IT Architect - Compute and Storage

Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with Subject Matter Experts, IT Managers and Product Managers to define compute and storage strategies that address current and future business requirements, with Microsoft Azure as the principal cloud platform.
• Conduct strategic assessments of Azure product and service options, considering architectural principles, security, resilience, cost, supportability and business value.
• Provide technical expertise to project, product and operational teams, guiding them through complex technology and design decisions.
• Review working practices and service performance to drive continuous improvement, automation and improved customer outcomes.
• Lead and guide project and product teams in the design and adoption of secure, scalable and supportable Azure solutions.
• Establish design principles, reference architectures, standards and strategic roadmaps for Azure compute, storage, backup and recovery services.
• Champion technical excellence across the IT environment, including the use of Infrastructure as Code, automation and reusable Azure patterns.
• Track Microsoft Azure developments and communicate relevant opportunities, changes and risks to IT management and stakeholders.
• Understand the strategies of diverse business areas and ensure Azure services align with business, regulatory and operational requirements.
• Define service measures with key stakeholders, including availability, performance, capacity, resilience, recovery and cost-management outcomes.
• Provide architecture assurance for Azure landing zones, subscriptions, management groups, Azure Policy, role-based access control, monitoring and resource governance.

Key Performance Metrics:

• Ensuring IT Services are reliable and high performing, aligned with business goals
• Ensuring Azure compute and storage services are reliable, secure, high performing and aligned with business goals
• Architecting solutions that scale efficiently without compromising performance, resilience or supportability
• Embedding robust security, identity and governance controls to safeguard systems and data
• Defining appropriate backup, recovery and disaster-recovery arrangements that meet agreed business requirements
• Supporting timely delivery through clear, pragmatic and proportionate architecture guidance
• Introducing Azure capabilities while maintaining enterprise standards, approved patterns and operational readiness
• Demonstrating effective teamwork, stakeholder engagement and communication across multidisciplinary teams
• Resolving complex technical challenges across Azure and hybrid compute and storage environments
• Maintaining current Microsoft Azure knowledge through continuous professional learning and practical experience
• Using operational, financial and stakeholder feedback to improve architecture roadmaps, standards and service outcomes

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Strong and demonstrable experience architecting enterprise compute and storage solutions on Microsoft Azure
• Current technical knowledge of Azure compute, storage, backup, recovery, monitoring, governance, identity integration, networking dependencies and security controls
• Experience implementing or assuring Azure solutions at enterprise scale in complex, hybrid environments
• Production of architecture strategies, roadmaps, option assessments, high-level designs, standards and reusable Azure patterns
• Experience of Azure landing-zone concepts, subscriptions, management groups, Azure Policy, role-based access control and resource governance
• Experience providing Azure technical leadership and design assurance throughout the solution lifecycle
• Experience working with senior stakeholders to translate corporate strategy and business requirements into practical Azure solutions

Desirable:

• Relevant Microsoft Azure certification, such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or equivalent current professional experience
• Experience of Azure migration and modernisation programmes involving enterprise server and storage workloads
• Experience of Azure cost management, FinOps practices and cloud optimisation
• Knowledge of business analysis techniques, IT service management and service-transition practices
• Experience working with global services and Agile delivery teams

Personal Attributes:

• Passionate about technical excellence and the effective use of Microsoft Azure
• Strong architecture, technical leadership and decision-making skills
• Ability and appetite to maintain current knowledge of Azure services, patterns and emerging capabilities
• Able to work strategically while retaining sufficient technical depth to challenge detailed Azure designs
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex cloud decisions to technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong ability to build stakeholder relationships, influence decisions and achieve agreement across teams

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.