Sr Enterprise Cloud Architect – AWS Governance, Standards & FinOps

Western Governors University; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 157,000 - 243,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Flexible Paid Time Off

Retirement Savings Plan

Discounted WGU Tuition

Flexible Spending Account

Mental Healthcare Services

11 Paid Holidays

Parental Leave

Legal and Identity Theft Coverage

Wellbeing Program

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking university as a Sr Enterprise Cloud Architect focusing on AWS Governance, Standards, and FinOps. This exciting role involves designing secure, scalable cloud architectures while ensuring compliance and cost optimization. You will lead initiatives in cloud governance, collaborate with diverse teams, and provide mentorship to engineers. With a commitment to expanding access to higher education, this position offers a chance to make a significant impact on students' futures. If you are passionate about cloud security and architecture, this is the perfect opportunity to advance your career in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in cloud architecture, with 5+ years in AWS.
• Strong expertise in AWS Well-Architected Framework and cloud security.
• Experience in multi-tenancy architectures and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement secure AWS cloud architectures for enterprise applications.
• Ensure regulatory compliance through security best practices.
• Collaborate with teams to integrate CI/CD pipelines and security controls.

Skills

Cloud Architecture

AWS Governance

Security Best Practices

Cost Optimization

Multi-Tenancy Architectures

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Network Architecture

Scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell)

Compliance Frameworks

Problem-Solving Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's Degree (preferred)

Tools

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

AWS CDK

AWS Security Hub

AWS GuardDuty

AWS Config

AWS WAF

AWS CloudWatch

Job description

Sr Enterprise Cloud Architect – AWS Governance, Standards & FinOps

Apply locations Salt Lake City, UT Phoenix, AZ time type Full time posted on Posted 6 Days Ago time left to apply End Date: February 24, 2025 (11 days left to apply) job requisition id JR-020455

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Pay Range: $157,000.00 - $243,400.00

Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled Enterprise Cloud Architect – AWS Governance, Standards & FinOps to lead the design, implementation, and management of secure, scalable, and compliant cloud architectures. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in cloud governance, security, multi-tenancy, compliance, and cost optimization within AWS environments.

This role requires a deep understanding of AWS security best practices, regulatory compliance frameworks, identity & access management, and cloud networking. The AWS Cloud Architect will work closely with DevOps, security, application, and infrastructure teams to establish cloud governance models while ensuring operational efficiency and security.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture & Design

1. Design and implement highly available, scalable, and secure AWS cloud architectures for enterprise applications.
2. Develop multi-tenant architectures, ensuring proper isolation, cost-efficiency, and security for different clients or business units.
3. Architect AWS Landing Zones, Control Tower, and multi-account strategies for cloud governance.
4. Optimize cloud resources for performance, reliability, and cost efficiency using AWS Well-Architected Framework principles.

Cloud Security & Compliance

1. Implement AWS security controls such as IAM, AWS KMS, Security Hub, GuardDuty, AWS WAF, AWS Config, and CloudTrail.
2. Develop and enforce cloud governance frameworks with proper security policies, access controls, and regulatory compliance.
3. Ensure regulatory compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, etc.) through security best practices and automation.
4. Manage network security in AWS, including VPC design, firewall policies, network ACLs, private endpoints, VPNs, and transit gateways.
5. Define and enforce IAM roles, policies, and permissions models across a multi-account AWS environment.

Multi-Tenancy & Cost Optimization

1. Architect and implement multi-tenant solutions with proper tenancy models (e.g., shared vs. isolated resources).
2. Implement cost allocation strategies using AWS tagging, cost and usage reports, and consolidated billing.
3. Optimize cloud costs through auto-scaling, right-sizing, and AWS Savings Plans or Reserved Instances.

Automation & DevOps Integration

1. Automate infrastructure provisioning using Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, or AWS CDK.
2. Work closely with DevOps teams to integrate CI/CD pipelines, security controls, and monitoring solutions.
3. Design and manage disaster recovery (DR) and high-availability (HA) strategies to ensure business continuity.

Monitoring & Incident Response

1. Implement SIEM solutions and centralized logging for threat detection and incident response.
2. Set up automated security monitoring with AWS CloudWatch, AWS Config, and AWS Security Hub.
3. Define incident response plans, disaster recovery procedures, and security remediation workflows.

Collaboration & Leadership

1. Provide technical leadership and mentorship to cloud engineers, developers, and security teams.
2. Collaborate with stakeholders, business leaders, and compliance teams to align AWS strategies with business goals.
3. Conduct architecture reviews, security assessments, and risk evaluations for cloud deployments.
4. Stay updated on AWS advancements and industry trends to recommend best practices and new technologies.

Required Skills & Qualifications

1. 10+ years of experience in cloud architecture and security, with at least 5+ years in AWS.
2. Strong expertise in AWS Well-Architected Framework, AWS Organizations, SCPs, IAM, and Control Tower.
3. Hands-on experience with multi-tenancy architectures and cost-effective multi-account AWS environments.
4. Deep knowledge of AWS security services (IAM, KMS, GuardDuty, Security Hub, CloudTrail, AWS WAF, AWS Config, etc.).
5. Strong experience with network architecture, including VPCs, security groups, NACLs, VPNs, Direct Connect, and Transit Gateway.
6. Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, and AWS CDK.
7. Proven track record in cloud governance, security frameworks, compliance, and risk management.
8. Knowledge of container orchestration (EKS, ECS, Kubernetes), serverless (Lambda, API Gateway), and microservices architectures.
9. Experience integrating cloud logging and monitoring solutions (AWS CloudWatch, ELK stack, SIEM tools).
10. Strong scripting and automation experience using Python, Bash, PowerShell, or AWS SDKs.
11. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Certifications

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
2. AWS Certified Security – Specialty
3. AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
5. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
6. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

Preferred Skills

1. Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
2. Knowledge of container orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker).
3. Experience working in highly regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare)

Position & Application Details

This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.