Cloud Architect

Who We Are

Woodruff Sawyer has been an industry leader for over 100 years. As a top insurance brokerage, our clients range from small start-ups to some of the most innovative companies in the world. Here, your unique expertise and perspective helps move companies ahead and your career forward.

We believe in supporting the whole lives and careers of our employees. That’s why, through excellent benefits and opportunities, and a genuinely inclusive and collaborative environment, we create the space for you and your career to flourish.

As an employee-owned company, we build toward the next decade, not just the next quarter. Our independence means you answer to great ideas and client success, not short-term profits, while our ESOP program allows you to build long-term wealth and ownership in the company. At Woodruff Sawyer, you own your future.

About the Role

The Cloud Architect will be responsible for architectural oversight of all server and cloud infrastructure at Woodruff Sawyer. This is a hands-on role responsible for the reliability, stability, and resiliency of Woodruff Sawyer’s hybrid cloud environment. Working with the Director of IT Infrastructure, the Cloud Architect will partner with IT colleagues in creating a world-class, secure, and innovative server infrastructure.

As a part of the Woodruff Sawyer Team, you will be helping to shape technology for our vast network of agents and internal teams.                                                             

What You'll Do

• Provide technical expertise and analysis for all areas of IT Infrastructure and networking architecture.
• Validate and challenge the detailed technical infrastructure and networking architectures provided by the technology partners, fellow team members and vendors in support of a project or technical solution.
• Participate in the first deployment of solutions to ensure that any technical and design issues are identified and appropriately resolved.
• Partner with security team to analyze existing systems to ensure that these systems provide the necessary security and reliability requirements.
• Provide technical expertise regarding standardization, cost management, and architectural oversight for all Infrastructure and networking components such as servers, storage, networking, database, and endpoint connectivity.
• Produce infrastructure and networking architecture artifacts (policies, standards, procedures, etc.) that can be used to leverage infrastructure capabilities in projects and operations.
• Develop and maintain detailed IT Infrastructure and networking architecture & engineering specifications, designs, and documentation.
• Create detailed plans for the integration of new systems architecture into existing infrastructure and networks.
• Keep abreast on emerging security threats, industry trends, technologies, products, and services and make recommendations to the broader cybersecurity teams, digital technology teams, compliance teams for their use, based on security, financial, and operational metrics.
• Lead and participate in technology remediation initiatives for non-compliant areas of lifecycle management as well as represent the infrastructure risk of the organization to IT Leadership
• Participate in Infrastructure and networking strategy sessions with organizational and cross-functional leaders.
• Partner with security team to secure network traffic using best practices, including appropriate use of encryption/VPNs, firewalls.

Experience and Qualifications

• 4+ years working with Microsoft Windows and Azure in a hybrid environment.
• Knowledgeable about cloud networking and firewalls.
• Knowledgeable about scripting and task automation.
• Proficient with Windows Active Directory, Azure Entra, and group policy.
• Proven experience with Terraform within Microsoft Azure.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of an organization, both technical and non-technical team members.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, teamwork, and issue resolution.
• Experience with Performance Tuning and Optimization (PTO), using native monitoring and troubleshooting tools.
• Knowledge of Project Management methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Exceptional Customer Service Skills.
• Flexible, team player, “get-it-done” personality.
• Insurance Industry Experience preferred. 

Don’t meet every single preferred qualification? Studies have shown that underrepresented populations are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet all qualifications. At Woodruff Sawyer we are dedicated to building a diver