Cloud Solution Architect - Contract or Permanent

At NCS Australia, we believe in doing technology services better. Our commitment to quality, focus on people, and willingness to challenge traditional thinking set us apart. Our team brings this belief to life by partnering with our clients and communities to make tomorrow together.

We are committed to creating an environment that prioritises innovation, collaboration, and purposeful work. Our diverse team is empowered to make a meaningful impact with curiosity, creativity and resilience to shape better outcomes. Join us and accept the challenge of creating a better tomorrow.

Operating within a high-maturity, Microsoft-centric ecosystem (Azure, M365, D365), you will act as the primary bridge between ambitious business strategy and technical execution. Your role is twofold: visionary architect and pragmatic engineer.

From Concept to Blueprint You will be responsible for deconstructing complex, often ambiguous business requirements into high-integrity High-Level (HLD) and Detailed Design (DLD) solutions. Your designs won't just solve today's problems—they will be built for the future, utilizing reusable architectural patterns that ensure long-term scalability and resilience across the Department’s portfolio.

A "Hands-On" Architect We don’t believe in designing in a vacuum. You will be "on the tools" within Azure DevOps, collaborating directly with engineering teams to ensure your designs are technically viable and seamlessly integrated. By championing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automated CI/CD pipelines, you will ensure that security and performance are "baked in" from the first line of code, not bolted on at the end.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Design: Lead the design of Azure-based applications, creating comprehensive HLDs and DLDs that align with enterprise standards.
• Network & Ingress Architecture: Design and configure Azure Virtual Networks, including hybrid architectures and cloud-native web ingress patterns.
• DevOps Leadership: Develop and optimize Azure DevOps pipelines to support seamless, automated deployments.
• Security & Compliance: Ensure all designs strictly adhere to the Information Security Manual (ISM), Essential Eight, and OWASP standards.
• Stakeholder Influence: Build strong relationships with cyber security experts, enterprise architects, and business users to steer designs through the approval process.
• Emerging Tech: Provide architectural guidance on the implementation of Azure AI, Machine Learning, and Cognitive Services.

What You Bring

• Proven Track Record: Extensive experience as a Senior Cloud Engineer or Solution Architect, ideally within a Federal Government context.
• Technical Mastery: Deep knowledge of the Azure platform, including Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and enterprise integration patterns.
• Security-First Mindset: A strong understanding of government security controls (ISM/PSPF) and the ability to bake security into the design from day one.
• Agile Adaptability: Experience working in fast-paced, Agile environments with limited guidance.
• Communication: The ability to convert business "wants" into technical "how-tos" using concise language and professional architectural diagrams.

Security Requirements

• Clearance: You must be willing and eligible to obtain an AGSVA security clearance.

Why join us: 

NCS Australia is where you can feel at home, nurturing your talents and skills as we make tomorrow together, one day at a time. Our benefits include paid parental leave, initiatives focused on your well-being and discounted health insurance. You will also enjoy discounts on various products and services and be regularly recognised and rewarded for high performance. We are committed to your career development through our Capability Fingerprint, industry and partner training programs, special interest groups, and an AI-driven learning platform. No matter where you are in your career, we offer meaningful work and opportunities for growth.

NCS Australia is an equal-opportunity employer, and we take pride in our commitment to valuing and supporting our people and the communities we serve.We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community and we strongly encourage applications from the Veterans, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

At NCS Australia, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply. 

Agencies:

We’ve got this. We request that you do not contact NCS employees outside of the Talent Acquisition team. NCS exclusively accepts resumes from agencies on our preferred supplier panel through the NCS Agency Portal. Agencies that submit resumes must have a valid fee agreement and be assigned to the particular requisition by the Talent Acquisition team. Any resumes that are submitted outside of this process will become the sole property of NCS. If a candidate is hired outside of this process, no fee or payment will be given.

Work rights and background checks: 

To be eligible for a position with us, applicants will need to have valid work rights for Australia and be willing to undergo a comprehensive background checking process, including probity and police checks