Cloud Architect

Role Overview

Cloud Architect for a Payment Platform (Multi-Tenant SaaS) covering target cloud architecture, security/compliance, resilience, deployment/release engineering, observability, and cost. This is an architecture role with hands-on depth—you will create reference implementations (not just diagrams).

Location & Work Style

• Austin, TX (Hybrid)
• Remote may be considered for exceptional candidates
• Occasional travel: up to 10%

Responsibilities

• Own the cloud reference architecture for the platform:
  • Environment topology and network segmentation
  • Identity and service boundaries
  • Data residency across regions
• Design the multi-tenancy model:
  • Isolation, tenant onboarding, noisy-neighbor controls
  • Per-tenant configuration to enable onboarding without bespoke infrastructure
• Architect the security perimeter for sensitive data:
  • Cardholder data and token vault environments
  • Cryptographic services and cloud/on-prem HSM integration
  • Key/secrets management; encryption in transit/at rest
• Define segmentation/control design to contain PCI DSS scope and extend similar rigor to PHI/PII
• Set standards for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and delivery:
  • CI/CD, release standards, module design, environment promotion
  • GitOps workflows, change control, and evidence generation for audit
• Design for resilience & disaster recovery:
  • Availability targets, multi-region + failover
  • Backup/restore and regular DR exercises with measurable RTO/RPO
• Own observability & operational readiness:
  • Logging, metrics, tracing, alerting, and sustainable runbooks across time zones
• Own cloud cost as an architectural concern:
  • Unit economics per tenant/transaction, capacity planning
  • FinOps practice with authority over spend decisions
• Support certification & customer due diligence:
  • QSA assessments, security questionnaires
  • Pen-test remediation and partner architecture reviews
• Provide technical leadership:
  • Design reviews, reference implementations, and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)

Requirements

• 8+ years building and operating production cloud infrastructure; 3+ years at architect/principal level
• Deep production expertise in at least one major cloud: AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Strong judgment for real-world hybrid/multi-cloud estates
• Expert-level Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), including module design, state strategy, and cross-team IaC standards
• Production experience operating Kubernetes at scale:
  • Cluster lifecycle, multi-tenancy patterns
  • Helm governance and GitOps delivery
• Strong cloud security foundation:
  • IAM and least-privilege design, secrets management
  • Network controls and policy as code
• Proven resilience and DR ownership, including cross-region failover and live DR exercises
• Clear documentation and ability to defend designs to engineers, auditors, and customers