Cloud Security Architect (Azure) - £700 - £750 per day - Inside IR35 - Primarily remote with occasional site attendance in Gloucester - Contract until year end. My client, one of the UKs biggest producers of zero carbon electricity, is seeking a skilled Azure Cloud Security Architect to lead the design and delivery of secure, scalable solutions across complex hybrid environments. This is an opportunity to shape the future of my clients cloud security posture during a significant digital transformation. Key Responsibilities Lead the design and implementation of secure architecture across Azure cloud and private data centre environments. Define and enforce security best practices for Azure tooling, cloud workloads, and infrastructure components. Architect solutions for large-scale data centre migrations and greenfield deployments, including transformation from IaaS to PaaS/service compute. Oversee the deployment and optimisation of the Microsoft Defender Suite and cloud-native Azure security tooling. Design and manage network security components such as NSGs, network segmentation, VNet peering, and topology planning. Integrate security into development pipelines using DevSecOps approaches. Collaborate with stakeholders across IT, DevOps, and Compliance to ensure secure design, governance, and operations. Essential Skills & Experience Proven experience in Azure Cloud Architecture, including Azure Stack and hybrid models. Hands-on with security tooling, network controls, and infrastructure-as-a-service (VM) management. Strong understanding of cloud-native security principles and modern enterprise security tooling. Experience leading cloud migrations from on-premises or private data centres to Azure. Familiarity with Oracle environments, particularly during infrastructure transformation initiatives. Practical knowledge of DevSecOps and securing CI/CD pipelines. Strong foundation in network security, segmentation, and Azure networking principles. Certifications (Preferred) CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional CCSP – Certified Cloud Security Professional CISM or SSCP – Highly desirable Bonus Skills & Knowledge Awareness of compliance and risk frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST, and CIS Benchmarks. Ability to support threat modelling, cloud risk assessment, and incident response planning. Exposure to Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) security using tools like Terraform, ARM templates, or Bicep. Skilled in translating technical risks into business terms for senior stakeholders. Awareness of multi-cloud environments (e.g. AWS, GCP) is an advantage