Azure Security Architect

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an Azure Security Architect based in the United States. The Azure Security Architect will provide strategic security architecture oversight for large-scale transformation initiatives, with a focus on cloud environments and finance systems modernization. This role is responsible for evaluating solution designs, identifying security risks, and ensuring that technology implementations meet enterprise security, governance, resiliency, and compliance standards. You will assess Microsoft Azure environments, enterprise identity systems, data platforms, integrations, and financial applications throughout key project milestones. Working closely with Finance, Infrastructure, Compliance, Governance, and external partners, you will translate complex technical risks into actionable recommendations for project leaders and executives. The position combines hands-on architecture assessment with strategic advisory responsibilities in a regulated enterprise environment. This is a remote contract opportunity based in Kansas, with periodic participation in project and governance meetings.

The Azure Security Architect will guide security architecture decisions throughout the transformation program, ensuring that proposed solutions align with enterprise standards, regulatory obligations, and operational requirements. Key responsibilities include: Review and challenge solution architectures, technical designs, and implementation plans to ensure they meet security and enterprise architecture standards. Assess solutions for cybersecurity, resiliency, governance, operational readiness, and compliance risks. Evaluate identity and access management, networking, data protection, logging, monitoring, and third-party integrations across cloud and enterprise environments. Conduct architecture and security reviews at critical project milestones, providing clear assessments and recommendations. Identify security risks, control gaps, architectural weaknesses, and remediation measures, supporting timely resolution. Review ERP and general ledger systems, subledgers, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), reporting platforms, data environments, integrations, and identity/access designs for security and control implications. Support audit, compliance, and regulatory requirements related to financial systems and enterprise transformation initiatives. Maintain security risks, decisions, assumptions, and control gaps in alignment with program RAID logs, decision registers, and established governance processes. Collaborate with Finance, Infrastructure, Governance, Compliance, Project Management, and external vendors to address security requirements and coordinate remediation activities. Prepare architecture and security review reports, risk and control gap assessments, phase-gate readiness evaluations, and executive-level presentations. Support security control traceability and audit readiness for finance systems, providing ongoing advisory guidance to project and governance teams. Requirements: The ideal candidate is a senior enterprise and cloud architecture professional with extensive Microsoft Azure expertise, strong cybersecurity knowledge, and experience supporting complex transformation programs. They should be able to evaluate technical designs critically, work effectively across multidisciplinary teams, and communicate security implications clearly to both technical stakeholders and business leadership. Required qualifications include: At least 10 years of experience in enterprise architecture and cloud environments. At least 5 years of experience designing, governing, and securing Microsoft Azure environments. Strong cybersecurity architecture expertise, including Zero Trust principles, cloud security, and enterprise security governance. Experience supporting large-scale transformation programs, ERP or general ledger implementations, or finance systems modernization. Proven ability to review security architecture across SaaS applications, cloud infrastructure, integration layers, data platforms, and enterprise identity environments. Deep knowledge of Azure architecture and governance, Microsoft Entra ID, role-based access control (RBAC), Privileged Identity Management (PIM), Azure networking, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, data protection, and security monitoring. Experience working with auditors, risk management teams, and compliance stakeholders to support security assessments and regulatory requirements. Ability to translate complex technical security risks into clear, business-relevant recommendations for program leaders and executive stakeholders. Strong analytical, communication, stakeholder management, and documentation skills, with the ability to deliver actionable assessments and executive-ready presentations. Preferred qualifications include: Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification. CISSP, CCSP, CCSK, TOGAF, or equivalent professional certifications. Experience in insurance, reinsurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industries. Familiarity with NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and SOX controls. Benefits: Contract-based engagement with a remote working arrangement. Flexibility to work remotely, with periodic participation in project and governance meetings. Opportunity to contribute to enterprise-scale cloud security and finance transformation initiatives. Exposure to complex architecture, governance, risk management, and compliance challenges. Opportunity to advise senior stakeholders and influence security decisions across a major transformation program.