Senior Cloud Architect – Technology Strategy & Governance

eXalt Fi; Lisboa; Hybrid; EUR 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

eXalt Fi is searching for a Senior Cloud Architect based in Lisbon to lead cloud migration and design secure cloud systems. This elite position involves deep technical architecture, governance, and stakeholder management in a vibrant banking ecosystem.

The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience with major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and will enforce security standards while mentoring junior architects. This role requires fluent English and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience on major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Proven background in Solution/Software Architecture.
• Expert-level fluency in English is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the move-to-cloud migration program.
• Design secure and compliant distributed systems.
• Define and design enterprise cloud solutions.

Skills

Cloud application design

Microservices

API strategies

Data analytics

AI/ML integrations

Security standards enforcement

Education

Active enterprise certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect)

Tools

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Our client is a premier global Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) institution operating at the forefront of financial technology. The Technology Architecture (TA) group defines global technology strategies, governs infrastructure standards, and evangelizes emerging enterprise solutions across APIs, AI/ML, Business Intelligence, and Cloud environments.

We are seeking a high-caliber Senior Cloud Architect to collaborate directly with the Cloud Pillar Leadership. In this strategic yet hands‑on role, you will oversee the move‑to‑cloud migration program, monitor a massive portfolio of internal and external SaaS/Cloud solutions, and design secure, compliant, and highly resilient distributed systems across the organization’s international banking landscape.

This is an elite architecture position combining deep technical engineering, cloud governance, and high‑level stakeholder management in a fast‑paced global ecosystem.

• Architecture & Blueprint Design: Define and design enterprise cloud solutions matching business objectives. Deliver architectural blueprints, reusable cloud design patterns, and reference frameworks (IaC, CI/CD) for engineering teams.
• Migration Strategy: Lead the move‑to‑cloud roadmaps, assessing the maturity and risk profiles of on‑premise and external SaaS applications migrating to internal secure cloud platforms.
• Technical Advisory: Guide distributed development squads on cloud‑native application design, microservices, API strategies, data analytics, and AI/ML integrations.
• Cloud Governance & Security: Enforce and evolve strict security standards across the Secure Development Lifecycle (SCA, SAST, DAST, CSPM), cost‑management optimization, and data‑sovereignty regulations (GDPR).
• Innovation & Mentorship: Lead proofs‑of‑concept (PoC) with emerging fintech vendors, mentor junior technical architects, and actively participate in cross‑functional committees (API Governance, AI Ethics).
• The Architect: Proven background in Solution/Software Architecture (OOP, OOAD, scalability, high availability, and distributed systems design).
• Cloud Platform Mastery: Minimum 5 years of dedicated experience designing, migrating, and operating production workloads on major hyperscalers (such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or enterprise private clouds).
• Containerization & IaC: Hands‑on implementation experience with Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, Terraform, and Ansible.
• DevSecOps Integration: Practical experience embedding automated security scanning tools (SCA, SAST, DAST) directly into CI/CD pipelines.
• Language Skills: Expert‑level fluency in English (written and verbal) is mandatory for driving agendas with senior stakeholders. Knowledge of French is a plus.
• Location: Must already be based in the Lisbon region, and fully available for a hybrid model (2/3 days per week in the office).
• Active enterprise certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, Google Professional Cloud Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or TOGAF).
• Practical exposure to IBM Cloud services (IBM Cloud Pak, Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud) or OpenStack.
• Experience within corporate banking, fintech, payments, or capital markets ecosystems.