Azure Architect - Professional Services

Rackspace is a leading global professional services company and is a recognised leader in cloud transformation and managed services. As a professional services team we provide expertise for leading applications, data architectures and technologies, and security best practices – across every major cloud platform. Using multi-skilled approaches towards services, we help organisations modernise their infrastructure estates, ensure solutions are ‘secure by design’ and deploy everything on the right cloud infrastructure for maximum effectiveness.                                                                        We are seeking a Professional Services Delivery Architect covering all of the lifecycle elements of Architecture / Design, Consulting and hands on delivery for customer projects relating to Microsoft Azure. Delivering cloud transformational outcomes into Rackspace’s clients, you will be working at the forefront of technology whilst driving innovation across multiple cloud services and solutions providing strong, hands on technical skills.  You will use your experience, architectural and consulting skills to understand, shape and deliver against our customers’ requirements.You’ll be a strong technical expert, with experience on complex projects from inception to delivery. Delivering existing and new automated, secure and robust cloud infrastructure solutions. Using your deep technical expertise, you will help customers on their journey to the cloud and new platforms.  Pre-templated landing zones, management environments and tooling can give a quick start to the path to Azure but multiple areas for technical design, hands on and consulting will be required along the way to ensure success.  Whilst it is desirable to have as many of the skills outlined below, a strong, positive work ethic to learning new skills with a solid experience foundation would be an excellent framework for the successful candidate.

Role Responsibilites

• Producing design documents such as HLD’s and LLD’s
• Leading the technical direction for assigned customer engagements
• Provide consultant services for Customers
• Build out of new customer cloud solutions using cloud native components underpinned by Microsoft Azure product or private cloud on VMWare
• Migrating on premise infrastructure to Azure
• Consulting on projects directly with customers
• Ensure designs / projects for proposed systems, networks, applications, and software designs adhere to customer requirements
• Partner with customer IT teams to identify additional opportunities 

Person Specification

• Specialist experience with Microsoft Azure & Public Cloud engagements
• Proven experience of designing and architecting environments, including IaaS and PaaS.
• Demonstrable experience deploying enterprise workloads to Azure.
• Experience building cloud automation with ARM templates would be a bonus
• Knowledge of at least one other cloud hosting solution in addition to Azure (e.g. Google, AWS) would be a bonus
• Extensive knowledge of DevOps methodologies - application delivery pipeline Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment.
• Strong notions of security best practices (e.g. using IAM Roles, KMS, etc.)
• Previous exposure to large-scale system design.
• Maintains an in-depth knowledge of cloud related technologies and can articulate best practice approaches and practices.
• Strong communication skills, customer facing experience desirable.
•  Ability to build a strong rapport with customer and internal support teams in a Managed services environment.
• Technical achiever with a strong work ethic, creative, collaborative, team player.
• Brief senior leadership and end users at varying levels of familiarity with cloud technologies, about the technology selections, best practices, and benefits.
• Work independently in an agile Kanban environment to complete tasks, report status, identify blockers, and pro-actively resolve issues.
• Communicate clearly in written and verbal form with varying audiences of developers, BAs and other stakeholders.
• Ability to present architecture to clients of varying levels, from Developers, Business Analysts and Senior Client Leadership.
• Problem Solving: Ability to analyze and resolve complex infrastructure resource and application deployment issues. Including TS distributed systems.
• Self-starter, with an ability to pick up new Cloud technology and scripting technologies.
• Microsoft Azure Certification or relevant specific skilled platform / technology certification
• #LI-JH1
• #LI-Remote

About Rackspace TechnologyWe are the multicloud solutions experts. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent. Join us on our mission to embrace technology, empower customers and deliver the future.  More on Rackspace TechnologyThough we’re all different, Rackers thrive through our connection to a central goal: to be a valued member of a winning team on an inspiring mission. We bring our whole selves to work every day. And we embrace the notion that unique perspectives fuel innovation and enable us to best serve our customers and communities around the globe. We welcome you to apply today and want you to know that we are committed to offering equal employment opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender reassignment or identity or expression, genetic information, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, military or veteran status, nationality, ethnic or national origin, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any legally protected characteristic. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.