Azure Cloud Architect – AI/ML & Data Services - Niles, IL - Contract Opportunity

Zodiac Solutions

Niles, IL

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$50–$60
SKILLS
ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Best Practices, Cloud Architecture, Cloud Computing, Communication Skills, Continuous Deployment/Delivery, Continuous Integration, Cost Control, Data Lake, Data Management, Data Science, Data Storage, DevOps, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, GitHub, Identity Data Management, Information/Data Security (InfoSec), Machine Learning, Maintain Compliance, Mentoring, Microsoft Certifications, Microsoft Windows Azure, Network Architecture/Engineering, Network Security, Security Architecture, Security Compliance, Software Engineering, Technical Leadership
LOCATION
Niles, IL
POSTED
2 days ago

Role: Azure Cloud Architect AI/ML & Data Services

Location: Niles, IL (Hybrid 2-3 days office in a week)

Duration: Contract opportunity

Key Responsibilities

  • Architect, design, and implement end-to-end Azure cloud solutions with a focus on AI/ML workloads, data engineering pipelines, and platform infrastructure.
  • Lead the adoption and integration of Azure AI/ML services including Azure Machine Learning, Azure OpenAI Service, Cognitive Services, and Snowflake.
  • Define and enforce cloud architecture standards, patterns, and best practices across development teams.
  • Design secure, scalable data platforms using Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, and related services.
  • Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to operationalize ML models through MLOps practices (CI/CD for models, monitoring, retraining pipelines).
  • Drive infrastructure-as-code (IaC) adoption using Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates.
  • Conduct architecture reviews, cloud readiness assessments, and provide technical guidance on migrating on-premises workloads to Azure.
  • Ensure compliance with security, governance, and cost management requirements (Azure Policy, RBAC, Defender for Cloud, FinOps).
  • Mentor and upskill engineering teams on Azure best practices and AI/ML service capabilities.
  • Engage with stakeholders to present architecture proposals, roadmaps, and technical recommendations.

Required Qualifications

  • 8+ years of experience in cloud architecture and engineering, with at least 5 years focused on Microsoft Azure.
  • Proven experience architecting and deploying AI/ML solutions on Azure at scale.
  • Deep hands-on expertise with Azure ML, Azure OpenAI, Azure Databricks, Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
  • Strong proficiency in infrastructure-as-code using Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates.
  • Solid understanding of MLOps, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions).
  • Experience with cloud networking, security architecture, identity management (Entra ID / AAD), and compliance frameworks on Azure.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Microsoft Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305, Azure AI Engineer AI-102).
Thanks,
Sanjay Kumar
sanjay.kumar@zodiac-solutions.com

About the Company

Z

Zodiac Solutions