Principal Enterprise & Cloud Architect
Senior hands-on architect who defines and drives a group-wide enterprise and cloud architecture strategy — hybrid cloud (primarily Microsoft Azure), infrastructure, identity, integration, data/AI and security — while setting standards, reviewing designs, rationalising the tech landscape and evaluating vendors, costs and major investments across multiple business entities.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Principal
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Architecture
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or related discipline, or equivalent professional experience
- 10+ years in enterprise technology, infrastructure, cloud or solution architecture with substantial hands-on architecture responsibility
- Demonstrated experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale hybrid and cloud solutions
- Practical knowledge of Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID
- Practical knowledge of networking, virtualisation, storage, backup, disaster recovery and cloud connectivity
- Experience with enterprise application architecture, system integration, APIs and data platforms
- Proven ability to assess architecture options, challenge vendors, evaluate costs and support complex technology delivery
- Experience balancing Group-wide technology standards with local business requirements
- Azure landing zones, networking, identity and security architecture
- VMware virtualisation and infrastructure modernisation
- Cloud migration, workload assessment and disaster recovery
- Data platform and AI solution integration
- Cloud economics, licensing and total cost of ownership
- Architecture governance, technical design reviews and documentation
Nice to have
- Experience in Microsoft Azure environments
- Experience working across multiple business units, subsidiaries or diverse technology environments
- TOGAF certification
- Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification (or equivalent)
Full description
Define and drive the Group's enterprise and cloud architecture strategy, aligning business applications, infrastructure, data, AI, cybersecurity and integration within a coherent technology framework.
Lead architecture decisions, establish practical technology standards and guide cloud modernisation, technology rationalisation and major technology investments across the Group and its entities.
This is a hands-on architecture role requiring strong technical expertise, commercial judgement and the ability to critically evaluate vendors, solution designs and technology investments. Entity IT teams retain responsibility for local implementation and day-to-day operations.
Key Responsibilities1. Enterprise Architecture
- Develop and maintain current-state and target-state architecture across applications, infrastructure, cloud, identity, integration, data and AI.
- Use the Group's technology inventory to identify system dependencies, duplication, technical debt and opportunities for modernisation.
- Align architecture roadmaps with business priorities and the Group's technology strategy.
2. Cloud and Infrastructure Architecture
- Design hybrid and cloud architectures covering cloud platforms, on-premises infrastructure, networking, connectivity, identity, security, resilience and disaster recovery.
- Develop practical cloud migration blueprints that define workload priorities, technical dependencies, cost estimates and implementation approaches.
- Assess infrastructure modernisation options and recommend scalable, secure and supportable solutions.
3. Technical Design Authority
- Review significant technology proposals, solution architectures and implementation designs.
- Challenge vendor recommendations, technical assumptions, unnecessary complexity, cost estimates and long-term supportability.
- Maintain architecture decision records, approved standards and documented exceptions.
- Ensure material technology investments are supported by appropriate technical and commercial assessments.
4. Integration Architecture
- Establish reusable integration standards and design patterns across enterprise applications, ERP, EPM, HCM, procurement systems, data platforms and AI solutions.
- Define architectural approaches for APIs, identity, data flows, interoperability and system dependencies.
- Promote consistent, secure and maintainable integration across the Group's technology landscape.
5. Security and Resilience by Design
- Collaborate with cybersecurity and infrastructure teams to incorporate access controls, network segmentation, encryption, secure configuration and resilience requirements into technology designs.