A seasoned Cloud Architect is sought for a key role supporting critical projects within the Defence and National Security sector. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to secure, scalable, and innovative cloud solutions that support mission-critical operations. This is a senior-level contract role that blends technical expertise, solution design, and leadership across cloud platforms. The successful candidate will work as part of a multi-skilled Agile team, collaborating on bids, solution architecture, and the development of both public and private cloud services. Key Responsibilities: Design and implement secure, scalable, and resilient cloud solutions tailored to defence and security requirements. Contribute to bid responses, RFIs, and customer negotiations, delivering clear technical input and strategic guidance. Support and integrate solutions across platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Collaborate across applications, infrastructure, operations, and network teams to ensure seamless integration of cloud services. Act as a technical mentor, providing guidance on cloud technologies, migration strategies, and platform adoption. Lead troubleshooting, testing, and issue resolution throughout the solution lifecycle. Produce and maintain architectural documentation, technical guides, and standard operating procedures. Drive continuous improvement by keeping current with emerging technologies, trends, and cloud best practices. Essential Skills & Experience: Extensive commercial experience designing, implementing, and managing cloud architectures across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models. Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and scripting for deployment and automation (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, Python, PowerShell). Strong understanding of security frameworks and the ability to design compliant solutions for secure environments. Demonstrated ability to operate in an Agile delivery model and communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Relevant cloud certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert) are highly desirable. Must be flexible to travel to customer locations and work on-site in Basingstoke when required.