GCP Solution Architect

GCP Solution Architect

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced GCP Solution Architect with 15+ years of comprehensive experience in cloud infrastructure, data solutions, application development, modernization, and DevOps practices. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong pre-sales acumen and the ability to architect complex cloud solutions while driving business value for clients.

Key Responsibilities

Solution Architecture & Design

• Design and architect end-to-end GCP cloud solutions including infrastructure, data platforms, and application architecture
• Lead application modernization initiatives, including migration strategies from on-premises to GCP and containerization
• Develop cloud-native architecture leveraging GCP services such as GKE, Cloud Run, App Engine, Cloud Functions, and Anthos
• Create technical roadmaps and architecture blueprints aligned with business objectives
• Ensure solutions follow best practices for security, scalability, reliability, and cost optimization

Pre-Sales & Client Engagement

• Lead technical discussions during pre-sales engagements and client meetings
• Conduct discovery sessions to understand client requirements and pain points
• Develop compelling technical proposals and solution presentations
• Create proof-of-concepts (POCs) and technical demonstrations
• Provide effort estimation and solution sizing for proposed architectures
• Address technical objections and provide clarifications during sales cycles

SOW Development & Documentation

• Write comprehensive Statements of Work (SOW) with detailed scope, deliverables, timelines, and assumptions
• Define project phases, milestones, and success criteria
• Document technical architecture, design decisions, and implementation approaches
• Create high-level and low-level design documents
• Develop architecture decision records (ADRs) and technical specifications

Data & Analytics

• Design data architecture using BigQuery, Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Bigtable, and Firestore
• Architect data lakes, data warehouses, and data pipelines on GCP
• Implement ETL/ELT solutions using Dataflow, Dataproc, Cloud Composer, and Pub/Sub
• Design analytics and business intelligence solutions
• Implement data governance, security, and compliance frameworks

DevOps & Automation

• Design and implement CI/CD pipelines using Cloud Build, Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar tools
• Architect infrastructure-as-code solutions using Terraform, Deployment Manager, or Pulumi
• Implement monitoring and observability solutions using Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, and Cloud Trace
• Design containerization and orchestration strategies using Docker and Kubernetes (GKE)
• Establish DevOps best practices including GitOps, site reliability engineering (SRE), and automation

Leadership & Collaboration

• Mentor junior architects and technical teams
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including developers, data engineers, and operations
• Provide technical leadership throughout project lifecycles
• Stay current with GCP innovations and industry trends
• Participate in architecture review boards and governance discussions

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 15+ years of overall IT experience with significant focus on cloud technologies
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform
• Proven track record in pre-sales activities and client-facing roles
• Extensive experience in SOW creation and technical documentation
• Experience with large-scale enterprise cloud migrations and transformations

Technical Skills

• GCP Core Services: Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, VPC, Cloud IAM, Cloud CDN, Cloud Load Balancing
• Application Development: Cloud Run, GKE, App Engine, Cloud Functions, API Gateway
• Data & Analytics: BigQuery, Cloud SQL, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Cloud Composer, Dataproc
• DevOps: Cloud Build, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, GitOps
• Security: Cloud Security Command Center, Cloud KMS, IAM, VPC Service Controls, Security best practices
• Networking: VPC design, hybrid connectivity (Cloud VPN, Cloud Interconnect), network security
• Monitoring: Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, Cloud Trace, APM tools

Certifications (Preferred)

• Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect
• Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer
• Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer
• Google Cloud Professional Security Engineer
• Additional relevant certifications are a plus

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong stakeholder management abilities
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving expertise
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions
• Experience working in agile environments
• Customer-focused mindset with consultative approach

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with multi-cloud architecture (AWS, Azure)
• Knowledge of application modernization patterns and microservices
• Familiarity with data science and ML/AI workloads on GCP (Vertex AI, AI Platform)
• Experience with compliance frameworks (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, SOC 2)