Principal Architect

Overview: Lead and deliver complex security engagements centered on Azure Security, Identity & Access Management (IAM), and Microsoft Purview / AI Governance. Serve as a principal-level architect, thought leader, and trusted advisor who shapes secure cloud, data, and AI governance strategies for enterprise clients while remaining deeply engaged in delivery. This role is primarily delivery focused, with approximately 25-30% dedicated to sales support, solution development, and strategic client pursuits.

Key Responsibilities:

• Principal Technical Leadership: Provide senior technical leadership across multiple strategic client engagements. Lead executive and architectural design sessions, define target-state security architectures, and guide delivery teams through implementation with a strong focus on quality, scalability, and measurable business outcomes.
• Trusted Advisor & Thought Leadership: Act as a trusted advisor to client stakeholders, including security, infrastructure, data, and executive leaders. Shape security roadmaps, advise on operating models and governance, and bring forward innovative perspectives on Azure security, identity modernization, data protection, and AI governance.
• Delivery Oversight & Execution: Remain hands-on in delivery while overseeing complex programs from strategy through implementation. Partner with delivery leadership to align milestones, manage technical risk, remove blockers, and ensure successful outcomes across architecture, implementation, and adoption phases.
• Azure Security & IAM Architecture: Design and lead implementation of enterprise security architectures across Azure and hybrid environments, including Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, Identity Protection, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), role-based access control, Zero Trust controls, workload protection, and security monitoring patterns aligned to least privilege and strong governance.
• Purview & AI Governance Leadership: Lead engagements focused on Microsoft Purview, information protection, data security posture management, data loss prevention, compliance, and governance for Copilot, AI applications, and AI agents. Help clients establish secure and compliant approaches for data access, policy enforcement, monitoring, lifecycle management, and responsible AI enablement.
• Sales Support & Solution Development: Contribute approximately 25-30% of role capacity to sales enablement and solution development activities. Partner with account teams and solution leaders to shape opportunities, lead discovery conversations, develop solution approaches, support estimates and statements of work, contribute to proposals, and articulate differentiated value in client pursuits.
• Practice Development & Mentorship: Help scale the security practice through reusable assets, reference architectures, accelerators, and delivery standards. Mentor architects and engineers, coach teams on emerging Microsoft security capabilities, and strengthen organizational readiness across Azure security, identity, data governance, and AI security disciplines.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience: 12+ years in security, infrastructure, or cloud consulting, including 7+ years focused on Azure security, IAM, and enterprise governance. Proven experience leading complex client engagements, influencing senior stakeholders, and owning architectural outcomes across multiple initiatives.
• Azure Security & Identity Expertise: Deep hands-on and architectural expertise across Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, Identity Protection, PIM, access reviews, lifecycle governance, Azure Policy, Defender, Sentinel, RBAC, and Zero Trust design. Strong understanding of hybrid identity, privileged access, and security controls for cloud-first enterprises.
• Purview & Governance Expertise: Strong experience with Microsoft Purview capabilities including data classification, sensitivity labeling, DLP, compliance controls, audit, eDiscovery, data lifecycle management, and AI/data security governance. Ability to design governance models that support secure adoption of Copilot, AI applications, and agent-based solutions.
• Solutioning & Client Advisory: Demonstrated ability to support pre-sales and solution development, including leading workshops, defining scope, developing roadmaps, building solution narratives, estimating delivery approaches, and supporting proposals and executive presentations.
• Delivery Leadership: Strong consulting and delivery leadership skills, including risk management, technical oversight, stakeholder communication, and the ability to balance strategic advisory responsibilities with hands-on execution.
• Communication & Presence: Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to engage technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive audiences. Recognized as a credible thought leader with strong facilitation, mentorship, and client relationship skills.
• Certifications: Strongly preferred certifications include SC-100 (Cybersecurity Architect Expert), AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer), SC-300 (Identity and Access Administrator), and relevant Microsoft Purview, compliance, or security certifications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Industry Certifications: Additional certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, or GIAC are highly desirable.
• Architecture & Platform Breadth: Broad understanding of Azure platform architecture, security operations, infrastructure-as-code, and integration across identity, networking, data, and cloud governance domains.
• Executive Advisory Experience: Experience advising senior client leaders on security strategy, governance operating models, regulatory readiness, Zero Trust transformation, and responsible AI adoption.

Location: Remote (USA) – with potential occasional travel to client sites.

Join 3Cloud’s Azure and Security team to help clients modernize security architecture, strengthen identity and governance, and enable AI responsibly. This role offers the opportunity to lead high-impact delivery, shape strategic client outcomes, and influence the evolution of our security solutions and go-to-market offerings.

This Job Posting will expire on Monday, September 14th, 2026.

Base Salary Range 158200 - 227300 USD