Azure Enterprise Architect - Full Stack & AI Solutions

Avanade•Chicago, IL

12d•$140,000 - $190,000•Remote

About The Position

This position is open to candidates located anywhere in the United States. Candidates are welcome to work remotely or out of one of our regional offices. We are seeking a highly experienced Azure Enterprise Architect with a strong full stack engineering background and deep expertise in Microsoft Azure cloud architecture, enterprise application modernization, AI/GenAI solutions, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and large-scale delivery leadership. The ideal candidate will possess 15+ years of progressive experience designing and delivering enterprise-grade solutions while leading distributed engineering teams across onshore and offshore models. This individual will serve as the primary technical authority for strategic initiatives, guiding architecture decisions, mentoring engineering teams, engaging directly with executive stakeholders, and ensuring successful project execution from inception through production. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring deep technical expertise across cloud, application development, infrastructure, networking, DevOps, and AI platforms.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
Minimum 15 years of professional software engineering and solution architecture experience with at least 8 years architecting enterprise solutions on Microsoft Azure.
Proven experience serving as a Lead Architect, Enterprise Architect, Chief Architect, or Principal Architect for large-scale enterprise programs.
Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure services including: Azure App Services and Azure Functions, Azure API Management, Azure OpenAI, Azure Generative AI Services, Azure Storage, KeyVault and Containers, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Service Bus, Event Hub, Azure Landing Zones, Azure Virtual WAN and Azure Networking Services, Azure Monitor.
Strong hands-on experience developing and architecting solutions using: .NET / C#, Python, Node.js, REST APIs, GraphQL, Microservices architectures.
Strong frontend architecture experience with: React, Angular, TypeScript, Modern UI/UX frameworks.
Demonstrated expertise designing enterprise Infrastructure as Code solutions using: Terraform, Bicep or ARM Templates.
Deep understanding of Azure networking including: Virtual Networks, VPN, Private Endpoints, ExpressRoute, DNS, Load Balancers, Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, Network Security Architecture.
Strong experience implementing DevOps and platform engineering practices using: Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, CI/CD, Infrastructure Automation, Release Management.
Extensive experience with cloud security, identity, and governance including: Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC, Managed Identities, Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud.
Proven success leading geographically distributed engineering teams and coordinating complex delivery efforts across multiple workstreams.
Outstanding executive communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and client-facing skills.
Experience managing architecture roadmaps, project risks, technical dependencies, budgets, and delivery timelines.
Strong Agile delivery background with experience operating within Scrum and enterprise-scale Agile frameworks.

Nice To Haves

AKS is a plus
Azure Solutions Architect Expert Certification (AZ-305).
Azure Developer Associate Certification (AZ-204).
Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification (AZ-400).
Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), SAFe Agilist, or equivalent Agile certification.
Experience designing and implementing Agentic AI solutions and multi-agent architectures.
Hands-on experience with: Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Agent Framework (Semantic Kernel, LangChain, AutoGen), Microsoft Copilot Studio, AI Foundry.
Experience developing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions and enterprise AI platforms.
Experience with enterprise integration platforms including SAP, Salesforce, ServiceNow, SharePoint, and other business-critical systems.
Experience supporting Fortune 500 organizations and large digital transformation programs.
Background in financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, government, or other highly regulated industries.

Responsibilities

Architect, design, and oversee enterprise-scale cloud-native solutions on Microsoft Azure aligned with business and technology strategies.
Lead architecture and delivery for complex full stack applications using modern frontend technologies including React, Angular, TypeScript, and mobile frameworks when required.
Provide technical leadership across backend platforms utilizing .NET, C#, Python, Node.js, microservices, APIs, event-driven architectures, and distributed systems.
Own end-to-end Azure architecture including networking, security, governance, identity management, observability, resilience, performance, and cost optimization.
Define and implement enterprise Infrastructure as Code (IaC) standards using Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates, and Azure DevOps pipelines.
Lead architecture reviews, technical design sessions, and solution governance processes across multiple concurrent projects.
Drive application modernization initiatives, cloud migrations, and hybrid cloud integration strategies.
Guide engineering teams in designing and implementing AI and Generative AI solutions leveraging Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Services, Agentic AI frameworks, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, and enterprise AI architectures.
Establish architecture standards, engineering best practices, coding standards, security requirements, and cloud governance frameworks.
Collaborate closely with client executives, business stakeholders, product owners, program managers, and engineering leadership to ensure successful delivery outcomes.
Lead globally distributed teams including architects, developers, DevOps engineers, data engineers, and QA resources across onshore and offshore delivery models.
Drive Agile and Scrum practices while providing delivery oversight, risk management, estimation, roadmap planning, and technical project leadership.
Mentor architects and senior engineers while establishing a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
Evaluate emerging technologies and develop strategic recommendations aligned with organizational objectives.
Ensure solutions comply with enterprise security, compliance, privacy, governance, and regulatory requirements.