Cloud Architect

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities. At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter. This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today. The Role Design and govern cloud architecture for Lumen's NaaS platform and related digital services. This role is the primary cloud architecture authority on the DJAS team - responsible for defining how Lumen's network-as-a-service capabilities are built, deployed, and operated in cloud environments. AWS is Lumen's primary cloud target for systems related to network automation; the ideal candidate has deep, demonstrated AWS expertise alongside working knowledge of GCP and Azure for a multi-cloud architecture perspective. This role bridges cloud engineering disciplines with architectural leadership - defining standards, guiding platform decisions, evaluating cloud-native approaches, and ensuring that what gets built in the cloud is resilient, secure, observable, and cost-efficient. Location This is a remote opportunity open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S. The Main Responsibilities Define cloud architecture standards and reference patterns for NaaS platform services across AWS (primary), GCP, and Azure Own cloud-native design decisions: compute, networking, storage, containerization, serverless, and service mesh patterns Design and govern IaC (Terraform, Pulumi, or CDK) standards - reusable, modular, auditable infrastructure code Architect Kubernetes/EKS environments for NaaS workloads: cluster design, operational efficiency, production readiness Define cloud networking architecture: VPCs, transit gateways, peering, interconnects, CDN, load balancing Ensure cloud security posture: IAM policies, encryption standards, network segmentation, FedRAMP alignment where applicable Define observability architecture for cloud workloads: metrics, logging, tracing, alerting (OpenTelemetry-aligned) Lead cloud cost governance: rightsizing, reserved capacity, spend modeling, FinOps practices Evaluate cloud AI/ML platform capabilities (SageMaker, Vertex AI, Bedrock) and define how NaaS architecture supports AI workload hosting Provide architecture reviews and guidance across engineering teams building on cloud platforms Mentor architects and engineers on cloud-native design patterns and best practices Produce architecture artifacts: solution designs, reference architectures, ADRs, migration roadmaps What We Look For in a Candidate Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field with 10+ years of relevant experience or Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience AI-first practitioner - actively integrates AI tools (LLMs, coding assistants, AI-powered analysis and design tools) as a routine part of architecture and engineering work, not as an occasional experiment. Candidates must demonstrate specific, current examples of how AI has meaningfully accelerated or improved their work. Deep, demonstrated AWS expertise - required. Must have designed and operated production systems on AWS at scale. AWS Solutions Architect Professional or equivalent experience. Working knowledge of GCP and Azure - multi-cloud architecture perspective required Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Pulumi, or AWS CDK) - production-level experience Kubernetes/EKS: cluster design, operational patterns, Helm, service mesh (Istio or equivalent) Cloud networking: VPCs, transit gateways, PrivateLink, BGP peering, CDN, load balancing Distributed systems architecture: microservices, event-driven patterns, async messaging (Kafka, SQS, EventBridge) Cloud security: IAM policies, KMS, network segmentation, compliance controls Observability platforms: OpenTelemetry, CloudWatch, Datadog, or equivalent Preferred : Experience with FedRAMP-aligned cloud architecture or GovCloud environments AI/ML platform experience: SageMaker, Bedrock, Vertex AI - infrastructure design for ML workloads MLOps pipeline design in cloud-native environments Experience with cloud-native network functions or telecom NaaS platforms CI/CD pipeline design and DevSecOps integration FinOps certifications or demonstrated cost governance experience Compensation This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors. Location Based Pay Ranges $132,232 - $176,310 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY $138,844 - $185,124 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $145,456 - $193,940 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process. Learn more about Lumen's: Benefits Bonus Structure #LI-Remote Requisition #: 343194 Life at Lumen Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes. Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win. To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit: https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen Background Screening If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page . Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Equal Employment Opportunities We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training. Privacy Notice Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data. To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit: https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/privacy-notice Disclaimer The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions. In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.