Cloud Architecture
Translate service and risk requirements into approved technical direction.
Own cloud architecture principles, target designs, reusable patterns and authoritative design decisions within an explicitly delegated scope.
Translate service and risk requirements into approved technical direction.
Own cloud architecture principles, target designs, reusable patterns and authoritative design decisions within an explicitly delegated scope.
Own cloud architecture principles, target designs, reusable patterns and authoritative design decisions within an explicitly delegated scope. The function maintains explicit decision boundaries, measurable outcomes, governed interfaces and a documented improvement loop for its scope.
Scope in
- Architecture principles
- Reference patterns
- Design decisions
- Technical debt direction
Scope out
- Policy ownership
- Day-to-day platform delivery
- Business risk acceptance
Responsibilities
- Architecture principles
- Reference patterns
- Design decisions
- Technical debt direction
Services
- Architecture principles service
- Reference patterns service
- Design decisions service
- Technical debt direction service
Required capabilities
- Lead Cloud Architect capability
- Domain Architect capability
Roles
- Lead Cloud Architect
- Domain Architect
Decision rights
- Approve architecture patterns
- Approve design deviations
- Set technical constraints
Key interfaces
- Cloud Governance / CCoE
- Platform Engineering
- Cloud Security & Assurance
Inputs
- Requirements from Cloud Governance / CCoE
- Requirements from Platform Engineering
Outputs
- Governed output to Platform Engineering
- Governed output to Cloud Security & Assurance
Governance forums
- Architect design review
- Cloud operating-model review
Measures
- Pattern reuse
- Decision turnaround
- Architecture-debt closure
Dependencies
- Cloud Governance / CCoE
- Platform Engineering
- Cloud Security & Assurance
Sourcing options
- Retained internal
- Shared
- MSP-supported
Organizational placements
- Central cloud organization
- Federated domain
- Shared technology function
Decisions owned
- Approve architecture patterns
- Approve design deviations
- Set technical constraints
Decisions contributed to
- Contribute to decisions owned by Cloud Governance / CCoE
- Contribute to decisions owned by Platform Engineering
- Contribute to decisions owned by Cloud Security & Assurance
Common failure modes
- Produces documents without delivery feedback
- Conflicts with engineering ownership
- Reviews every low-risk change
Architecture authority remains internal even when design work is supported externally.
Architecture authority remains internal even when design work is supported externally.
Begin with named ownership and one measurable outcome; add delegation and automation only when evidence and capability are reliable.
Vendor-neutral practitioner reference pattern; validate against organizational, regulatory and sourcing context.
Version 2026.3 · reviewed 8 September 2026