Cloud Solution Architect
About the job
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- At least 4 years of experience in cloud or infrastructure technologies, information technology consulting or support, systems administration, network operations, software development or support, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting.
- Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements.
- Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.
- Ability to obtain and maintain Reliability Status security screening with the Government of Canada.
- Technical experience and subject matter expertise in Purview/Data Security, including Information Rights Management and Microsoft Information Protection P2, and Defender workloads.
- Experience with Identity and Access Management.
- Experience with Zero Trust strategies, including Zero Trust Foundations, Defend Against Threats, and Protect and Govern Sensitive Data.
- Knowledge of solution architecture, design, implementation, and/or support of Cloud Security.
- Ability to identify business needs and determine solutions involving business problems, process improvement, organizational change, strategic planning, and policy development.
- Experience building technical relationships with senior information technology executives in large or highly strategic accounts.
- Experience managing stakeholder relationships to achieve consensus on solutions or projects.
- Presentation skills for large and small audiences, including senior executives, messaging, collaboration, network, and security administrators, and solution architecture teams.
- Ability to understand customers' security-related business requirements and solve customer problems through Microsoft cloud technologies.
- Knowledge of the competitive landscape for security platforms.
- Technical aptitude and ability to learn new cloud technologies and understand relevant cloud market trends.
- Understanding of how Microsoft Security, compliance, and identity solutions span solution areas to provide holistic, end-to-end solutions.
- Drive customer satisfaction, serve as a trusted advisor, provide customer and partner feedback and insights, and act as the Voice of the Customer.
- Share customer insights and best practices with Global Security, Engineering, and Product teams to remove blockers and influence the solution roadmap.
- Deliver an end-to-end Security value proposition spanning Microsoft Security offerings, with focus on Purview/Data Security, Threat Protection, Identity and Access Management, and Cloud Security.
- Position and deliver solutions that drive Security product usage and customer-success business results.
- Help customers obtain value from Microsoft investments and identify resolutions to customer blockers using subject matter expertise.
- Deliver according to Microsoft best practices and use repeatable intellectual property.
- Improve security posture and accelerate the business value of overall Security adoption.
- Ensure solutions follow the Secure by Design framework, including high performance, security, scalability, maintainability, reusability, and reliability upon deployment.
- Align individual skilling with team and area demands and Customer Success goals.
- Share expertise and contribute to intellectual property creation and reuse to accelerate customer outcomes.
- Run Architectural Design Sessions to create implementation plans and govern solution design in line with customer business goals and technical environments.
- Build consensus on solution design and next steps toward production.
- Collaborate and orchestrate with other Cloud Solution Architects and Microsoft stakeholders, including FastTrack, partners, and Microsoft Consulting, to develop complex end-to-end enterprise solutions with the Microsoft Security platform.
- Breadth of technical experience and knowledge with subject matter expertise in Purview/Data Security, including Information Rights Management, Microsoft Information Protection P2, and Defender workloads.
- Experience with Identity and Access Management.
- Experience with Zero Trust strategies, including Zero Trust Foundations, Defend Against Threats, and Protect and Govern Sensitive Data.
- Deep knowledge of Cloud Security solution architecture, design, implementation, and/or support.
- Proven track record of building deep technical relationships with senior information technology executives in large or highly strategic accounts.
- Experience managing stakeholder relationships to achieve consensus on solutions or projects.
- Presentation skills with a high degree of comfort addressing large and small audiences.
- Ability to understand customers' security-related business requirements and solve them through Microsoft cloud technologies.
- Knowledge of the competitive landscape for security platforms.
- Technical aptitude and experience learning new cloud technologies and understanding relevant cloud market trends.
- Understanding of how Microsoft Security, compliance, and identity solutions span solution areas to provide holistic, end-to-end solutions.
About the company
Microsoft develops software, devices, and cloud services. Windows is an operating system that runs on personal computers, Office provides productivity apps, and Azure offers cloud computing and developer tools. The company differentiates itself with a large, integrated ecosystem of software, devices, and services, plus long-standing partnerships with PC makers and a broad enterprise footprint. Its goal is to put a computer on every desk and in every home, and to extend that reach through cloud services, professional networking (LinkedIn), and gaming.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Redmond, Washington
Founded
1975
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Microsoft AI business reached $37 billion ARR in Q3 FY2026, up 123%.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot surpassed 30 million paid seats in FY2026, expanding monetization.
