Principal Cloud Solutions Architect (AWS)

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remuneration package

Fully remote work

Medical and wellness programs

Remote work stipend

Continuous learning and certifications

Collaborative culture

Home office setup contribution

Stock options

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Principal Cloud Solutions Architect to lead design and implementation of scalable, secure AWS-based infrastructure. This remote SA role offers the chance to shape cloud strategy, drive adoption of AWS services, and partner with cross-functional teams across South Africa.

You will mentor engineers, optimize costs, and define IaC frameworks with Terraform or CloudFormation, ensuring high availability and compliance in a remote-first environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
• 10+ years of IT infrastructure experience with strong cloud architecture focus.
• Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, VPC, RDS, Lambda, IAM, EKS, CloudFormation).
• Proven track record designing large-scale, highly available cloud solutions with security and compliance awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and architecture of cloud-native solutions on AWS.
• Develop and document cloud architecture strategies, roadmaps, and best practices.
• Provide leadership on cloud adoption, migration, and optimization initiatives.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations and security for robust cloud deployments.
• Define and implement infrastructure as code using Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Evaluate new AWS services to enhance solutions.
• Optimize environments for performance, cost, and reliability.
• Develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Mentor engineering teams on cloud best practices and patterns.
• Act as a subject matter expert for AWS across the organization.

Skills

AWS architecture

Terraform

CloudFormation

Python

Docker

Kubernetes

Networking

Security/compliance

Leadership

IaC

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/Engineering/IT

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for a visionary Principal Cloud Solutions Architect to lead the design and implementation of highly scalable, resilient, and secure cloud infrastructure solutions. This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere in South Africa. You will be at the forefront of defining cloud strategy, driving adoption of AWS services, and ensuring our client's technological infrastructure meets the demands of a rapidly evolving digital landscape. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, and a passion for innovation. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business requirements into robust technical architectures, focusing on automation, cost optimization, and operational excellence. This is an exceptional opportunity to make a significant impact in a remote-first environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and architecture of cloud-native solutions on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Develop and document comprehensive cloud architecture strategies, roadmaps, and best practices.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance on cloud adoption, migration, and optimization initiatives.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and security teams to ensure robust, scalable, and secure cloud deployments.
• Define and implement infrastructure as code (IaC) using tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Evaluate and recommend new AWS services and technologies to enhance existing solutions.
• Optimize cloud environments for performance, cost-efficiency, and reliability.
• Develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans for cloud infrastructure.
• Mentor and educate engineering teams on cloud best practices and architectural patterns.
• Act as a subject matter expert for AWS and cloud computing across the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, with a significant focus on cloud architecture and design.
• Extensive hands-on experience with AWS services (e.g., EC2, S3, VPC, RDS, Lambda, IAM, EKS, CloudFormation).
• Proven experience in designing and implementing large-scale, highly available, and fault-tolerant cloud solutions.
• Strong understanding of networking concepts, security principles, and compliance requirements in the cloud.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) and infrastructure as code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• AWS certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional) are highly desirable.

Benefits

• Highly competitive remuneration package.
• Fully remote work arrangement, offering exceptional flexibility.
• Comprehensive medical and wellness programs.
• Generous annual leave and remote work stipends.
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional certifications.
• Collaborative and forward-thinking company culture.
• Contribution towards home office setup.
• Performance-based bonuses and stock options.