Google Cloud Architect / Lead Platform Engineer

Ncsaustralia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

NCS is seeking a Senior Cloud Architect for Google Cloud Platform to own end-to-end design of enterprise-grade component solutions and secure-by-default governance.

You will build GCP foundations with GKE, Cloud Run, GCVE, and Terraform modules, while leading architecture across large-scale deployments and articulating designs through SDDs.

Qualifications

• Architect end-to-end enterprise-grade component solutions on GCP.
• Partner with security architects for zero-trust governance and secure-by-default standards.
• Lead hands-on build of scalable GCP foundations (GKE, Cloud Run, GCVE, Compute Engine).
• Develop IaC using Terraform with GitOps, modular design and state management.
• Design automated CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy.
• Create telemetry and observability using OpenTelemetry and New Relic across workloads.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end architectural design for ~15 enterprise-grade component solutions.
• Partner with security architects to enforce secure-by-default standards.
• Design and provision GCP foundations and enterprise VPC topologies.
• Architect and deploy Terraform modules and CI/CD pipelines.
• Implement telemetry and service mesh for observability across GKE/GCP workloads.
• Lead senior-level cloud architecture initiatives across large-scale deployments.

Skills

GCP Architecture

Terraform

GitOps

CI/CD pipelines

Security by design

Observability

OpenTelemetry

New Relic

Education

Professional Cloud Architect

Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer

Professional Cloud Security Engineer

Tools

Terraform

GitHub Actions

Cloud Build

Cloud Deploy

OpenTelemetry

New Relic

Job description

Key Responsibilities & Focus Areas

• Component Solution Architecture & Blueprints : Take end-to-end ownership for designing, documenting, and building ~15 enterprise-grade platform component solutions (e.g., secrets management, Workload Identity Federation, custom landing zones, and advanced CI/CD pipelines).


• Enterprise Security & Zero-Trust Governance : Partner directly with enterprise security architects to incorporate threat-modeling feedback, enforce secure-by-default standards, and successfully guide architecture through formal governance controls.


• Hands-on Core Platform Build : Design and provision resilient, scalable GCP foundations leveraging GKE, Cloud Run, Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE), Compute Engine, and enterprise VPC topologies.


• Advanced Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) : Architect and deploy production-ready Terraform modules using GitOps methodologies, Cloud Foundation Fabric patterns, and automated delivery frameworks.


• Modern CI/CD & Platform Automation : Design robust, automated build/release workflows using GitHub Actions, Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, and custom Python/Bash automation.


• Observability & Service Mesh : Implement comprehensive telemetry, auditability, and operational visibility across GKE and GCP workloads (utilizing OpenTelemetry, New Relic, and service mesh architectures).


• Senior GCP Architecture Leadership : Demonstrated track record acting as a Senior/Staff Cloud Architect or Principal Platform Engineer leading enterprise-scale GCP implementations.


• Hands-on Engineering Rigor : Proven ability to balance high-level architectural design with deep execution-writing production-grade Terraform, configuring network topologies, and debugging complex platform pipelines.


• Security-First Mindset : Expertise in zero-trust architecture, GCP IAM policies, KMS/Secret Manager, Workload Identity, and enterprise network security controls.


• Advanced IaC & Automation : Mastery of Terraform (modular architecture/state management), GitOps, GitHub Actions, and scripting (Python/Bash).


• Technical Documentation & Artifacts : Ability to produce clear, structured solution design documents (SDDs) and architectural diagrams that bridge strategic vision with hands-on squad delivery.


• Google Cloud Certifications : Professional Google Cloud Certification required (e.g., Professional Cloud Architect , Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer , or Professional Cloud Security Engineer ).

Why NCS?

This is a place for people who like to get stuck in, bring ideas to life and make things happen. You'll work alongside experienced people who care about what they do, contribute to meaningful work and have the support to keep learning and grow your career. Whether you want to deepen your expertise, explore something new or take your career in a different direction, there's room to make it your own. We value Adventure, Excellence, Integrity, Ownership and Unity - bringing curiosity, collaboration and accountability to the way we work with our clients and each other.

Ready to make extraordinary happen?

We celebrate diversity and inclusion

We value different perspectives, experiences and strengths our people bring. We're committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to contribute, grow and succeed, and to providing equal employment opportunities and reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Important information

Applicants will need valid Australian work rights and may be required to undergo relevant background, probity and police checks.

Agencies: NCS accepts candidate submissions only from agencies on our preferred supplier panel through the NCS Agency Portal.