Cloud Architect | Manchester, UK

Cloud Architect

Job Description

The Role

The Cloud Architect is responsible for defining and assuring the organisation's cloud architecture, with a primary focus on Microsoft Azure. Reporting to the Head of IT Infrastructure, the role provides architectural leadership to support the ongoing transformation, modernisation, and optimisation of the technology estate.

The role ensures cloud solutions are secure, resilient, scalable, and cost-effective, and that they align with infrastructure strategy, enterprise architecture principles, and operational standards. It acts as the bridge between strategy and delivery, working closely with infrastructure operations, engineering teams, security, and third-party partners.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include

Cloud Architecture & Strategy

• Define and maintain cloud architecture standards, patterns, and reference architectures in line with the infrastructure strategy.
• Support the Head of IT Infrastructure in shaping the cloud roadmap, target architecture, and modernisation priorities.
• Design architectures that simplify the technology estate by reducing legacy complexity and technical debt.
• Ensure cloud architectures are aligned with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and risk appetite.

Solution Design & Assurance

• Design and review cloud and hybrid solutions, producing clear solution architecture documentation.
• Provide architectural assurance for infrastructure and application initiatives involving cloud services.
• Conduct architecture reviews and assessments, identifying risks, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure solutions meet non-functional requirements including security, resilience, performance, and cost efficiency.

Cloud Transformation & Modernisation

• Analyse existing infrastructure and application landscapes to inform cloud migration, transformation, and modernisation approaches.
• Define migration and modernisation patterns (e.g. rehost, refactor, re-architect).
• Support delivery teams through the full lifecycle from design to go-live, ensuring architectural intent is realised.
• Guide teams through the technical and organisational challenges of cloud adoption.

Governance, Security & Cost Management

• Define cloud governance models covering security, identity, networking, automation, and cost control.
• Ensure architectures align with security standards and work closely with Information Security teams on secure-by-design solutions.
• Support Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis and cloud cost optimisation initiatives.
• Promote best practices in automation, Infrastructure-as-Code, and operational readiness.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with Infrastructure Operations, Platform Engineers, Senior Virtualisation Engineers, DBA teams, and Service Management.
• Provide architectural guidance and mentorship to engineers and technical leads.
• Engage with third-party vendors and partners to evaluate and assure proposed solutions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to technology and business stakeholders on cloud architecture matters.

Continuous Improvement & Thought Leadership

• Maintain awareness of emerging cloud technologies, patterns, and industry best practice.
• Contribute to the evolution of cloud standards, tooling, and ways of working.
• Promote a culture of architectural discipline, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Skills and Experience

• Strong experience designing and delivering cloud architectures, ideally within Microsoft Azure.
• Proven experience working in complex, enterprise-scale environments.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, resilience, networking, and identity design.
• Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code and automation approaches (e.g. Terraform).
• Ability to produce high-quality architecture documentation and communicate complex designs clearly.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Experience with hybrid cloud and integration with on-premise platforms.
• Knowledge of container, serverless, and modern application architectures.
• Experience supporting cloud migration and transformation programmes.
• Relevant cloud or architecture certifications.

About Us

Our benefits

We offer all employees a comprehensive benefits package that focuses on their whole wellbeing. This includes hybrid working, a competitive base salary, non-contributory pension, discretionary bonus, insurances including health (family) and dental cover, and many other benefits to enhance financial, physical, social and psychological health.

About Canopius

Canopius is a global specialty lines (re)insurer. We are one of the leading insurers in the Lloyd's of London insurance market with offices in the UK, US, Singapore, Australia and Bermuda.

At Canopius we foster a distinctive, positive culture which enables us to bring our whole selves to work to flourish as people, and build a business which delivers profitable, sustainable results.

Based in incredible new offices in the heart of the City of London, Canopius operates a flexible, hybrid working model and is committed to providing an environment that challenges employees to be their best and where everyone's unique contributions are recognised, valued and respected.

We are fully committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.

All employment decisions are made regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion or beliefs, marital or caring status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage and welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds.

We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Please let us know if you require any information in an alternate format or any other reasonable adjustments.