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Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a cloud architect. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a cloud architect.

 

Who is a Cloud Architect?

The process of combining different technologies to build clouds—IT environments that abstract, pool, and share scalable resources via a network—is known as cloud architecture. Cloud architecture describes how all the elements and skills required to construct a cloud are linked to providing an online platform on which applications can be run. The construction of a cloud using technological components known as cloud architecture entails the pooling of resources via the use of virtualization technology and network sharing. A cloud architecture consists of a network, a cloud-based delivery model, a front-end platform (the client or device used to access the cloud), and a back-end platform (servers and storage). These technologies work together to build a cloud computing infrastructure on which applications can operate, enabling end-users to make use of the strength of cloud resources. Organizations can lessen or do away with their dependency on on-premises servers, storage, and networking infrastructure thanks to cloud computing design. When an organization adopts cloud architecture, it frequently moves IT resources to the public cloud, doing away with the need for on-premises servers, storage, and power and cooling requirements for IT data centres in favour of a monthly IT expense. The popularity of cloud computing today is largely due to this transition from capital investment to operating expense.

 

An IT expert called a “cloud architect” creates a company’s computing strategy. This plan takes into account cloud adoption goals, cloud application design, cloud management, and cloud monitoring. Supporting application architecture and cloud environment deployment are additional duties. The Architect also assists with cloud infrastructures, including hybrid, private, and public clouds. This expert designs and develops dynamic cloud solutions with a thorough understanding of the company’s cloud architecture and platform. The expert should be well-versed in the theories and principles underlying continuous integration and continuous delivery. To help development teams with infrastructure, they must provide expert advice. For the duration of the IT infrastructures’ lifecycles, the architects must assume accountability. Additionally, they select the kinds of systems that corporations could require to operate.

Cloud architects need to understand the fundamental components of IT, including client systems and applications, networking, infrastructure, data centres, programming languages, web tools, and technologies. Each of these areas is a specialty area for professionals. It’s accurate to say that the software development field is relatively new in terms of the Cloud Architect job description. Recent years have seen the function of the cloud architect expand beyond conventional design systems or IT settings. Planning, designing, and assisting with all cloud settings are the technician’s primary duties. They need to be knowledgeable about the principles and capable of assisting development teams with infrastructure and build-and-release. The cloud architect is responsible for integrating the cloud infrastructure into the organization’s computer environment. Supporting the transformation and promoting the acceptance and usability of cloud technology are the technician’s responsibilities. A professional should actively participate in the day-to-day use of cloud services as well as create new usage patterns. They guarantee that services continue to operate around the clock and deal with cloud contracts in various ways. Cloud architects may also participate in contract negotiations, interact with legal and procurement departments, and be involved in other legal aspects of cloud computing. The requirements of service-level agreements are addressed by architects.

 

 Types of Cloud Architecture

Infrastructure as a service: You can rent cloud services from another business if you use infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Many characteristics of your cloud services, such as storage and processing power, can be changed with IaaS to better suit the requirements of your company. While you are a customer, you can modify and customize these resources whenever you choose. IaaS clouds are often rented by cloud computing businesses every month with tiered pricing based on the services offered. However, IaaS systems demand more technical expertise from customers because they let end users design their cloud architecture.

Platform as a service: Platform as a Service (PaaS) enables customers to give their cloud computing provider more control over their cloud infrastructure. PaaS still gives consumers some degree of control over their cloud environment, though. Users of PaaS clouds can design and develop their programs or applications, but the cloud service takes care of managing the cloud’s operating system and compute updates. PaaS clouds are used by many software developers to create, collaborate on, and revise new applications.

Software as a service: Cloud computing companies manage almost all of the cloud functions for their clients using software as a service (SaaS). If a consumer chooses SaaS, cloud providers manage the operating system’s specifications and the cloud’s architecture. Only when they rent or buy SaaS can users access the front-end components of the cloud.

Public cloud: A public cloud is one that a cloud provider makes available to several people or businesses. Since cloud providers frequently choose the design and other settings of public clouds, they are typically SaaS, though they can also be PaaS. Geographical boundaries are often not an issue for public clouds, which may also be either free or charged. Public clouds are frequently among the most affordable and easily scalable cloud choices. In contrast to private clouds, adopting a public cloud could present greater security threats.

Private cloud: A private cloud is exclusively accessible to your company. Your business’s cybersecurity is improved by private clouds. The majority of private clouds are PaaS or IaaS, enabling your company to adopt the cloud’s architecture to your requirements. This, however, also implies that your business updates and maintains your cloud more frequently.

