GCP Solutions Architect

Job Summary The GCP Solutions Architect will serve as a bridge between business needs and technical delivery for cloud transformation initiatives. This role is responsible for translating functional and technical requirements into scalable, secure, and pragmatic Google Cloud Platform (GCP) solutions that can be handed off efficiently to delivery teams. The position focuses on infrastructure modernization, data platforms, application migration, and DevOps enablement, balancing architecture design with feasibility assessments and delivery planning. Key Responsibilities Intake & Requirements Translation Review PRDs and intake documents to assess functional requirements, data sources, dependencies, success criteria, and value drivers. Identify gaps and ambiguities requiring clarification. Ensure requirements remain focused on business needs without prescribing implementation details. Solution Design & Cloud Architecture Define end-to-end GCP solutions, including architecture, workload placement, and migration patterns. Design cloud architectures using core GCP services such as Compute Engine, GKE, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, and Cloud Functions. Develop landing zones aligned with best practices for scalability, resilience, security, governance, and cost optimization. Apply "just enough" architecture to initiate delivery, refining designs iteratively. Determine when solutions require POCs, phased migration approaches, or direct build and production execution. Platform & Feasibility Assessment Evaluate proposed solutions against platform readiness, security, compliance, and operational considerations. Recommend on-premises to GCP migration strategies such as rehost, refactor, or re-architect. Provide input into delivery sequencing, technical complexity, risk, and architectural tradeoffs. Delivery Enablement & Technical Leadership Serve as the technical handoff point for delivery teams. Collaborate with engineering and DevOps leads to clarify architecture, resolve blockers, and adjust designs as needed. Support implementation using Terraform for IaC, and CI/CD pipelines for automated build and deployment. Ensure proper monitoring, logging, and operational practices using GCP and cloud-native tools. Optimize GCP environments for reliability, performance, and cost efficiency. Cross-Team Collaboration & Practice Development Engage with client leadership and internal platform and security teams. Collaborate with business development and pre-sales teams on proposals and technical discovery. Mentor junior consultants on GCP best practices, cloud fundamentals, and effective client engagement. Contribute to practice and COE initiatives, including reference architectures, delivery patterns, and lessons learned. Required Qualifications Technical & Platform Expertise 5-10+ years of experience in IT architecture or engineering with a strong focus on cloud computing and GCP. Hands-on experience leading on-prem to GCP migration initiatives from assessment through execution. Strong knowledge of GCP services including Compute Engine, GKE, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, networking, IAM, and security. Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform. Solution Engineering & Architecture Ability to translate business and technical requirements into actionable architecture and solution designs. Experience working in consulting or client-facing roles. Comfortable working with incomplete or evolving requirements. Strong understanding of DevOps, CI/CD, containerization, and cloud operations. Communication & Influence Strong communication skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Experience facilitating technical discussions, influencing architecture decisions, and aligning diverse stakeholders. Willingness to travel for client engagements when needed. Preferred Qualifications GCP professional certifications (e.g., Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Data Engineer). Scripting experience with tools such as Python or PowerShell. Familiarity with compliance frameworks like NIST, HIPAA, ISO, or PCI. Experience supporting data platforms, analytics workloads, or regulated environments.