Cloud & AI Apps Architect - ISV (EMEA-HQ)

The Software and Digital Platforms team is looking for a Cloud AI & Apps Solution Architect (CSA) to join our EMEA HQ team, with a primary focus on supporting strategic ISVs and large SaaS companies in the United Kingdom. This role is focused on helping some of the world's most innovative software companies build the next generation of AI powered applications by leveraging Microsoft Foundry, Agentic SDLC, GitHub Copilot, and Azure Cloud Native technologies.

As the primary technical leader for your accounts, you will own the end to end technology strategy, aligning architecture decisions with customer business objectives and Microsoft Cloud Success metrics. You will provide overarching visibility across every technical workstream, driving architecture direction, workload prioritization, adoption milestones, and long term technical strategy.

A key focus of the role is enabling customers to build intelligent applications with Microsoft Foundry while transforming software engineering through Agentic SDLC powered by GitHub Copilot. You will help engineering organizations adopt AI assisted development, autonomous coding workflows, and modern application architectures before scaling them on Azure Cloud Native platforms.

You will drive Azure consumption growth through disciplined technical leadership, proactively identifying opportunities to expand adoption across AI, application modernization, developer productivity, and cloud native services. You will also launch new initiatives through scalable programs, architecture workshops, AI envisioning sessions, hackathons, and Build to Scale engagements that accelerate customer innovation.

Working closely with CTOs, Chief Architects, and engineering leaders, you will act as the voice of the customer within Microsoft, partnering with engineering, product groups, and account teams to influence product direction while helping customers build the next generation of intelligent software platforms. This is an EMEA HQ role offering the opportunity to shape strategy for some of Microsoft's most strategic software companies while collaborating across regional and global engineering teams.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Serve as the primary technical leader for assigned ISVs and SaaS companies, providing end to end architecture leadership across every technical workstream and aligning technology strategy with customer business objectives and Microsoft Cloud Success metrics.

Own the overall architecture direction, workload prioritization, technical roadmap, and adoption milestones across AI, application modernization, and developer productivity initiatives.

Act as the voice of the customer within Microsoft by representing customer priorities, influencing engineering teams, and ensuring product feedback helps shape future platform capabilities.

Drive the adoption of Microsoft Foundry to build intelligent applications, AI agents, and enterprise AI solutions that deliver measurable business value.

Lead customers in adopting Agentic SDLC practices through GitHub Copilot, enabling AI assisted software development, autonomous coding workflows, intelligent code reviews, testing automation, and developer productivity at scale.

Launch and scale new AI initiatives through architecture workshops, hackathons, AI envisioning sessions, proof of concepts, and Build to Scale engagements that accelerate production adoption.

Drive Azure consumption growth through disciplined architecture delivery, modernization initiatives, and proactive identification of opportunities across Azure AI, GitHub, Azure Cloud Native, and application services.

Own both immediate business outcomes and future innovation by delivering consumption against plan while continuously identifying new AI, application, and developer platform scenarios that expand customer adoption.

Guide customers through cloud native application modernization using containers, Kubernetes, serverless technologies, APIs, and distributed application architectures that support intelligent software platforms.

Collaborate across Microsoft engineering, product groups, customer success, and partner teams to deliver cohesive technical engagements and successful customer outcomes.

Provide technical leadership through architecture reviews, executive briefings, technical workshops, and mentorship while sharing best practices across the Software and Digital Platforms organization.

Required/minimum qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or related field AND extensive experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies, information technology (IT) consulting/support, systems administration, network operations, software development/support, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting OR equivalent experience.

Several years of experience designing or implementing modern cloud applications or software platforms.

Hands on experience with Microsoft Foundry or Azure AI technologies for building intelligent applications.

Experience with GitHub, GitHub Copilot, modern DevOps practices, and software engineering workflows.

Additional or preferred qualifications:

Understanding of Agentic SDLC concepts and AI assisted software development.

Experience designing cloud native application architectures using Azure services, containers, Kubernetes, APIs, or microservices.

Experience working in customer facing architecture, consulting, or technical advisory roles.

Experience working with ISVs, enterprise software vendors, or large SaaS companies is strongly preferred.

Proved communication skills with the ability to engage engineering leaders, architects, CTOs, and executive stakeholders.

Passion for AI powered software development, developer productivity, and helping software companies build the next generation of intelligent applications.

Cloud Solution Architecture IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across United Kingdom is £ 79,700.00 - £ 133,900.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/united-kingdom-corporate-pay.html

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.