Cloud & Security Architect (w/m/d)

We are seeking an experienced Cloud & Security Architect to join our team and lead the architecture, resilience, and security posture of our enterprise application platform. In this role, you will bridge the gap between Azure Cloud Architecture, Security Engineering, and Modern Application Development. Our application suite is built with C# and .NET and is deployed across a hybrid environment spanning Microsoft Azure, On-Premises infrastructure, and Docker / Kubernetes (K8s). Because our application is exposed directly to the public internet, ensuring robust security - ranging from edge defense and zero-trust networking to secure coding practices and container hardening - is at the core of this role.

• Drive and cultivate a security-first and DevOps-oriented culture across software engineering and infrastructure teams
• Lead hands-on workshops, establish security excellence programs, and mentor developers on secure coding and automated operational practices

• Design and enforce edge protection strategies (Azure Front Door, WAF, Application Gateway, DDoS Protection) for all internet-facing APIs and services
• Enforce Zero-Trust Network Architecture, strict IP/GEO filtering, rate-limiting, and modern API security protocols (OAuth2, OIDC, mTLS)

• Architect, standardize, and help maintain secure CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps)Own automated Infrastructure as Code (IaC) deployment workflows
• Embed continuous security gates (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, secret detection) into the build and release lifecycle

• Architect and maintain cloud infrastructure in Azure aligned with cloud security best practices and the Microsoft Well-Architected Framework
• Design secure hybrid connectivity between Azure, on-premises data centers, and containerized environments using Azure Arc, ExpressRoute, and VPN gateways

• Define and enforce security controls across containerized workloads (Docker, AKS, and On-Prem Kubernetes)
• Implement pod security standards, network policies (Calico/Cilium), image scanning, and container runtime threat detection

• Coordinate and execute recurring security governance best practices, including regular user access reviews (IAM/PIM audits), cloud application security assessments, penetration testing, and automated policy compliance across all hybrid environments

• Take ownership of translating technologically-heavy business and product goals into detailed technical requirement specifications, system design docs, and architectural decision records (ADRs)
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners and Developers to define, document, and manage technical user stories and acceptance criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or a related field required (as the baseline requirement)
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Information Technology strongly recommended

Work Experience: 7+ years of experience in Cloud Architecture, Cybersecurity, and/or DevSecOps roles

Execution & Drive: Self-motivated, hands-on practitioner with a 'doer' mentality, taking strong personal ownership and pride in the quality, security, and elegance of technical deliverables

Technical Leadership: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire engineering teams to continuously raise the bar and strive for excellence

Public Internet Exposure: Hands-on experience defending public-facing, internet-exposed applications against threats (e.g., volumetric DDoS, credential stuffing, API abuse, SQLi)

Azure Technical Stack: Strong practical knowledge of Microsoft Azure services and security tools (Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Key Vault, Azure Policy, Network Security Groups, Private Endpoints)

DevOps Architecture & Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Experience in driving automated infrastructure provisioning, continuous deployment, and telemetry across hybrid Azure, on-premises, and Kubernetes environments, ensuring zero-downtime deployments, high availability, and operational resilience

Software & Distributed Architecture Expertise: Strong background in software architecture with proven experience designing and securing microservices architectures. Solid understanding of distributed systems, event-driven messaging systems (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka, Azure Service Bus), data persistence patterns, and API gateway integrations

Languages: Englisch (C1) and German (B2) required

• Microsoft Azure Associate Certifications (Preferred/Targeted): Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500), Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104), Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204), Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700)
• Expert / Industry Certifications (A plus): Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100), Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) or CISSP