Cloud Solutions Architect

We are seeking a Cloud Solutions Architect to support the client in designing, securing, and optimizing cloud solutions with a primary focus on Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform), including legacy-to-cloud migrations, while providing technical leadership to development and operations teams.

Key Responsibilities

·         Design and develop cloud solutions that meet business and technical requirements (primary focus on Google Cloud Platform; AWS and Azure also relevant)

·         Collaborate with stakeholders, business product owners, and DevOps teams to gather requirements and translate them into architectural designs and technical roadmaps

·         Provide technical leadership and guidance on cloud best practices, application hosting, and distributed architecture

·         Create and maintain architectural documentation, including diagrams, integration processes, and specifications

·         Ensure solutions are secure, compliant, and optimized for performance, reliability, and scalability

·         Architect and maintain cloud database systems, BigQuery data pipelines, and public/private APIs to support application integration and legacy-to-cloud migrations

·         Evaluate and recommend new cloud technologies, tools, and services (e.g., containers, Kubernetes/GKE, BI analytics)

·         Conduct regular reviews of cloud environments to identify improvements and cost optimization opportunities

·         Support disaster recovery planning and backup strategies and ensure high availability of critical systems

·         Stay current on emerging cloud technologies and industry trends to inform architectural strategy

Required Technical Skills

In-depth knowledge of cloud platforms and services (demonstrated Google Cloud Platform expertise or other major public cloud provider); scalable, distributed systems and microservices architecture; Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Open Tofu, Ansible, CloudFormation, or Pulumi); networking (VPC, hybrid connectivity), security protocols, and IAM in cloud environments; containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes/GKE); AI-assisted developer tools and workflows for infrastructure provisioning, code maintenance, and automated testing; strong problem-solving and troubleshooting; effective communication and leadership skills; and experience working in a cloud environment for a government, higher education, or other public-sector entity.

Preferred Qualifications

·         Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent related experience, where 1 year of higher education substitutes for 1 year of experience)

·         7+ years of experience in IT, including 3+ years in cloud architecture, DevOps, or a similar technical leadership role

·         Certifications such as Google Professional Cloud Architect, Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect

·         Experience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD workflows (e.g., GitHub Actions), and database administration/migrations (PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, BigQuery)

·         Familiarity with security frameworks such as NIST, CIS Benchmarks, or ISO/IEC 27001