GKE Requried
Senior GCP Cloud Architect (D2 Level)
Experience
14–20 years overall IT experience
7+ years in Cloud Architecture
5+ years designing and leading solutions on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Role Overview
The Senior GCP Cloud Architect (D2) is a senior technical leader and design authority responsible for defining cloud architecture strategy, governing technical standards, and delivering secure, scalable, and cost‑efficient GCP solutions across large programs.
This role operates across multiple teams and domains, influencing platform direction while remaining technically hands‑on at the architectural level.
The candidate should be ready to provide support in US business hours / Shifts
Key Responsibilities
Cloud Architecture & Strategy
Define end‑to‑end GCP architecture for enterprise programs
Own cloud reference architectures, landing zones, and design standards
Drive multi‑project, multi‑region, and hybrid architectures
Evaluate and recommend GCP services aligned to business goals
Act as final design authority for complex GCP solutions
Platform & Core Services Ownership
Architect and govern usage of:
Compute Engine, GKE, Cloud Run
VPC, Shared VPC, Load Balancers
IAM, Org Policies, Service Accounts
Cloud SQL, Spanner, BigQuery, Cloud Storage
Define patterns for:
High availability & disaster recovery
Scalability and performance
Cost optimization (FinOps)
Security, Governance & Compliance
Design cloud security architecture based on zero trust and least privilege
Define IAM models, network segmentation, and data protection
Implement governance via:
Org policies
Policy‑as‑Code frameworks
Support regulatory and compliance requirements (ISO, SOC, PCI, etc.)
Partner with Security and Risk teams to create guardrails
Infrastructure as Code & DevOps Alignment
Define Terraform architecture and standards for enterprise IaC
Review and approve IaC designs across teams
Drive automation and CI/CD enablement
Promote self‑service cloud platforms and golden paths
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
Mentor the operation team
Lead architecture reviews and design forums
Influence engineering best practices across multiple teams
Provide expert guidance during P1 incidents and escalations
Stakeholder & Business Collaboration
Engage with:
Product and Engineering leadership
Enterprise Architecture
Security, Finance (FinOps), and Operations
Translate business requirements into practical cloud architectures
Support RFPs, estimates, and technical decision records (ADRs)
Required Skills & Expertise
Must‑Have
Multi‑cloud architecture exposure (AWS / GCP)
Expert‑level knowledge of GCP & AWS architecture
Strong hands‑on background in:
Networking (Shared VPC, hybrid connectivity)
Security & IAM design
Kubernetes & container platforms
Deep experience with Terraform and IaC governance
Experience architecting large‑scale production systems
Strong understanding of cloud cost management
Experience on DR failover
Excellent architecture documentation and communication skills
Good to Have
SRE or reliability engineering experience
Policy as Code (OPA, Sentinel)
Experience modernizing legacy/on‑prem systems to GCP
Experience in regulated enterprise environments
Certifications (Highly Preferred – D2 Level)
Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect
Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer
Google Cloud Professional Security Engineer
Terraform Associate (Preferred)