Azure Cloud Consultant

What You’ll Do:

Discover

• Conduct assessments of the client’s current IT environment to determine Azure cloud readiness.
• Engage with clients to understand their business goals, technical challenges, and existing IT infrastructure.

Define

• Develop Azure cloud strategies and migration plans that align with the client’s business objectives.
• Collaborate with clients and internal teams to define roadmaps and design long-term cloud solutions.
• Ensure alignment with Azure best practices and cloud architecture frameworks.

Develop

• Provide hands-on guidance and leadership to technical teams, serving as a “cooperating foreman” during implementation.
• Actively oversee project development, ensuring adherence to defined strategies, timelines, and best practices.
• Take responsibility for delivering the agreed-upon solution, including developing the work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project.
• Lead the team of engineers by providing hands-on guidance, and working closely with them based on the 'To do, To participate, To do it yourself' approach to encourage skill development and engagement.
• Collaborate with the project manager on scope management and resource planning, adjusting as needed and engaging with the client when changes arise.
• Ensure infrastructure is built using best practices for scalability, security, and efficiency.
  
  

Deliver

• Provide ongoing guidance on cloud optimization, performance tuning, and cost management for Azure solutions.
• Ensure that the delivered project meets client expectations and maintains quality standards.
  
  

(Continuous) Deliver

• Maintain an active role throughout the customer lifecycle, ensuring long-term success, continuous improvement, and adoption of new Azure services and innovations.
• Offer advisory services post-deployment to help clients optimize and evolve their Azure environments.

Your Impact:

In addition to these responsibilities, the Azure Cloud Consultant is accountable for delivering what has been agreed upon in the project scope. They will take ownership of creating the work breakdown structure (WBS), identifying the various elements that need to be built and delivered. They lead a team of engineers, coordinating with the project manager on scope, resource planning, and ensuring alignment with client expectations. In case of any scope changes, the consultant will take the lead in addressing these changes with the client and ensuring clear communication.

The consultant also mentors their team using the principle of 'To do, To participate, To do it yourself', guiding engineers by assigning tasks that help them develop new skills while ensuring the work is delivered efficiently.

Success in this role is measured by the effectiveness of cloud solutions, team development, and the alignment with client needs.

What You Bring:

• Expertise in Azure services and architecture (e.g., Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Virtual Network, Azure Functions).
• Experience in developing cloud strategies, cloud migration, cost optimization, and performance tuning within Azure environments.
• Ability to oversee technical teams during the development phase, ensuring alignment with defined cloud strategy and best practices.
• Ability to develop and manage a work breakdown structure and ensure efficient delivery of tasks.
• Experience in client-facing roles with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Fundamentals).
• Project management skills, with the ability to balance responsibilities across strategy, development, and client relationship management.
• Works together with sales to assemble a customer-facing team when starting up new projects.
• Can handle administrative tasks involved in project management (e.g. creation of projects, invoicing).

Experience level:

• Junior - Medior Cloud Consultant:

• 2-4 years of experience in Azure, supporting senior consultants and overseeing smaller-scale cloud development projects.
• Experience with common Azure services and small-scale cloud migrations.

• Senior Cloud Consultant:

• 5+ years of experience driving Azure cloud strategy, overseeing complex development projects, and managing client relationships.
• Experience in large-scale multi-cloud or hybrid environments, with a focus on Azure technologies and client advisory.

Role within CloudNation's 6D Delivery Model:

This Azure Cloud Consultant role focuses on the Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver, and (Continuous) Deliver phases of the 6D Delivery Model:

1. Discover:
   • Engage with clients to understand their current infrastructure and identify potential Azure cloud solutions.
   • Conduct cloud readiness assessments to evaluate suitability for Azure migration.
2. Define:
   • Collaborate with stakeholders to define a clear Azure cloud strategy that supports business objectives.
   • Develop migration plans and design architecture blueprints based on Azure best practices.
3. Develop:
   • Oversee the implementation of the defined architecture, ensuring technical teams follow best practices during development.
   • Serve as a key technical resource, providing hands-on support to ensure smooth execution.
4. Deliver:
   • Ensure that project outcomes meet client expectations through rigorous quality control, optimization, and performance reviews.
   • Manage any technical challenges that arise during deployment and ensure successful integration with existing systems.
5. (Continuous) Deliver:
   • Maintain an active relationship post-deployment, offering ongoing guidance and optimizing the client’s Azure environment over time.
   • Ensure that the client is continuously adopting new Azure innovations and best practices, helping them stay ahead in their cloud journey.

This Azure Cloud Consultant role is central to driving successful cloud transformations by aligning Azure cloud solutions with business objectives, ensuring a high standard of delivery, and fostering long-term client satisfaction.