Hybrid cloud: Clouds that are hybrids incorporate elements of both private and public clouds. There are many reasons why businesses would decide to employ a hybrid cloud. To take advantage of both the operational efficiency of a public cloud and the security features of a private cloud, businesses frequently choose a hybrid cloud.

Multi-cloud: Using multiple clouds at once, typically public ones, is referred to as a multi-cloud strategy. If your data serves a variety of purposes for your company, using various clouds may be a viable answer. A PaaS cloud, for instance, would be most advantageous to your company’s software developers, whereas a SaaS system might be preferred by your marketing division. Additionally, a multi-cloud strategy might aid in reducing a company’s reliance on any particular cloud provider.

 

Cloud Architect Job Description

Below are the cloud architect job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a cloud architect job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

• Create a well-informed cloud strategy and keep an eye on the transition.
• Examine hardware, software, and cloud applications frequently.
• Construct and oversee cloud-based solutions.
• Monitor the company’s cloud privacy in coordination with IT security.
• Stay prompt and knowledgeable while handling technological issues.
• Aid in infrastructure migration techniques, such as the wholesale migration of applications to the cloud.
• Choose the best cloud architecture options to assist the company in achieving its strategic objectives.
• Translate project-specific specifications into a cloud architecture that satisfies those specifications while also taking into account the resource usage and scalability specifications of the project.
• Design the cloud environment from a holistic angle, making sure it fits every requirement of the business.
• Carry out tasks including deployment, upkeep, monitoring, and management inside the developed cloud architecture.
• Protect the cloud.
• Integrate new apps into the cloud environment completely.
• Train and support all personnel whose roles need them to engage with the cloud infrastructure.
• Observe how much cloud storage is being used and make sure everything is working properly.
• Collaborate with corporate clients to comprehend their needs and implement cloud solutions to meet those needs.
• Operate migrations to move tools and other components onto the cloud when necessary.
• Utilize virtualization technology to manage servers for the company effectively.

 

Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or a related discipline
• 3 to 5  experience in designing, implementing, and maintaining cloud-based IT systems.
• Outstanding ability to automate processes.
• A positive outlook and a steadfast dedication to producing high-quality work.
• familiarity with cloud computing technology and modern computing trends.
• Ability to effectively communicate (verbally and in writing) with management and other IT development partners to clearly explain complex cloud reports.
• system deployment expertise in cloud settings.
• working knowledge of networks.
• proficiency in the documentation.

 

Essential Skills

• Knowledge of Java, Python, or C#: Software development is a common background for architects. An effective AWS architect should be proficient in writing code in Java, Python, C#, or any other language that has an official AWS SDK. To develop workable, logical solutions that will function as intended, understanding programming, in general, is essential. Furthermore, a skilled architect can use programming to quickly produce a proof of concept or demo to make a point or research how to employ the newest technologies.
• Networking Skills: Without knowledge of networking, it might be challenging to build a safe, scalable cloud-based solution. Among the terms, you should become familiar with are DNS, TCP/IP, HTTP, CDN, and VPN. That doesn’t imply that you have to be aware of the port you must open for SSH access (although it helps). To create your cloud networking using public and private subnets, internet access, and VPC peering, you are anticipated to be able to leverage services like Route 53 (DNS), CloudFront (CDN), and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
• Leadership: A cloud architect may supervise a group of other IT specialists, including those that support you in your work in cloud environments.
• Basic knowledge of data storage: Data storage basics are something that any software architect should be familiar with and comprehend. You must be able to decide when to employ each of the several data storage choices offered in AWS. To determine the best option for storing some or all of your company’s data, you’ll need to compare various capabilities, performance, and cost factors, from straightforward yet effective bucket storage, using S3 to Relational Database Service (RDS) and all the way to fully functional Hadoop clusters.
• Security foundations: AWS has various services and rules designed expressly to assist you to make sure that only approved code and people are permitted to execute specified tasks, from securing access to your AWS account to securing access to your data. Additionally, you must become familiar with Identity and Access Management (IAM), a tool that will enable you to specify which users and services have access to which resources. Utilize Security Groups and Access Control Lists to secure your networks.
• Problem-solving abilities: The hardware and software used in cloud computing are diverse and subject to failure at any time. Cloud architects must be able to spot issues and create fixes for them. This can involve locating the issue’s root cause, coming up with a solution, and putting it into practice.
• Project management skills: To create cloud computing solutions, cloud architects frequently collaborate with other IT specialists. Due to the complexity and wide range of technologies involved in cloud computing projects, this frequently calls for highly developed project management skills. A project’s timeframe, money, and other elements may all be managed by cloud architects. Cloud architects must develop their project management skills because they oversee and work on projects with a cloud computing focus.
• AWS service selection Skills: Front-end and back-end technologies used in cloud architecture are supported by parts supplied by a cloud vendor, frequently Amazon. A skilled cloud architect should be aware of the services available to them and have a solid grasp of the services that are pertinent to the firm. Given that Amazon frequently introduces new services throughout the year, this is no simple endeavour. The key is knowing what to concentrate on. SQS (simple queuing), SNS (notifications), and RDS are fundamental services that every AWS architect should be familiar with (Relational Database Service). It is especially useful to be aware of more specialized ones, like an AWS IoT-related service.
• Knowledge of cloud-specific patterns and technologies: Some regulations alter whenever you migrate your code to the cloud. As long as you appropriately design your workloads and utilize AWS infrastructure, scalability, availability, and recovery become simple. A key component of developing scalable, economical systems is the use of messages, proper state storage, and failure handling. You can build applications that can be expanded by adding more instances of the same service by using patterns like pub/sub, queuing, and eventual consistency. Additionally, depending on your needs, you’ll have to decide whether to use AWS Lambda for serverless computing or switch from standalone applications to services.
• Communication Skills: If you can’t communicate your vision to management, software engineers, and other architects, no amount of excellent architecture you design will matter. To persuade your team that your approach is the best, you’ll need to learn how to communicate your ideas clearly in emails, documents, and presentations. Improve your presentational abilities, develop your writing skills, and use a diagramming tool to illustrate complex surroundings. Ten slides with twenty bullet points each are superior to one slide with a diagram. There are times when you must collaborate with others, including members of the IT team, company stakeholders, and other employees, even though many information technology professionals work alone on projects and their jobs.

