Principal Cloud Architect

About the role

Telefónica Tech, part of the Telefónica Group, is looking for a Principal Cloud Architect in London. 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, working across presales and delivery, advising senior customers and improving architecture capability across the wider team.

Key responsibilities

• Lead 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 align 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, and explore how automation and AI can improve architecture productivity.

Required profile

• 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 acting as a senior design authority across complex, high-risk or commercially sensitive engagements.
• Proven experience leading the technical strategy for major bids, RFPs, proposals or strategic customer opportunities.
• Strong commercial awareness, including scope, assumptions, dependencies, delivery models and technical risk.
• Confidence presenting complex architecture recommendations to senior customer and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to influence multidisciplinary teams through technical authority, expertise and trust.

Required skills

• Cloud landing zones, migration, modernisation, cloud-native architecture and cloud operating models.
• Cloud security, identity, networking, resilience, observability, automation, governance and FinOps.
• Platform engineering, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code and operational service transition.
• Desirable: Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, TOGAF or equivalent, FinOps, cloud governance, cloud security, AI or programme architecture credentials; experience supporting an Architecture Review Board, mentoring senior architects, and public speaking or technical thought leadership.