Architect, IT Infrastructure & Cloud Strategy

\r\n\r\nJob Description\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Opportunity:\r\n\r\nWe are looking for a architecture leader who can connect infrastructure, cloud, automation, migration, and business outcomes. This role sits within Infrastructure & Operations / CloudOps and will help protect our current VMware-based production environment while advancing our Azure platform, automation practices, migration discipline, and digital platform readiness.\r\n\r\n\r\nThis is not a hands-off architecture role, and it is not a routine ticket-handling role. The right candidate is a leader and thinker with the experience of a doer - someone who can run workshops, shape roadmaps, guide engineers, challenge vendors, communicate with executives, and step into complex Azure or VMware escalations when required.\r\n\r\n\r\nReason for vacancy:  Existing Headcount \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat You Will Help Us Do\r\n\r\n\r\n\tFacilitate cross-functional discovery and design workshops to translate business needs into secure, scalable, and supportable infrastructure, cloud, and edge platform requirements, and turn ideas into actionable roadmaps, solution options, and executive recommendations.\r\n\tLead architecture decisions across Azure, VMware, datacenter, remote-site, and edge environments, balancing risk, cost, resilience, operational supportability, and business value.\r\n\tShape solution designs that align with enterprise standards, security guardrails, compliance expectations, and CloudOps operating realities.\r\n\tSupport cloud governance forums by bringing clear architecture options, decision-ready recommendations, and practical implementation guidance.\r\n\tDesign practical hybrid cloud architecture across Azure, VMware, datacenters, remote sites, and edge-connected environments.\r\n\tEvolve Azure platform foundations including subscriptions, networking, identity integration, monitoring, backup, governance guardrails, and operational support patterns.\r\n\tProvide architecture-level guidance for VMware, NSX/NSX-T, storage integration, backup, disaster recovery, capacity, lifecycle planning, and production resilience.\r\n\tLead workload placement and migration planning, including whether workloads should move to Azure, remain on-premises, modernize, retire, or use a transitional pattern.\r\n\tGuide IaC standards, including reusable patterns, environment separation, state practices, code review, deployment workflows, and drift reduction.\r\n\tAct as a Level 3 escalation resource for complex Azure or VMware platform issues when senior technical depth is required.\r\n\tMentor CloudOps engineers and guide offshore implementation teams so execution is consistent, supportable, and aligned to architecture intent.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDigital Platform Enablement\r\n\r\nThis role supports digital, data, and AI initiatives from a platform foundation perspective. It does not own enterprise data strategy, analytics delivery, or AI model development.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tDesign the cloud and infrastructure foundation needed for secure data collection, aggregation, storage, integration, and analytics enablement.\r\n\tUnderstand enough about Microsoft data platform concepts - such as Fabric, OneLake, Data Factory, Event Hubs, storage, lakehouse patterns, networking, identity, and monitoring - to partner effectively with Digital Innovation and BI/AI teams.\r\n\tSupport infrastructure patterns for facility, edge, historian, sensor, gateway, or vendor platform integration into approved cloud or data platforms.\r\n\tEvaluate digital/data vendor proposals for infrastructure fit, security, integration, cost, operability, supportability, and alignment to the Azure platform.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSecurity and Identity Partnership\r\n\r\nWe have a dedicated Security team. This architect is expected to understand security and identity well enough to design responsibly and partner effectively, but this role does not own security policy, identity governance, compliance interpretation, or risk acceptance.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tPartner with Security on Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud posture, identity/RBAC patterns, network segmentation, logging, and remediation planning.\r\n\tDesign infrastructure that aligns with security guardrails without becoming the owner of enterprise security operations.\r\n\tBring security-related platform risks and options forward clearly so the right accountable teams can decide.