 

How to Become a Cloud Architect

1. Acquire a high school diploma

Earning your high school certificate is the first step in this career because being a cloud architect takes at least a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree for some businesses. Focus on taking electives in topics like math, science, and computer programming that are relevant to your professional field while you are still in school. Take AP classes into consideration if you want to graduate with college credits. If your studies permit it, you can look into the many possibilities for part-time employment at an organization that provides entry-level IT careers.

2. Obtain your bachelor’s degree

Look over the list of available majors when choosing a university to pursue your bachelor’s degree at. Depending on your employment goals, you might discover that one institution offers a more alluring program than another. Although cloud architects frequently hold degrees in information technology or computer science, some universities now offer majors, or at the very least minor programs or focused courses, in cloud computing, particularly as the industry expands. You can enrol in courses that cover data centre computing, virtual storage, backup and recovery techniques, and network architectures. Think about how you may supplement your education while you’re still in school with practical experience and training. For instance, you might be enthusiastic about working in the computer lab at your college or university or mentoring other students in these important subjects.

3. Obtain work experience

To succeed as a cloud architect, you must have practical experience. These individuals frequently begin their careers in an entry-level position before being promoted to a cloud architect position after developing their abilities and assuming management responsibilities. Your chances of being accepted into a master’s program and landing a job as a cloud architect or one that directly leads to that position increase with the amount of relevant experience you have.

4. Acquire a master’s degree

Even though you might not need a master’s degree to become a cloud architect, many organizations either demand it or mention it as a recommended educational background. If you have a master’s degree, you’ll be more likely to stand out from the competition while applying for the same cloud architect position or a different information technology post.

5. Acquire necessary certifications.

You can investing cloud architects need to be more about the industry, boost your self-assurance in architecture, and demonstrate your qualifications and schooling to a hiring manager. Some certification programs emphasize particular architect abilities, while others offer instruction on particular cloud platforms.

 

Where to Work as a Cloud Architect

Managing a company’s cloud system architecture is the responsibility of cloud architects. Cloud Architects work with many diff different types of several, such as servers, storage, networking tools, operating systems, databases, computer labs, and more. They may also work from home. During regular business hours, cloud architects frequently perform their job in an office setting. However, they might need to put in extra time to meet deadlines or fix issues that come up when running or implementing the system. Additionally, they could travel to attend conferences or meet with clients. Cloud architects need to be able to multitask and perform well under pressure. To address difficult challenges, they must also be able to think creatively.

 

Cloud Architect Salary Scale

An average monthly salary of 300,000 NGN is earned by a Cloud Architect in Nigeria. 140 000 to 480,000 NGN is the range of salaries. According to Payscale’s compensation analysis for 2022, cloud architects can anticipate base salaries ranging from $80,000 to $167,000 a year, based on several variables like education, location, abilities, and experience. In the US, a cloud architect makes an average pay of $128,418. According to PayScale, the average annual salary for cloud architects in India is ₹1,796,329. The aforementioned parameters determine their income, which ranges from ₹398,000 to ₹4,000,000.

Consulting and Strategy

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