Applications Cloud Architect

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Applications Cloud Architect to join our dynamic team building and modernizing a set of dynamic, distributed technology platforms powering the growth of a $1Bn+ payments business. The selected candidate will be responsible for leading the design, implementation, and adoption of native platform services in Microsoft Azure, as well as the modernization of our existing application capabilities. This role requires a visionary leader with in-depth knowledge of Azure cloud technologies and a passion for driving technological advancement within the organization. The focus will be on ensuring scalability, performance, security, and regulatory compliance of our cloud applications.

What You’ll Do

• Application Design and Architecture: Develop and document robust cloud application architectures that leverage Azure native platform services to meet the current and future needs of the organization and align to industry best practices.

• Platform Modernization: Lead initiatives to modernize existing platform capabilities, ensuring seamless integration and enhanced performance, security, and scalability.

• Technical Strategy: Collaborate with stakeholders to define and execute a comprehensive cloud application strategy that aligns with business objectives and industry best practices.

• Innovation and Adoption: Drive the adoption of new Azure services and technologies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Scalability and Performance: Ensure that cloud applications are designed and implemented to support scalability and optimal performance.

• Security and Regulatory Compliance: Ensure cloud application implementations adhere to security standards and healthcare industry regulations, such as HIPAA, HITRUST, PCI-DSS and other relevant standards.

• Documentation and Training: Produce detailed technical documentation and provide training to internal teams on Azure best practices and new technologies.

• Partnership and Collaboration: Work closely with Cloud Engineering and infrastructure teams, DevOps, Platform Engineering leaders, and technical product managers to ensure alignment and successful project delivery.

• Cost Management: Optimize cloud resources to ensure cost-efficiency while meeting performance and compliance requirements.

• Continuous Improvement: Evaluate emerging Azure technologies and recommend their adoption to improve business outcomes.

What You’ll Bring to Zelis

• Industry Experience: 8+ years of experience in application development, with at least 3 years in Azure cloud architecture roles. Proven track record designing and implementing Azure-native solutions, including PaaS, serverless computing, event-driven or real-time services, and containerized applications. Experience in financial services or payments platforms are a plus.

• Applied Experience: Cloud transformation of vertically integrated application stacks, architecting and/or modernizing large scale distributed platforms, stable and fault-tolerant design and deployment architectures, designing solutions to meet 99.99% uptime with 24Hr RPO or less recovery expectations.

• Technical Skills: Extensive knowledge of Azure App Services, Azure Functions, containers, compute, storage, Azure Service Bus, networking, security, and databases. Deep understanding of cloud security principles, including identity management, encryption, and network security. Proficiency with DevOps tools and methodologies, including CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Bicep).

• Certifications: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification required; additional Azure certifications are a plus.

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master's degree preferred.  

• Leadership: Demonstrated leadership abilities with experience guiding cross-functional teams and managing complex projects.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges.