Azure Solution Architect — AZURE MIGRATION

Title: Azure Solution Architect — AZURE MIGRATION
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Onsite)
JOB DESCRIPTION: SOLUTION ARCHITECT — AZURE MIGRATION (MALAYSIA)
Role Overview
The Solution Architect will serve as the technical authority for the Azure Migration program, responsible for designing target-state architecture, driving Infrastructure as Code (IaC) development, and ensuring all migrations adhere to Azure Well-Architected Framework (WAF) principles. This role works alongside the Program Manager with escalation authority, leading the technical execution across the Migration Factory's assembly lines for applications complexity tiers.
Key Responsibilities

• Design target-state Azure architecture for each application tier (Very Simple through Complex with Data Platform), ensuring alignment with the existing Azure Landing Zone governance, networking, and security controls.
• Lead the clean build and cutover approach — architect fresh Azure provisions rather than replicated copies, ensuring a known-good target state for each migration.
• Drive the technical execution of the framework phases: Discover, Design, Build, Migrate, and Validate across all application environments.
• Own the per-application lifecycle execution: inventory assessment, dependency mapping, T-shirt classification, DAC template preparation, target architecture design, interface alignment, IaC deployment, security alignment, and infrastructure smoke testing.
• Develop and maintain IaC templates (ARM/Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines for standardized, repeatable provisioning across the Migration Factory.
• Ensure security hardening and landing zone alignment for all provisioned resources, working within customer-defined compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS as applicable).
• Architect data platform migrations for complex tier applications — ADF pipelines, ADLS containers, Databricks workspaces — ensuring recreation of data pipelines, jobs, and containers based on source configuration.
• Lead DAC submissions — prepare and present target-state architecture designs for Design Authority Committee approval, ensuring WAF alignment.
• Design cutover runbooks with rollback procedures — ensure rehearsed cutovers, DNS switch preparation, and formal Go/No-Go gates for each application.
• Validate Azure Malaysia service availability during discovery and design hybrid fallback solutions where service gaps exist.
• Assess application complexity across five dimensions: component count, data volume, integration complexity, downtime tolerance, and compliance requirements — driving accurate T-shirt classification.
• Participate in weekly governance meetings with App Owners and SMEs, daily stand-ups with the migration team, and provide technical input to Steering Committee sessions.
• Lead Hypercare technical support — drive infrastructure monitoring, alerting, issue resolution, and performance tuning post-migration period.
• Produce as-built documentation, network diagrams, configuration backups, and conduct knowledge transfer sessions for handover to operations teams.
• Leverage Cloud Migration Engine for standardized discovery, automated IaC, and batch orchestration.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of IT infrastructure/cloud architecture experience, with at least 5 years focused on Azure solution architecture for enterprise migration program.
• Hands-on experience with Azure IaaS/PaaS services: VMs, VNets, App Services, Azure SQL, Storage, ADF, ADLS, Databricks, Azure Security Centre, Azure Monitor.
• Strong expertise in Infrastructure as Code (ARM templates, Terraform, Bicep) and CI/CD pipeline design for infrastructure provisioning.
• Deep understanding of Azure Landing Zones, RBAC, Azure Policy, network security (VPN/ExpressRoute, NSGs), and compliance frameworks.
• Proven experience with large-scale migration program (50+ applications at least) using factory-based or industrialized delivery models.
• Experience designing cutover strategies including zero-downtime, blue-green deployments, DNS switching, and rollback planning.
• Knowledge of Azure Well-Architected Framework (WAF) pillars: reliability, security, cost optimization, operational excellence, performance efficiency.
• Experience with data platform migrations (ADF, ADLS, Databricks) and Azure native/OS native data migration tools.
• Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) or equivalent certification.
• Based in Malaysia and flexible to work from customer site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Multiple Azure certifications (AZ-104, AZ-500, AZ-700, DP-203).
• Experience with cloud transformation/migration automation frameworks.
• Hands-on with Azure Migrate, VMware HCX, and Azure VMware Solution (AVS) for migration execution.
• Experience with cross-region Azure migrations, including data sovereignty and regional service availability considerations.
• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
• Background in designing solutions for multi-tier architectures with varying complexity (single-tier through microservices with data platforms).

Key Skills

• Azure cloud architecture design (IaaS, PaaS, data platform).
• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, Bicep) and CI/CD automation.
• Migration planning — dependency mapping, T-shirt sizing, cutover design.
• Security architecture — landing zone alignment, RBAC, compliance hardening.
• Data platform architecture — ADF, ADLS, Databricks migration design.
• Technical documentation — as-built docs, network diagrams, runbooks.
• Stakeholder engagement — ability to translate technical concepts for business audiences and drive DAC/architecture reviews.
• Problem-solving under pressure — troubleshooting migration issues, performance tuning, and incident resolution during cutovers and hypercare.

About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
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