- LinkedIn revenue grew 12% in FY2026, adding resilient cash flow outside cloud.
What critics are saying
- Copilot adoption disappointment triggered January 2026 lawsuits over misleading Azure and AI claims.
- Senior exits continue, including Roslansky and Peter Lee, signaling leadership instability into 2026.
- GitHub Copilot’s usage-based billing exposes customers to higher AI costs and churn risk.
What makes Microsoft unique
- Azure exceeded $100 billion in FY2026, pairing cloud scale with enterprise distribution.
- Microsoft Cloud reached $214 billion in FY2026, anchored by Office, GitHub, and Dynamics.
- Security Copilot customers doubled year over year, reinforcing Microsoft’s integrated security stack.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Company Match
Professional Development Budget
Conference Attendance Budget
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 0%2 year growth
↑ 0%Melius Research upgraded Microsoft to Buy with a $665 price target, citing the company's software portfolio and cybersecurity business as lower-risk AI exposure. Analyst Ben Reitzes said CEO Satya Nadella's team will be seen as "adults in charge" as AI safety concerns mount. Microsoft's cybersecurity revenue exceeded $20 billion annually in 2023. The company recently launched MAI-Cyber-1-Flash, its first cybersecurity-focused AI model, and Project Perception security platform. Microsoft shares gained 37.5% in the third quarter, its best performance since 1998, adding $1 trillion to market capitalisation. A 16% single-day jump followed earnings showing cloud growth at its fastest pace in four years. Of 72 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, all but three rate Microsoft a buy, with none recommending selling.
Goldman Sachs warns that the AI stock rally hinges on hyperscalers demonstrating accelerating cloud revenue growth this earnings season. The firm expects year-over-year cloud growth to increase from 48% in Q2 to 55% in Q3 amongst Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle. Goldman strategist Ben Snider emphasised that continued signs of AI capital expenditure monetisation will be crucial for both hyperscaler performance and future capex growth outlook. Micron provided an early positive signal last week, beating sales and profit forecasts driven by AI demand. The memory chipmaker added approximately $43 billion in sales compared to the year-ago quarter, with executives projecting tight capacity and high chip prices through 2028.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who successfully transformed the company into a cloud powerhouse after taking over in 2014, faces a new challenge in the AI era. Nearly four years into the AI boom, Microsoft has yet to produce a breakout product at the model or application layer, despite its early investment in OpenAI. The company's Copilot technology hasn't achieved widespread workplace adoption, and its proprietary AI models remain niche. Microsoft's stock has underperformed peers this year, rising just 7%. Nadella is now shifting the business model towards token-based, consumption pricing. GitHub Copilot, which moved to this model, has grown from 26 million to 50 million users, with sales accelerating 60%. Microsoft has 30 million Copilot seats but faces competition from Anthropic and other AI-native startups. The company is introducing usage-based billing products like Copilot Cowork to expand its market.
Accenture reported revenue of nearly $74.2 billion for fiscal year 2026, up 6.5% year-over-year, with net income of roughly $8.5 billion. The professional services firm serves approximately 9,000 clients globally with 814,000 employees. Microsoft generated revenue of nearly $331.8 billion in FY 2026, a 17.8% increase, with net income of approximately $133.7 billion. The company's net margin reached close to 40.3%. Both companies maintained a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.3x. Microsoft's free cash flow reached nearly $67.0 billion, whilst Accenture's was roughly $11.6 billion. Accenture recently addressed a $25 million settlement with the Department of Justice regarding federal contracting practices. Microsoft faces securities fraud class action lawsuits involving AI and Copilot claims, alongside antitrust scrutiny and an IRS tax audit.
Microsoft is rolling out Excel Canvas through October, a feature that transforms spreadsheet data into polished reports with visualisations, metrics, and insights. The reports automatically refresh when underlying data changes. Users need access to Copilot in Excel and can customise reports using natural language prompts. The feature enters a crowded market of dashboard tools. The rollout follows mixed reception for recent Excel updates. Last week, Microsoft added a feature allowing multiple values in single cells. Earlier this year, a Copilot Dynamic Action Button faced user backlash, forcing Microsoft to make it removable. The company also abandoned the COPILOT() function in August, barely 12 months after its introduction.