Cloud architects are responsible for communicating with vendors to negotiate third-party contracts for hardware, software and other cloud technologies. It’s a constantly evolving field, and the job requires someone who can stay on top of the latest trends and technologies.
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“The cloud architect should have a variety of technical and nontechnical skills, but above all, the cloud architect must be a great collaborator in order to empower and connect with a variety of other architecture roles in your organization,” says Gartner analyst Kyle Hilgendorf.
While strong communication skills and an ability to remain agile are crucial for a cloud architect, there are plenty of other technical and soft skills required for the job. According to Gartner, these include:
Application architecture
Automation and orchestration
Governance
I&O (input and output)
Integration architecture
ITSM/ITOM
Outsourcing and external hosting
Security
Communication and collaboration
Company and vertical experience
Delegation
Finance and legal experience
Procurement and vendor management
Program leadership
Thought leadership and change agency
Becoming a cloud architect
There are plenty of paths to becoming a cloud architect — if you’re still early in your career, you might want to consider a formal degree program. But for those with experience in IT, Gartner suggests IT pros with the following skills and experience will find the transition easiest:
Enterprise architects: Hilgendorf notes that the role of a cloud architect is “a new form of an enterprise architect,” and that it’s an easy transition from enterprise to cloud architect. However, the report cautions it’s best suited to those with “real hands-on program leadership.”
I&O (virtualization): Those with virtualization or infrastructure architecture experience are often a good fit for the cloud architect role, since “many cloud programs begin with simple IaaS projects, and virtualization architects are best-positioned to understand the technical nuances of a ‘virtualizationlike’ environment,” says Hilgendorf.
Integration architecture (network, identity, services and data): Some of the biggest issues with cloud adoption arise with integration across the company. Integration architects are adept at working with complex systems, and they’re typically skilled at working across departments.
Business liaisons: Employees who are known for rocking the boat or pushing the envelope with technology can serve as valuable liaisons to encourage company buy-in to new cloud technologies.
You might even find there’s an “extremely technically savvy individual in a business unit,” who has the right skills and background to bring value to enterprise cloud adoption, says Hilgendorf. If your organization finds it difficult to land the right skills outside your company, there might be someone well suited to the role in another business unit who can transition to cloud architect with a small investment in training and education.
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