Overview As an Azure Infrastructure Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) within the Customer Success Unit (CSU), you will serve as the senior technical advisor and delivery lead for Federal Government and Defence customers. You are responsible for designing, enabling, and optimizing secure, resilient, and compliant Azure environments that support mission-critical workloads in highly regulated environments (e.g., ISM, PSPF). This is a customer-facing, outcome-driven role where you: Lead technical delivery execution across Azure infrastructure Enable secure cloud adoption at scale Drive Azure consumption, reliability, and long-term platform strategies Partner across Microsoft (CSAM, Engineering, Support) to deliver end-to-end customer success In the FDI context, you play a critical role in: Supporting secure cloud transformation programs (e.g. Defence platforms, Gov modernization) Enabling AI-ready infrastructure in classified and regulated environments Building trusted advisory relationships with senior government stakeholders Responsibilities Secure Platform Delivery & Execution Lead the deployment and stabilization of Azure infrastructure environments (landing zones, networking, governance frameworks) Remove blockers impacting mission-critical delivery milestones Ensure environments meet security, compliance, and accreditation requirements (ISM, PSPF) Support and resolve technical incidents in partnership with Microsoft Support and Engineering Architecture & Cloud Platform Design Design scalable, secure Azure infrastructure architectures aligned to Government and Defence standards Build repeatable platform patterns for multi-workload environments (Defence platforms, shared services, etc.) Enable transition from pilot to production-grade, enterprise-scale deployments Support hybrid and sovereign scenarios using Azure-native and hybrid capabilities Consumption & Adoption Growth Enable workload onboarding and accelerate Azure usage through platform readiness Reduce friction between design and deployment to drive sustained consumption growth Ensure environments are optimized for performance, cost, and operational efficiency Drive confidence for customers to continue investing in Azure Technical Leadership & Advisory Act as a trusted advisor to customer technical and executive stakeholders Deliver proactive services including: Architecture reviews Technical assessments Workshops aligned to cloud adoption and modernization Provide guidance on secure cloud adoption and operational best practices Influence long-term technology strategy and roadmaps Customer Success Planning & Stakeholder Alignment Contribute to and execute Customer Success Plans (CSPs) in partnership with CSAMs Maintain visibility of delivery status, risks, and outcomes (RAID) Support executive engagement forums (QBRs, governance boards, technical design authorities) Align Microsoft teams to drive One Microsoft execution across Defence and Government accounts Operational Excellence, Security & Resilience Ensure customer platforms meet high standards of security, resiliency, and governance Lead practices across: Monitoring and observability Disaster recovery and business continuity Cost and performance optimization Enable AI-ready environments for future transformation initiatives Qualifications Required/minimum qualifications Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or related field AND 4 years experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies, information technology (IT) consulting/support, systems administration, network operations, software development/support, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting OR equivalent experience. Technical Expertise Deep experience across Azure Infrastructure, including: Virtual Machines, compute, and scaling Networking (hybrid connectivity, security architectures) Storage, backup, and disaster recovery (ASR / Backup) Monitoring and observability (Azure Monitor / Insights) Governance and compliance (Azure Policy, RBAC, landing zones) Strong understanding of hybrid cloud and sovereign architectures Experience designing production-grade, secure enterprise environments Security & Compliance (Critical for FDI) Experience working with regulated environments (Government / Defence preferred) Knowledge of: ISM (Information Security Manual) PSPF (Protective Security Policy Framework) Security accreditation and compliance processes Ability to design and guide secure-by-design cloud architectures Delivery & Execution Capability Proven ability to: Lead complex technical delivery engagements Troubleshoot and resolve critical platform issues Enable delivery teams to meet committed milestones Strong operational discipline across: Risk management Delivery planning Stakeholder communication Customer & Stakeholder Skills Ability to engage: Technical teams (engineers, architects) Executive stakeholders (CIO, CTO, Heads of Engineering) Strong communication and influencing skills Experience working in matrixed, multi-team environments This position requires verification of Australian Citizenship due to citizenship based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports federal, state and /or local Australian government agency customers and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by law. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.