Cloud Architect Career Guide

Sample job description

[Your Company Name] is looking for a new cloud architect to join our IT team. As a cloud architect, you will be responsible for managing our cloud system architecture and models in order to ensure that it is functioning properly at all times. This may include creating a cloud computing strategy, evaluating and assessing cloud hardware, software, and systems in order to ensure they are functioning properly, and more. The ideal candidate should have previous experience working with IT security administrators and other members of the IT team to integrate the correct security, software, and data into the cloud system. A potential candidate should be data-minded, be able to research the latest cloud technologies available for cloud architecture and computing, and should have previous experience in the cloud architecture field. If this sounds like it might be the right job for you, we would love to have you on our team. A candidate who has a positive attitude and delivers high-quality work will be preferred.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Create roadmaps based on the cloud’s capacity, efficiency and ecosystem security 
• Create diagrams, domain models, and other types of software artifacts to decode a particular problem 
• Collaborate with software programmers and engineers
• Lead and manage a cross-functioning technology team
• Monitor cloud activity, design and migrate applications, plan courses of action, and define computer loads 
• Respond to technical issues in a professional and timely manner 

Education and experience

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, applied mathematics, or a related field. Many employers prefer candidates who have a master’s or doctorate, and prior experience as an administrator or architect in any of the well-known operating systems.

Required skills and qualifications

• Lots of experience in computer scripting languages like Python, Ruby, and Elixir 
• Excellent knowledge in current computing trends and technologies 
• Ability to design and implement cloud infrastructure, platforms, and applications 
• Exceptional leadership and people skills 
• Strong verbal and written communication 
• Experience in computer security, such as firewalls 
• Expertise in at least one operating system: Linux, Unix, Solaris, Ubuntu, Windows
• Proficiency in networking: TCP/IP, IP addresses, HTTP, DNS

Preferred qualifications

• Requires 5+ years of experience designing server solutions for large corporations
• Ability to automate tasks by scripting
• Experience deploying systems into Cloud environments
• Knowledge of networks and networking
• Good communication and documentation skills

Available certifications

A cloud architect will benefit from having certifications due to the highly technical nature of the position. Some of the certifications that may be beneficial to a cloud architect will vary depending on the job and expertise of the cloud architect, but more general certifications include:

• Professional Cloud Architect Certification. The Professional Cloud Architect certification is a certification test that is provided by the Google systems, meaning it will be recognized as an official certification for cloud architects to prove their experience and professional expertise with cloud systems. This certification can be beneficial to both beginner and more advanced cloud architects, as it proves that the certification candidate has the knowledge to plan and implement a cloud system, manage implementations of cloud architecture, and much more.

• CompTIA A+. Due to the nature of the CompTIA certification, this can be immensely beneficial to a cloud architect. Becoming certified through this testing process ensures a wide variety of technical knowledge relating to computer, network, and cloud systems. This certification is thought of as a general certification for almost any IT-related field and can prove to be immensely beneficial to a cloud architect.