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat We Are Looking For\r\n\r\n\r\n\tStrong architecture leadership with the ability to run workshops, clarify requirements, create roadmaps, and communicate trade-offs to executives and technical teams.\r\n\tProduction experience with Azure infrastructure architecture, including networking, subscriptions, hybrid connectivity, monitoring, backup, governance, and operational support models.\r\n\tCredible VMware and virtualization experience in production environments, including vSphere/vCenter/ESXi and familiarity with NSX, storage, backup, DR, or capacity planning.\r\n\tHands-on experience or strong leadership experience with Terraform, Infrastructure as Code, automation, Git-based workflows, and infrastructure deployment standards.\r\n\tExperience planning or supporting migrations from on-premises or VMware environments to Azure or other cloud platforms.\r\n\tAbility to guide engineers and offshore teams through implementation without needing to personally click every button.\r\n\tAbility and willingness to provide Level 3 escalation support for complex Azure or VMware platform matters when required.\r\n\tExposure to modern data, edge, or digital platform enablement patterns from an infrastructure perspective is strongly preferred.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHelpful Experience\r\n\r\n\r\n\tAzure landing zones, Azure VMware Solution, Azure Arc, Azure Migrate, Azure Site Recovery, VMware HCX, Zerto, Veeam, Rubrik, or similar migration/DR tools.\r\n\tMicrosoft Fabric, OneLake, Power BI, Azure Data Factory, Event Hubs, Azure IoT-related services, lakehouse concepts, event-driven ingestion, or cloud data platform foundations.\r\n\tManufacturing, industrial, remote-site, edge, IoT, gateway, or facility data collection environments.\r\n\tVendor selection, RFP/RFI support, solution scoring, proof-of-concept planning, SOW development, or executive recommendation development.\r\n\tRelevant certifications such as TOGAF, PRINCE2, PMP, CISSP, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, HashiCorp Terraform Associate, VMware VCP/VCAP, or FinOps Practitioner.\r\n\tSecurity Compliance, CIS benchmark, Cloud Security, Azure Policies, Micro-Segmentation, SASE, and Zerto-Trust environments.\r\n\tProject leadership, business analysis, people mentorship and management, service delivery, and financial literacy. \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat This Role Is - and Is Not\r\n\r\nThis role is:\r\n\r\n\r\n\tA senior infrastructure and cloud architecture role\r\n\tA platform enablement role for digital/data initiatives\r\n\tA partner to Security and Identity teams\r\n\tA hands-on escalation resource for complex issues\r\n\tA leader who guides engineers and vendors\r\n\r\n\r\nThis role is not:\r\n\r\n\r\n\tA pure VMware administrator role\r\n\tThe owner of data strategy, analytics, MES/SCADA, or AI delivery\r\n\tThe owner of security operations, identity governance, or compliance interpretation\r\n\tA routine ticket queue or always-on support engineer role\r\n\tA project management-only role\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nApplication Note\r\n\r\nPlease do not submit a resume that only lists tools and technologies.  To help us understand your real experience, include a short Real Experience Summary covering the following five examples.\r\n \r\n\r\nKeep each example brief — a short paragraph or 4–6 bullets is enough. We are looking for what you personally owned, how you made decisions, and what the outcome was.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tArchitecture Leadership / Business Translation Example: Describe a time you helped turn a business need or unclear idea into a practical infrastructure, cloud, or platform design\r\n\tAzure / Hybrid Platform Design Example: Describe one Azure or hybrid cloud platform environment you personally helped design, build, operate, or improve.\r\n\tVMware, Hybrid Infrastructure, or Migration Example: Describe one VMware, datacenter, remote-site, or cloud migration effort you personally supported.\r\n\tDigital, Data, or Edge Platform Enablement Example: Describe a time you supported a data, analytics, AI, manufacturing, edge, or facility-connected initiative from an infrastructure or cloud platform perspective.\r\n\tInfrastructure as Code / Automation Example: Describe one Terraform, Ansible, scripting, or automation implementation you personally worked on.\r\n\tOne complex Azure, VMware, hybrid, or infrastructure issue where you acted as a senior technical escalation point.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n