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
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Design and architect end-to-end GCP cloud solutions including infrastructure, data platforms, and application architecture
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Lead application modernization initiatives, including migration strategies from on-premises to GCP and containerization
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Develop cloud-native architecture leveraging GCP services such as GKE, Cloud Run, App Engine, Cloud Functions, and Anthos
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Create technical roadmaps and architecture blueprints aligned with business objectives
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Ensure solutions follow best practices for security, scalability, reliability, and cost optimization
Pre-Sales & Client Engagement
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Lead technical discussions during pre-sales engagements and client meetings
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Conduct discovery sessions to understand client requirements and pain points
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Develop compelling technical proposals and solution presentations
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Create proof-of-concepts (POCs) and technical demonstrations
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Provide effort estimation and solution sizing for proposed architectures
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Address technical objections and provide clarifications during sales cycles
SOW Development & Documentation
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Write comprehensive Statements of Work (SOW) with detailed scope, deliverables, timelines, and assumptions
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Define project phases, milestones, and success criteria
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Document technical architecture, design decisions, and implementation approaches
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Create high-level and low-level design documents
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Develop architecture decision records (ADRs) and technical specifications
Data & Analytics
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Design data architecture using BigQuery, Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Bigtable, and Firestore
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Architect data lakes, data warehouses, and data pipelines on GCP
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Implement ETL/ELT solutions using Dataflow, Dataproc, Cloud Composer, and Pub/Sub
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Design analytics and business intelligence solutions
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Implement data governance, security, and compliance frameworks
DevOps & Automation
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Design and implement CI/CD pipelines using Cloud Build, Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar tools
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Architect infrastructure-as-code solutions using Terraform, Deployment Manager, or Pulumi
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Implement monitoring and observability solutions using Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, and Cloud Trace
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Design containerization and orchestration strategies using Docker and Kubernetes (GKE)
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Establish DevOps best practices including GitOps, site reliability engineering (SRE), and automation
Leadership & Collaboration
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Mentor junior architects and technical teams
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Collaborate with cross-functional teams including developers, data engineers, and operations
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Provide technical leadership throughout project lifecycles
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Stay current with GCP innovations and industry trends
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Participate in architecture review boards and governance discussions
Required Qualifications
Experience
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15+ years of overall IT experience with significant focus on cloud technologies
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5+ years of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform
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Proven track record in pre-sales activities and client-facing roles
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Extensive experience in SOW creation and technical documentation
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Experience with large-scale enterprise cloud migrations and transformations
Technical Skills
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GCP Core Services: Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, VPC, Cloud IAM, Cloud CDN, Cloud Load Balancing
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Application Development: Cloud Run, GKE, App Engine, Cloud Functions, API Gateway
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Data & Analytics: BigQuery, Cloud SQL, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Cloud Composer, Dataproc
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DevOps: Cloud Build, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, GitOps
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Security: Cloud Security Command Center, Cloud KMS, IAM, VPC Service Controls, Security best practices
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Networking: VPC design, hybrid connectivity (Cloud VPN, Cloud Interconnect), network security
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Monitoring: Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, Cloud Trace, APM tools
Certifications (Preferred)
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Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect
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Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer
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Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer
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Google Cloud Professional Security Engineer
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Additional relevant certifications are a plus
Soft Skills
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Excellent communication and presentation skills
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Strong stakeholder management abilities
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Analytical thinking and problem-solving expertise
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Ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions
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Experience working in agile environments
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Customer-focused mindset with consultative approach
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience with multi-cloud architecture (AWS, Azure)
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Knowledge of application modernization patterns and microservices
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Familiarity with data science and ML/AI workloads on GCP (Vertex AI, AI Platform)
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Experience with compliance frameworks (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, SOC 2)
