Cloud Solution Architect

Azure is the most innovative platform in computing today and Microsoft is hiring Cloud Solution Architects. A Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) works within a team and drives high priority customer initiatives on Azure in collaboration with customers and the Microsoft field focused on all things cloud. A CSA drives high priority customer initiatives, leveraging Azure to solve the biggest and most complex technical challenges faced by Microsoft’s enterprise customers. The CSA is a technical, customer facing role, accountable for the end-to-end customer deployment and usage experience for Azure services. CSAs own the Azure technical customer engagement including: architectural design sessions, hack-a-thons, pilots, implementation projects and/or Proofs of Concepts.

The ideal candidate will have experience in customer facing roles and success leading deep technical architecture and design discussions with senior executives to drive cloud deployment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive the deployment of the customer’s workloads into Azure and increase their consumption of the platform by providing deployment guidance, supporting development of the customers’ cloud adoption model, and providing appropriate recommendations to overcome blockers.
• Establish deep relationships with key ITDMs, who drive long-term cloud adoption within their company.
• Identify, validate and grow opportunities to accelerate consumption in high potential customer accounts, in partnership with the sales team, by driving solution architecture for both Microsoft and 3rd party solutions
• Accelerate consumption in high potential customer accounts by providing deep technical expertise and support in one out of the following four areas of specialization: Datacenter Transformation, Custom Applications, Media Services, Security, Compliance and Privacy. Lead deployment of projects, creation of collateral, and training of sellers and partners in your area of specialization. Keep up to date with market trends and competitive insights. Coach other technical sellers to become certified in required Azure technical certifications Experiences Required: Deep understanding of cloud computing technologies, business drivers, and emerging computing trends

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of:

• Building deep technical relationships with senior executives and growing cloud consumption share in large or highly strategic accounts
• Driving decisions collaboratively, resolving conflicts and ensuring follow through
• Problem-solving mentality leveraging internal and/or external resources
• Exceptional verbal and written communication
• 5+ years of success in consultative/complex technical sales and deployment projects (where necessary, managing various stakeholder relationships to get consensus on solution/projects
• 5+ years of architecture, design, implementation, and/or support of highly distributed applications (i.e. having an architectural sense for ensuring availability, reliability, etc.)
• 2+ years of experience in migrating on premise workloads to the cloud
• Deep technical experience in one or more of the following areas: Software design or development, Application Design, Systems Operations / Management, Database architecture, Virtualization, IP Networking, Storage, IT Security, Linux
• Working knowledge with AGILE development, SCRUM and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) with one or more of the following programming languages: .NET, C++, Java, JSON, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby on Rails, Pig/Hive
• Oversight experience on major transformation projects and successful transitions to implementation support teams. Presentation skills with a high degree of comfort with both large and small audiences

Prior work experience in a Consulting/Architecture position within a software and/or services company such as SalesForce, Amazon, VMware, Google, IBM, Avanade, T-Systems, Wipro, CSC, HP, Infosys, ServiceNow, Dell, TCS, Rackspace, Softlayer

Preferred Education: Technical BS degree, Computer Science or Math background highly desired – MBA optional

NOTE: Relocation is not available for this role

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to askstaff@microsoft.com.