Principal Cloud Architect

Job description

Principal Cloud Architect UK Why This Role? This is a senior technical leadership opportunity for an experienced cloud architect who wants to shape major cloud transformations, strategic bids and complex customer solutions. You will act as a delegated design authority across high-value and high-risk engagements, ensuring cloud solutions are secure, scalable, commercially viable and deliverable. Working across presales and delivery, you will influence architecture strategy at engagement level, advise senior customers and improve architecture capability across the wider team. What You’ll Be Doing Lead the cloud architecture strategy for strategic accounts, major bids, RFPs and complex transformation programmes. Act as a delegated design authority for high-value, high-risk or technically ambiguous cloud engagements. Shape enterprise cloud solutions across Azure, AWS, landing zones, migration, modernisation, security, resilience, governance and FinOps. Translate complex business requirements into secure, scalable, supportable and commercially viable architecture recommendations. Provide programme-level architecture direction across multiple projects, workstreams and technical dependencies. Assure complex solution designs and ensure alignment between presales commitments, programme architecture and delivery outcomes. Advise senior customer stakeholders on cloud strategy, transformation roadmaps, architecture options and technical risk. Work with commercial, portfolio, engineering and delivery teams to challenge assumptions and improve solution viability. Support architecture governance, design reviews and Architecture Review Board activity for strategic engagements. Develop reusable reference architectures, design patterns, accelerators and architecture guidance. Mentor Cloud Solutions Architects and Senior Cloud Solutions Architects, improving design quality and consistency across the team. Identify opportunities to use automation and AI to improve architecture productivity, assurance and reusable solution development. What We’re Looking For Essential Significant experience leading architecture for complex, enterprise-scale cloud transformations. Expert knowledge of public cloud architecture, with strong Azure or AWS experience and relevant multi-cloud awareness. Experience operating as a senior design authority across complex, high-risk or commercially sensitive engagements. Strong knowledge of cloud landing zones, migration, modernisation, cloud-native architecture and cloud operating models. Deep understanding of cloud security, identity, networking, resilience, observability, automation, governance and FinOps. Proven experience leading the technical strategy for major bids, RFPs, proposals or strategic customer opportunities. Ability to define architecture roadmaps, solution options, reference architectures, design patterns and governance approaches. Strong understanding of platform engineering, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code and operational service transition. Ability to balance customer outcomes, technical quality, cost, risk, delivery practicality and long-term operability. Confidence presenting complex architecture recommendations to senior customer and internal stakeholders. Strong commercial awareness, including scope, assumptions, dependencies, delivery models and technical risk. Experience influencing multidisciplinary teams through technical authority, expertise and trust. Desirable Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, including AZ-305. AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Professional. TOGAF or an equivalent enterprise, solution or security architecture qualification. FinOps, cloud governance, cloud security, AI or programme architecture credentials. Experience supporting an Architecture Review Board or formal architecture assurance process. Experience creating reusable architecture assets, accelerators and standardised design patterns. Experience mentoring or developing senior cloud and solution architects. Public speaking, technical thought leadership or architecture community leadership experience. Why This Opportunity Stands Out Shape major cloud transformations from initial opportunity through to delivery. Influence strategic customer decisions as a senior trusted technical advisor. Work across Azure, AWS, cloud security, landing zones, migration, modernisation, FinOps and platform engineering. Lead architecture for complex bids and high-profile customer programmes. Act as a delegated design authority without requiring direct line management responsibility. Improve architecture standards, reusable patterns and technical assurance across the wider function. Mentor experienced architects and help develop the organisation’s cloud architecture capability. Explore how automation and AI can improve architecture quality, consistency and productivity. At Telefónica Tech, we believe inclusion is the bridge that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. We celebrate and respect our differences because diversity drives innovation and makes us stronger. Be yourself with us, and feel that you belong. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and identities regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We are also committed to equity, accessible hiring practices, and creating an inclusive culture through many means including TogetHer (Women's network) and our Employee Resource Groups which include Diversity and Inclusion, Telefónica Tech Pride, Neurodiversity, ELEVATE (African and Caribbean heritage network), and Sustainability. We don’t believe hiring is a tick box exercise, so if you feel that you don’t match the job description 100%, but would still be a great fit for role, please get in touch. Telefónica Tech (part of the Telefónica Group) is a leading NextGen Tech solutions provider with a highly diversified team of over 6,000 exceptionally skilled employees and +60 nationalities. We serve more than 5.5m customers everyday in over 175 countries, with a global ecosystem of market-leading partners. Global strategic hubs: Spain, Brazil, the UK, Germany. The Telefónica Tech UK&I hub has an end- to-end portfolio of market leading services and develops integrated technology solutions to accelerate digital transformation through: Cloud, Data & AI, Enterprise Applications, Workplace Services and Cyber Security & Networking. Values: Open, Trusted and Bold Trusted Partners: Microsoft: Top 3 Service Providers, Azure Expert Status, Fastrack & Inner Circle Partner HPE: Platinum Partner – FY23 UK&I Solution Provider of the Year Fortinet: Elite VIP Program – one of only 2 in the UK Palo Alto & Crowdstrike: part of our NextDefense Cyber Security Portfolio