Chief Architect - Cloud Architecture

Hiring Chief Architect for Pune/Bangalore/Gurgaon Location.Job Description :Title : Chief Architect Advisory DigitalKey Responsibilities :Architecture strategy and roadmap :- Own target-state enterprise architecture for distributed, cloud-native platforms and products across multiple business units.- Define and govern reference architectures, blueprints, and standards for multi-tenant SaaS, microservices, and event-driven systems.- Establish architecture metrics and outcomes tied to business objectives (e.g., lead-time reduction, reliability, cost).Platform engineering and IDP :- Lead design and rollout of Internal Developer Platforms to standardize golden paths, improve developer experience, and accelerate delivery.- Define platform SLAs/SLOs, golden templates, and paved roads for services, data, observability, and security.Cloud architecture and vendor neutrality :- Architect solutions across AWS, Azure, and GCP with a vendor-neutral mindset; leverage managed services where it creates strategic advantage.- Define multi-cloud landing zones, tenancy models, and portability patterns (12-factor, containers, IaC).Multi-tenant SaaS at scale :- Design and operate secure, scalable, cost-efficient multi-tenant architectures including tenant isolation, entitlements, billing/quotas, and data protection.- Establish patterns for regionalization, data residency, and compliance controls (GDPR, PCI, SOC 2 as applicable).Security, identity, and compliance by design :- Embed security and privacy controls into architecture (Zero Trust, IAM, secrets management, KMS/HSM, network segmentation).- Partner with security and risk teams to implement governance, threat modeling, and continuous compliance automation.DevSecOps and engineering excellence :- Drive CI/CD, GitOps, policy-as-code, and SRE practices; improve DORA metrics and engineering productivity.- Introduce AI-driven SDLC accelerators and guardrails to reduce cycle time and increase quality.Integration, APIs, and service connectivity :- Define API strategy (gateway management, versioning, monetization) and service connectivity (service mesh, mTLS, traffic management).- Establish event streaming and data-in-motion patterns for real-time use cases.Data and AI platform architecture:- Guide modern data architectures (lakehouse, streaming, governance) and AI/ML platforms for model training, deployment, and monitoring.- Partner with data and product teams to operationalize ML/GenAI responsibly at scale.Governance and operating model:- Lead architecture governance across a matrixed enterprise; run ARBs, standards councils, and technology guardrails.- Build and mentor a high-performing architecture community of practice; scale via accelerators, reusable IP, and knowledge assets.Stakeholder leadership and communication:- Translate complex technical concepts into clear business narratives for executives and non-technical stakeholders.Minimum Qualifications:- 15+ years in software engineering and architecture with significant time in senior/principal/chief architect roles.- Deep expertise in cloud-native and distributed systems: microservices, event-driven architectures, CQRS, caching, resiliency patterns.- Proven experience designing and operating multi-tenant SaaS platforms at enterprise scale.- Strong hands-on experience on Azure.- Security and identity: OAuth2/OIDC, SSO, SAML, RBAC/ABAC, secrets management, KMS, network policies, and zero trust principles.- Container orchestration and connectivity: Kubernetes, Helm/Kustomize, service meshes (e.g., Istio/Linkerd), and API management (e.g., Apigee, Kong, Azure/API Gateway).- DevSecOps and automation: CI/CD, GitOps (Argo CD/Flux), IaC (Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep), policy-as-code (OPA), and supply-chain security.- Data and AI: familiarity with lakehouse platforms (e.g., Databricks, BigQuery, Snowflake), event streaming (Kafka/Pulsar), and AI/ML platforms (SageMaker, Vertex AI, Azure ML); understanding of MLOps and responsible AI practices.- Experience leading architecture governance in large, complex enterprises; established ARB processes and standards.- Background in regulated industries (banking, insurance, public sector) or large enterprise SaaS products.- Demonstrated ability to communicate crisply with executives and non-technical stakeholders and to influence cross-functional teams.Preferred Qualifications:- Prior responsibility for technology strategy across multiple products or business units and for P&L- or portfolio-impacting decisions.- Track record building platform engineering functions/CoEs and internal developer platforms.- Experience modernizing legacy systems at scale (e.g., monolith-to-microservices, application server migrations, language/runtime upgrades).- Experience creating IP/accelerators that reduce delivery effort and standardize modernization.- Certifications such as TOGAF, cloud provider certifications, and advanced DevSecOps/AI credentials.Key Competencies:- Enterprise technology leadership and strategic thinking.- Platform engineering and developer experience.- Architecture governance and operating model design.- Vendor-neutral multi-cloud design and FinOps awareness.- Executive communication and stakeholder management.- Innovation mindset with bias for measurable outcomes.- Team leadership, coaching, and global delivery governance.What success looks like (12-18 months):- Target-state platform and SaaS architecture defined and adopted with clear reference implementations and guardrails.- IDP and golden paths established, improving developer productivity by 2030% and reducing lead time to production.- Secure, compliant multi-tenant capabilities implemented with measurable improvements in reliability, performance, and cost.- AI-driven SDLC accelerators embedded with quality improvements and cycle-time reductions.- Architecture governance operationalized with consistent standards and reduced deviation across products/business units. (ref:hirist.tech)