Cloud Solutions Architect

At Fried Frank, we’re a community of 800 lawyers and 500 business services professionals across New York, Washington, DC, London, Frankfurt, and Brussels. We advise leading corporations, investment funds, and financial institutions on high-stakes M&A, securities, regulatory matters, real estate, and litigation. Our culture is grounded in our core values — excellence, integrity and collaboration — and is designed to foster continuous learning, meaningful mentorship, and lasting professional growth. We are firmly committed to pro bono service and social justice, building on a proud legacy in civil rights. Our inclusive talent strategy is a core part of our broader talent management efforts and we remain steadfast in fostering a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and become their best professional and personal selves. Our business services professionals are integral to the firm’s success, driving innovation, operational excellence and exceptional client service across all areas of the firm. We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including comprehensive medical coverage, retirement plans and health and wellness initiatives designed to support your personal and professional wellbeing. We welcome passionate, driven individuals to join us, and be part of a team where you’ll be supported, inspired and empowered to build an exceptional career.

Position Summary:

The Cloud Solution Architect is responsible for defining the enterprise cloud strategy, architecting scalable, secure cloud-native platforms, and leading the implementation of AI-driven solutions across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS environments. This role provides technical leadership for cloud transformation initiatives leveraging Microsoft Azure, AWS, AI/ML services, Databricks, and modern DevOps methodologies.

The Cloud Solution Architect drives enterprise cloud modernization programs, establishes governance standards, and leads cross-functional teams in designing highly available, resilient, and cost-optimized cloud architectures. This role requires deep expertise in hybrid cloud infrastructure, enterprise migrations, cloud security, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and cloud operational excellence.

The ideal candidate combines strong hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership to align business objectives with enterprise technology roadmaps.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead enterprise cloud architecture strategy and roadmap across AWS, Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Design scalable, secure, highly available cloud-native architectures for business-critical applications
• Drive cloud transformation and modernization initiatives, including migration of on-premises systems to cloud environments
• Architect AI-driven and data-centric solutions using services such as Machine Learning, Cognitive Services, Databricks, and Generative AI platforms
• Establish cloud governance frameworks, security standards, operational best practices, and compliance controls
• Define and implement Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform, ARM/Bicep, CloudFormation, or similar tools
• Lead DevOps and CI/CD implementation strategies using modern automation tools and practices
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure cloud environments meet enterprise security and regulatory requirements
• Optimize cloud cost management, resource utilization, scalability, and performance
• Provide architectural guidance and technical leadership to engineering and operations teams
• Evaluate emerging cloud technologies and recommend strategic adoption opportunities
• Develop reference architectures, technical standards, and cloud operating models
• Support disaster recovery, business continuity, and high-availability planning
• Work closely with executive leadership and stakeholders to align cloud strategy with business objectives
• Mentor cloud engineers, solution architects, and technical teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or Cloud Computing, or alternatively, 5-8 years of pertinent experience in cloud architecture and solution design
• Cloud certifications such as:
  • AWS Certification Solutions Architect – Professional
  • Microsoft Certification: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  • Google Professional Cloud Architect
• Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks
• Familiarity with FinOps and cloud cost optimization practices
• Experience leading large-scale digital transformation programs

Technical Skills:

• Cloud Platforms: Azure, AWS, GCP
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, ARM, Bicep, CloudFormation
• DevOps Tools: Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD
• Monitoring & Logging: Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, CloudWatch, Azure Monitor
• AI/ML & Data Platforms: Databricks, Azure AI Services, SageMaker, Vertex AI
• Scripting & Automation: Python, PowerShell, Bash
• Security & Governance: IAM, Zero Trust, SEIM, compliance framework
• Containers & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift

Leadership Expectations:

• Serve as the cloud technology leader and trusted advisor across the organization
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement initiatives
• Establish architectural standards and best practices
• Influence strategic technology decisions at the enterprise level
• Lead cross-functional teams in delivering cloud transformational programs