Lead Cloud Architect/SC Cleared

Lead Cloud Architect/SC Cleared

Posted 1 week ago by Thrive IT Systems Ltd

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Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
London, United Kingdom
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Amazon Web Services (AWS) Amazon WorkSpaces AWS Identity And Access Management (IAM) AWS Key Management Service (KMS) AWS Solution Architect Cloud Computing Cloud Migration Cloud Technology Data Encryption Encryption Multi-Factor Authentication Network Segmentation Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Security Clearance Solution Design Stakeholder Communications Stakeholder Management Threat Detection User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Virtual Desktops Virtual Private Cloud

Summary: The Lead Cloud Architect is responsible for overseeing the cloud migration and modernization program, acting as the technical authority and design owner. This role involves defining the cloud strategy, shaping the architecture, and ensuring compliance with various requirements while providing technical governance throughout the project phases. The architect will lead workshops, manage architectural designs, and ensure successful implementation across AWS infrastructure. The position requires extensive experience in cloud architecture, particularly within regulated sectors, and strong stakeholder communication skills.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Act as the overall technical design authority, ensuring cohesion across all workstreams.
  • Lead workshops with SMEs to validate requirements.
  • Own and maintain the Cloud Architecture Blueprint.
  • Conduct architecture assurance across offshore and onshore teams.
  • Chair and drive the Technical Design Authority (TDA) process.
  • Lead and validate discovery findings.
  • Develop Target Architecture and Migration Roadmap.
  • Produce cloud adoption strategy aligned to public-sector frameworks.
  • Design secure multi-account AWS Landing Zone.
  • Define SCP guardrails, IAM role model, logging, monitoring, KMS strategy.
  • Ensure compliance with CIS, NCSC, Cyber Essentials.
  • Oversee network segmentation, VPC connectivity, and DR patterns.
  • Lead architecture for virtual desktop estate.
  • Oversee FSLogix, conditional access, MFA, RBAC.
  • Provide technical assurance during UAT and rollout.
  • Own migration architecture, runbooks, and cutover plans.
  • Select pilot workloads and define success criteria.
  • Oversee AWS MGN/CloudEndure migrations.
  • Provide technical escalation during cutovers.
  • Ensure encryption, MFA, identity federation, patching, and threat detection.
  • Embed compliance into solution design.
  • Oversee security engineer deliverables.
  • Define operational model, dashboards, alerting rules.
  • Lead defect triage and tuning during hypercare.
  • Shape steady-state governance and FinOps optimisation.

Key Skills:

  • 10+ years cloud architecture; 5+ years AWS in regulated sectors.
  • Deep knowledge of: AWS Organisations, Control Tower, IAM, VPC, WorkSpaces, AppStream, FSLogix, AWS MGN, Terraform/CloudFormation, KMS, GuardDuty, CloudTrail, Entra ID.
  • Strong stakeholder communication.
  • Experience defining governance, stage-gate assurance.
  • Strong communicator.
  • Structured thinker.
  • Risk-focused.
  • Delivery-oriented.
  • AWS Solutions Architect - Professional certification preferred.
  • AWS Security Specialty certification preferred.
  • AWS Networking Specialty certification preferred.
  • ITIL certification preferred.

Salary (Rate): undetermined

City: London

Country: United Kingdom

Working Arrangements: hybrid

IR35 Status: undetermined

Seniority Level: undetermined

Industry: IT

Detailed Description From Employer:

Role: Lead Cloud Architect

Location: London, UK

Work Mode: 6 -12 Months Contract - Hybrid - 1 Days/Week (Mandatory)

JOB DESCRITION:

The Lead Cloud Architect is the technical authority and design owner for cloud migration and modernisation programme. They are accountable for defining the end-to-end cloud strategy, shaping the Landing Zone architecture, and overseeing all technical designs and implementation across AWS infrastructure, security, identity, networking, migration planning, and EUC (Amazon WorkSpaces/Citrix modernisation).

This role ensures that all architectural decisions are aligned to the functional, non-functional, financial, and security requirements, including resilience, Conditional Access, CIS/NCSC compliance, and cost efficiency. The Lead Architect provides technical governance across all phases: Discovery, Strategy & Design, Landing Zone Build, Amazon WorkSpaces deployment, Pilot & Full Migration, and BAU transition.

Key Responsibilities

1. Architectural Leadership & Technical Governance

- Act as the overall technical design authority, ensuring cohesion across all workstreams.

- Lead workshops with SMEs to validate requirements.

- Own and maintain the Cloud Architecture Blueprint.

- Conduct architecture assurance across offshore and onshore teams.

- Chair and drive the Technical Design Authority (TDA) process.

2. Discovery, Assessment & Cloud Strategy

- Lead and validate discovery findings.

- Develop Target Architecture and Migration Roadmap.

- Produce cloud adoption strategy aligned to public-sector frameworks.

3. Landing Zone Design & Governance Controls

- Design secure multi-account AWS Landing Zone.

- Define SCP guardrails, IAM role model, logging, monitoring, KMS strategy.

- Ensure compliance with CIS, NCSC, Cyber Essentials.

- Oversee network segmentation, VPC connectivity, and DR patterns.

4. EUC & Amazon WorkSpaces/Citrix Modernisation Design

- Lead architecture for virtual desktop estate.

- Oversee FSLogix, conditional access, MFA, RBAC.

- Provide technical assurance during UAT and rollout.

5. Migration Planning & Execution Governance

- Own migration architecture, runbooks, and cutover plans.

- Select pilot workloads and define success criteria.

- Oversee AWS MGN/CloudEndure migrations.

- Provide technical escalation during cutovers.

6. Security, Identity & Compliance Assurance

- Ensure encryption, MFA, identity federation, patching, and threat detection.

- Embed compliance into solution design.

- Oversee security engineer deliverables.

7. Operational Readiness, Hypercare & BAU Transition

- Define operational model, dashboards, alerting rules.

- Lead defect triage and tuning during hypercare.

- Shape steady-state governance and FinOps optimisation.

Key Deliverables

- Cloud Adoption Strategy

- Target Architecture (HLD/LLD)

- Landing Zone Architecture Pack

- Detailed Implementation Plan

- EUC/WorkSpaces/Citrix design

- Migration Strategy & Runbooks

- Security & Compliance Architecture

- Operational Readiness & Handover Packs

Required Skills & Experience

- 10+ years cloud architecture; 5+ years AWS in regulated sectors.

- Deep knowledge of: AWS Organisations, Control Tower, IAM, VPC, WorkSpaces, AppStream, FSLogix, AWS MGN, Terraform/CloudFormation, KMS, GuardDuty, CloudTrail, Entra ID.

- Strong stakeholder communication.

- Experience defining governance, stage-gate assurance.

Soft Skills

- Strong communicator

- Structured thinker

- Risk-focused

- Delivery-oriented

Preferred Certifications

- AWS Solutions Architect - Professional

- AWS Security Specialty

- AWS Networking Specialty

- ITIL

What I see is some good AWS Architecture skills but not experience of cloud migration to AWS. This is key as the role if to lead a cloud migration project.

Mandatory

  1. Landing Zone Design & Build
  2. Wave Planning,
  3. Pilot Migration,
  4. Full Migration,
  5. Hypercare,
  6. Rollback methodologies

Desirable

  1. AWS Backups,
  2. Amazon Workspaces

Note: Valid SC Clearance is preference and eligibility is also fine.

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