Azure Cloud Architect AI/ML & Data Services

Role:

Azure Cloud Architect -

AI/ML & Data Services Location:

Hybrid - 2-3 days in

Niles, IL Type:

12+

Months Contract Note:

This is only W2 role.

Key Responsibilities:

Architect, design, and implement end-to-end Azure cloud solutions with a focus on AI/ML workloads, data engineering pipelines, and platform infrastructure. Lead the adoption and integration of Azure AI/ML services including Azure Machine Learning, Azure OpenAI Service, Cognitive Services, and Snowflake. Define and enforce cloud architecture standards, patterns, and best practices across development teams. Design secure, scalable data platforms using Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, and related services. Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to operationalize ML models through MLOps practices (CI/CD for models, monitoring, retraining pipelines). Drive infrastructure-as-code (IaC) adoption using Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates. Conduct architecture reviews, cloud readiness assessments, and provide technical guidance on migrating on-premises workloads to Azure. Ensure compliance with security, governance, and cost management requirements (Azure Policy, RBAC, Defender for Cloud, FinOps). Mentor and upskill engineering teams on Azure best practices and AI/ML service capabilities. Engage with stakeholders to present architecture proposals, roadmaps, and technical recommendations.

Required Qualifications:

8+ years of experience in cloud architecture and engineering, with at least 5 years focused on Microsoft Azure. Proven experience architecting and deploying AI/ML solutions on Azure at scale. Deep hands-on expertise with Azure ML, Azure OpenAI, Azure Databricks, Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Strong proficiency in infrastructure-as-code using Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates. Solid understanding of MLOps, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions). Experience with cloud networking, security architecture, identity management (Entra

ID / AAD

), and compliance frameworks on Azure. Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders. Microsoft Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert - AZ-305, Azure AI Engineer - AI-102).