Job Description:

Role Summary:

We are looking for a client-facing Azure cloud architect / pre-sales specialist who can discover requirements, shape winning cloud solutions, and help clients modernize to Microsoft Azure. The person must combine hands-on Azure architecture depth with strong commercial thinking, migration experience, and the ability to clearly position end-to-end solutions to business and technical stakeholders.

Total Experience: 10 - 12 years

What success looks like in this role:

- Lead discovery discussions and translate customer requirements into Azure-led solution options, effort estimates, and proposal inputs.

- Drive migration conversations for both On-Prem to Azure and other cloud vendors to Azure scenarios.

- Recommend cost-optimized Azure architectures with clear trade-offs, TCO / ROI thinking, and governance guidance.

- Design end-to-end cloud solutions including security, networking, observability, DevOps, backup/DR, data services, and supporting tools required on Azure.

- Act as a trusted advisor to clients, sales teams, and internal delivery stakeholders during pursuits and solution shaping.

Key Responsibilities:

Pre-sales & client advisory:

- Run discovery workshops with business and technical stakeholders to understand current state, pain points, future state goals, and decision criteria.

- Support RFI / RFP / proposal responses, solution decks, commercials, effort estimates, and PoC definition.

- Present architecture options, assumptions, risks, dependencies, and recommended Azure approach in a crisp, client-friendly manner.

Azure architecture & migration:

- Design scalable, secure, resilient, and cost-conscious architectures on Microsoft Azure across IaaS, PaaS, and platform services.

- Shape migration strategies for On-Prem to Azure, AWS to Azure, GCP to Azure, and hybrid transition scenarios.

- Define migration approach (rehost, re-platform, refactor, re-architect), landing zones, identity model, networking, security controls, and deployment patterns.

Cost optimization & solution completeness:

- Work with clients to optimize existing or proposed cloud spend through right-sizing, architecture choices, reservations / savings options, governance, and cost visibility practices.

- Recommend the complete set of services and tools needed for the chosen Azure solution, including security, monitoring, CI/CD, backup/DR, integration, and data services.

- Articulate business case, TCO / ROI, and modernization benefits for Azure migration and cloud optimization programs.

Internal collaboration:

- Work closely with sales, delivery, DevOps, infra, app modernization, security, and partner teams to ensure proposed solutions are feasible and competitive.

- Contribute reusable solution patterns, estimation assumptions, reference architectures, and best practices for the presales function.

Must-Have Skills:

- Hands-on expertise in Microsoft Azure is mandatory.

- Strong experience in solution architecture / cloud advisory / pre-sales or a closely related consulting role.

- Hands-on migration expertise in On-Prem to Azure and experience or strong exposure in AWS / GCP / other cloud to Azure migration.

- Ability to recommend end-to-end Azure solutions covering compute, storage, networking, identity, security, monitoring, automation, CI/CD, backup/DR, and integration.

- Experience discussing cloud cost optimization, governance, and architecture trade-offs with clients.

- Strong proposal writing, effort estimation, solution documentation, and presentation skills.

- Confident communication with CXO / IT leadership and the ability to simplify complex architecture decisions.

Good-to-Have:

- Exposure to FinOps or cloud cost management tooling and practices.

- Experience with Azure landing zones, IaC (Terraform / ARM / Bicep), Azure DevOps, AKS / containers, and hybrid connectivity.

- Awareness of compliance, backup, observability, and security design patterns for enterprise cloud environments.

- Experience in industries such as manufacturing, retail, BFSI, healthcare, or enterprise services.

Preferred Certifications:

- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

- Azure Administrator / Azure Security Engineer / Azure DevOps Engineer.

- Relevant FinOps / cost optimization certification is a plus