11 in-demand cloud roles companies are hiring for

Increased cloud adoption has companies adding new roles to ensure success in the cloud. From security architects to FinOps managers, here’s where they’re expanding their IT talent rosters.

Organizations continue to invest heavily in cloud solutions heading into 2026, with the goal of improving employee productivity (31%), accelerating adoption of AI and ML (13%), and improving security and governance in the organization (30%), according to the 2025 CIO Cloud Computing Study from Foundry.

The survey found that 70% of IT decision makers agree their organization has accelerated cloud migration in the past 12 months compared to 62% in 2024 and 57% in 2023. Additionally, 70% said their organization defaults to cloud-based services when upgrading or purchasing new technology, and 71% said cloud investments have helped their organization sustain an increase in revenue over the past 12 months.

This growth in cloud adoption has also sparked an increased demand for certain cloud roles. Here are some that companies are most likely to have added to support their cloud investments, according to Foundry’s research.

Security architect

Security architects are responsible for building, designing, and implementing security solutions in the organization to keep IT infrastructure secure. For security architects working in a cloud environment, the focus is on designing and implementing security solutions that protect cloud-based infrastructure, data, and applications.

Skills: Security architecture design, network security, security compliance and governance, incident response and forensics, data encryption, identity and access management (IAM), automation, and DevSecOps.

Role growth: 22% of businesses have added security architect roles as part of their cloud investments.

Cloud systems administrator

Cloud systems administrators are charged with overseeing the general maintenance and management of cloud infrastructure. Whether that means implementing cloud-based policies, deploying patches and updates, or analyzing network performance, these IT pros are skilled at navigating virtualized environments.

Skills: An understanding of implementation and integration, security, configuration, and knowledge of popular cloud software tools such as Azure, AWS, GCP, Exchange, and Office 365.

Role growth: 22% of companies have added cloud systems admin roles as part of their cloud investments.

Data architect

A data architect’s focus is seeing that an organization’s data is structured so it can be easily accessed, secured, and efficiently stored, and that it meets business needs. Data has become a primary way for businesses to conduct analysis and assist with business decision-making, and most of that data is now stored in the cloud.

Skills: Data warehousing, scalability and performance optimization, automation and virtualization, data governance and cloud security, data migration, and knowledge of hybrid cloud solutions.

Role growth: 22% of businesses have added data architect roles as part of their cloud investments.

Security engineer

Security engineers are tasked with overseeing the security of an organization’s systems, networks, and data, to make sure they’re protected from cybersecurity threats. For organizations investing in the cloud, security engineers can help ensure services, applications, and data running on cloud platforms are secure and compliant with any government regulations.

Skills: Network security, IAM, encryption, vulnerability management, security architecture, cloud security, automation, and infrastructure design and optimization.

Role growth: 19% of companies have added security engineer roles as part of their cloud investments.

Cloud product manager

With cloud adoption often comes an increase in in-house development of cloud-based services. A cloud product manager can help cloud teams develop effective solutions aimed at fulfilling business objectives. They’re also tasked with using their deep understanding of product management within the cloud environment to work closely with key stakeholders, identify and define requirements from users or customers, develop product roadmaps, and oversee the QA process to gain feedback on how to improve product offerings. 

Skills: Product management, UX design, communication and collaboration, and a strong technical background.

Role growth: 19% of organizations have added cloud product manager roles as part of their cloud investments.

Cloud consultant

With the rapid adoption and move to the cloud, organizations look for professionals who can leverage cloud technologies to meet business needs, grow the business, and improve efficiency. These pros are cloud experts and stay on top of latest innovations in cloud technology to better advise business leaders.

Skills: Knowledge of architecture and solution design, DevOps, automation, project management, cloud security, compliance, cloud migration, and knowledge of popular cloud platforms.

Role growth: 18% of companies have added cloud consultants as part of their cloud investments.

DevOps engineer

DevOps focuses on blending IT operations with the development process to improve IT systems and act as a go-between in maintaining the flow of communication between coding and engineering teams. It’s a role that focuses on the deployment of automated applications, maintenance of IT and cloud infrastructure, and identifying potential risks and benefits of new software and systems.

Skills: Automation, Linux, QA testing, security, containerization, and knowledge of programming languages such as Java and Ruby.

Role growth: 17% of companies have added DevOps engineer roles as part of their cloud investments.

FinOps/cloud cost optimization practitioner

FinOps and cloud cost optimization practitioners combine knowledge of finance, technology, and businesses to help oversee the increasingly complex landscape of cloud investments. Cloud computing is integral to AI, so as more organizations invest in it, they’re also revisiting investments in cloud infrastructure. FinOps and cloud cost optimization practitioners can help guide organizations to make the right financial decisions around technology investments that’ll impact the business.

Skills: Knowledge of finance, business, and technology along with skills using tools and platforms including AWS, Azure, GCP, and cloud-native FinOps platforms.

Role growth: 16% of companies have added FinOps and cloud cost optimization practitioner roles as part of their cloud investments.

FinOps lead/FinOps manager

FinOps leads and FinOps managers are tasked with overseeing the intersection of engineering, finance, and business. As more organizations build cloud services and tools, they look for FinOps professionals with technical knowledge to help bridge the gap between finance and tech, bringing better insights into ways to cut costs and stay on budget while implementing innovative technology.

Skills: A strong understanding of engineering, finance, and technology. Additional skills include knowledge of cloud platforms, basic coding skills, and data analytics.

Role growth: 15% of companies have added FinOps lead and FinOps manager roles as part of their cloud investments.

Site reliability engineer (SRE)

For any organization implementing cloud strategies, there’s a significant focus on reliability and scalability, ensuring that data can be accessed from the cloud and on-demand as needed. Site reliability engineers are responsible for overseeing automation of IT infrastructure, application monitoring, and system management. Cloud infrastructure requires frequent software updates, and services must be able to scale with the organization’s growth.

Skills: Change management, IT infrastructure management, emergency incident response, process improvement, and application monitoring.

Role growth: 10% of companies have added site reliability engineer roles as part of their cloud investments.