Azure Cloud Architect

Title: Principal Azure Cloud Transformation Architect

Job Type: Contract to hire

Location: Aurora, CO (Hybrid - onsite once per week)

Pay Range: $80-$100/hour (can be open based on experience)

Summary

We are seeking a senior‑level Azure expert to lead a large‑scale transformation from a fully Google‑based environment to the Microsoft cloud ecosystem. This role requires a rare combination of deep hands‑on technical expertise and the ability to influence, align, and gain trust across technical teams and senior leadership.

The ideal candidate has personally led a cloud migration from GCP to Azure starting from zero, understands the Microsoft ecosystem beyond infrastructure, and can clearly articulate the business value of moving to Azure. This individual will define the cloud strategy, design and build Azure from the ground up, and guide teams through a modern Microsoft‑first operating model.

Responsibilities

Azure Architecture & Platform Design

• Architect, build, and govern Azure environments from scratch
• Design Azure landing zones including subscriptions, governance, RBAC, and policies
• Implement core Azure services (VMs, App Services, Storage, Networking; AKS a plus)
• Establish cost management, tagging standards, and resource organization frameworks

GCP to Azure Cloud Migration

• Lead end‑to‑end migration from Google Cloud Platform to Microsoft Azure
• Migrate compute, storage, and data platforms (~1TB scale)
• Transition data platforms such as BigQuery and Cloud SQL into Azure equivalents
• Make strategic decisions between re‑host, re‑platform, and re‑architect approaches
• Utilize Azure Migrate and applicable third‑party tooling

Identity, Security & Networking

• Design and implement identity strategy using Azure AD / Entra ID
• Lead RBAC, conditional access, and SSO initiatives
• Architect networking including VNets, subnets, NSGs, VPN, and ExpressRoute
• Establish cloud security posture using Defender for Cloud and Azure Policy

Microsoft Ecosystem Enablement

• Support transition from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365
• Provide architectural guidance for Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive
• Understand end‑user productivity, identity federation, and collaboration tooling
• Advise on Microsoft business applications (Power Apps, Power Automate)

Data, Analytics & Reporting

• Design scalable Azure data platforms using Data Factory, Synapse, and Fabric
• Enable improved reporting and analytics using Power BI
• Streamline data pipelines to support better business insight and decision‑making

Engineering Execution

• Build and automate infrastructure using IaC (Terraform, Bicep, or ARM)
• Implement CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions
• Maintain hands‑on ownership of architecture and deployment standards

Leadership & Stakeholder Influence

• Clearly explain the business case for Azure over GCP
• Address resistance from Google‑centric IT teams and stakeholders
• Align IT, security, leadership, and cross‑functional business units
• Operate comfortably in ambiguity and define future‑state cloud roadmaps
• Partner with leadership to identify future skill gaps and hiring needs

Skills

• Proven Azure architecture and build experience (from zero)
• Documented GCP Azure migration leadership (not theoretical)

• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, or military or veteran status. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.