[Hiring] Technical Architect @Howden

Role Description

As a Technical Architect at Howden, you will join the Cloud Engineering & Architecture team with a focus on building, operating, and continuously improving our Azure cloud platform. This is a technical architecture role, centred on platform capability as well as solution delivery. You will:

• Define and evolve the core cloud architecture that enables product and delivery teams to build securely, consistently, and at pace.
• Work closely with Cloud Engineers, DevOps, and Delivery teams to design and implement reusable platform components, self-service capabilities, and standard patterns.
• Underpin all cloud-hosted workloads and directly influence reliability, security, scalability, and cost efficiency.
• Shape platform standards, governance, and guardrails, ensuring teams can move fast without bypassing compliance or security requirements.
• Review upcoming platform demands, track emerging Azure capabilities, and introduce new services and patterns where they provide clear business value.

This role requires strong hands-on technical depth, paired with the ability to explain architectural decisions clearly and pragmatically to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Strong experience designing, building, and operating cloud platforms in Microsoft Azure.
• Deep understanding of cloud platform architecture, including identity, networking, security, monitoring, and governance.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code, ideally using Bicep.
• Strong working knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, including platform-level templates and guardrails.
• Experience designing and evolving Azure Landing Zones or equivalent enterprise-scale foundations.
• Clear understanding of cloud security principles, including identity design, least-privilege access, and platform hardening.
• Experience working within governance and compliance frameworks, and embedding these into platform design.
• Ability to create and validate reference architectures, patterns, and reusable components.
• Comfortable reviewing release plans and translating new workload demands into platform enhancements.
• Experience operating and supporting live cloud platforms, not just designing them.
• Strong observability mindset, including logging, metrics, alerts, and operational insight.
• Ability to identify areas suitable for self-service enablement and automation.
• A pragmatic approach to architectural decision-making, balancing ideal design with delivery reality.
• Experience producing and maintaining architectural decision records (ADRs).
• Strong documentation skills, including diagrams, design notes, and onboarding guidance.
• Confident communicator who can influence without authority and explain complex topics simply.
• Collaborative approach, working effectively across engineering, security, and delivery teams.
• Curiosity and drive to stay current with evolving Azure capabilities and platform practices.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), pro-rated for part year service.
• Life Assurance up to 4x salary, protecting your loved ones in case the worst should happen.
• Income protection, guaranteeing an income for up to 5 years in the event of an illness or injury.
• Contributory pension scheme – 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution, rising to 5% & 5% in April 2025.
• Access to a Healthcare Cashplan, which gives you access to a variety of health-related benefits.
• Discounts on gym membership across the UK.
• Salary sacrifice schemes – Travel Insurance, Cycle to Work, Car leasing, Technology purchase.
• Access to discounted personal health policies – Critical illness, private medical, dental plans.
• A range of insurance products available commission-free, including home, motor, travel, and specialist vehicles.
• Access to hundreds of high-street retailer discounts.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support employees outside of work.