Lead Azure Cloud Architect - SC Clearance

International Business Machines Corporation; Leicester Forest East; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Sabbatical program

Paternity leave

Maternity leave

Maternity returners

Private medical

Dental cover

Optical cover

Employee assistance

Life assurance

Group pension

Job summary

IBM Consulting UK FutureNow is looking for a senior Cloud Architect to drive design and delivery of cloud solutions, lead teams, and engage in pre-sales activities. You will work on hybrid cloud and AI projects for public and private sectors, with opportunities to travel in the UK and Europe.

You'll collaborate with top professionals, mentor architects, and shape customer roadmaps while supporting a flexible, inclusive environment that values curiosity and reinvention.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Cloud Architecture Design and patterns.
• Experience leading other Cloud Architects and delivery engagements.
• Advanced knowledge of Azure or AWS (multiple clouds a plus).
• Solid engineering background with cloud solutions.
• Windows and/or Linux sys admin background.
• Experience with IaaS, PaaS, SaaS architectures.
• DevOps skills for leading teams and consulting.
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of security, networks, virtualization, load balancers, storage, databases.
• Container tech experience (Kubernetes, OpenShift).
• IaaC for managing cloud environments.
• Scripting in Bash/Python/Powershell.
• Active customer consultant and pre-sales attitude.
• Fluent English communication.

Responsibilities

• Participate in various customer projects from new infra builds to migrations and big data.
• Implement configuration management infrastructure.
• Coach and lead a small team of architects and engineers and support presales.
• People line management including appraisals and resource allocation.
• Be a trusted advisor for enterprise customers and manage roadmaps with Sales.
• Manage projects from start to release across multiple hats.
• Travel readiness to UK and other European locations.

Skills

Cloud Architecture Design

Cloud Patterns

Leading Cloud Architects

Azure or AWS

DevOps

CI/CD pipelines

IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

Security

Networks

Container Technologies

IaaC

Scripting (Bash/Python/Powershell)

Pre-sales attitude

Fluent English

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

Job description

Introduction

At IBM Consulting UK FutureNow, you’ll build a career at the forefront of hybrid cloud and AI, working with leading clients across the public and private sectors.

You’ll collaborate with top industry professionals, gain hands on experience with cutting edge technologies, and deliver solutions that create real business impact. From day one, you’ll work on meaningful, high profile programmes that stretch your skills and accelerate your growth.

We invest heavily in you—supporting continuous learning, in demand skills development, and long term career progression. You’ll thrive in a flexible, inclusive environment that values curiosity, encourages reinvention, and recognises what makes you unique.

We offer:

Tools and policies to support your work-life balance from flexible working approaches, sabbatical programs, paid paternity leave, maternity leave and an innovative maternity returners scheme

More traditional benefits, such as 25 days holiday (in addition to public holidays), private medical, dental & optical cover, online shopping discounts, an Employee Assistance Program, life assurance and a group pension plan through salary sacrifice.

Your role and responsibilities

• Participating in various customer projects, from new infrastructure builds and migrations to audits and big data

• Implementing configuration management infrastructure

• Coaching and leading the small team of architects and engineers, leading delivery engagements, and supporting presales and sales architecture

• People line management such as appraisals, holiday approval, allocating work resources, day to day people management

• You will become a trusted advisor for high-profile enterprise businesses and jointly manage the customer relationship and roadmap with the wider Sales team

• You’ll have a selection of different ‘hats’ to put on and have the luxury of following customer projects from start to release

As we have varying opportunities to work internationally, some readiness to travel in the UK and other locations in Europe is required.

Required technical and professional expertise

• Hands-on experience with Cloud Architecture Design and/or Cloud Architectural Patterns for Development

• Experience leading other Cloud Architects and leading delivery engagements

• Advanced knowledge of Azure or AWS (multiple cloud providers is a plus)

• Solid engineering/technical background/hands-on experience with conceptualizing, strategizing, and architecting cloud solutions.

• Windows and/or Linux sys op background

• Previous experience in the design and delivery of systems based on IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offerings, as well as exposure to different architecture models

• DevOps skills for leading the team and consulting the customer

• Experience with building CI/CD pipelines

• Knowledge of security, network, virtualization, load balancer, storage, and database

• Container technologies experience (e.g. Kubernetes, OpenShift)

• Hands-on experience with IaaC for managing the cloud

• Coding/scripting skills (Bash, Python, Powershell, or similar)

• Active customer consultant and pre-sales attitude are a must

• Fluent communication skills in English

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK and must meet the criteria & be willing to go through Security Clearance.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.