaS).

·         Strong Knowledge of Microsoft security stack implementations and design 

·         Experience in designing available, cost-efficient, fault-tolerant and scalable distributed systems on MS Azure ecosystem 

·         Experience with designing public cloud landing-zones for public-sector specific customer bases. 

·         Capability to provide best practices for building secure and reliable applications on the MS Azure platform. 

·         Identifying appropriate use of Azure and possibly AWS architectural best practices, especially in failover / resilience scenarios. 

·         Responsible for the architecture and automation of the CI/CD platform and cloud infrastructure and review of cloud efficiencies (reporting). 

·         Maintaining consistent DevOps approach, tools and standards, ensuring the Office’s DevOps strategy is implemented at every stage of the end-to-end development 

·         Assist in building version-control systems, branching strategies and have implemented same across life cycle of products/solutions. 

·         Expert at automation for cloud infrastructure from automating machine images to setting up of immutable instances and promoting code from dev to QA to Production. 

·         Experience with deploying and managing applications and infrastructure with scripting and infrastructure as a code on public cloud. 

·         Estimating Azure/AWS costs and identifying cost control mechanisms in the context of cloud-based solutions.