Data Center Architect

Wipro; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wipro is seeking a Data Center Transformation Architect to lead a customer’s DC transformation journey end-to-end from strategy to execution. London-based role focusing on target-state design, migration planning, governance, and oversight across compute, storage, network, and security

The architect will coordinate across multiple towers and delivery teams, ensuring technically sound, secure, compliant, and operationally adoptable solutions with strong stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Extensive DC infrastructure architecture experience with delivery ownership.
• Experience across compute, storage, network, virtualization, and DR/BCP.
• Ability to translate strategy into implementable designs.
• Excellent documentation and executive communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead current-state assessments across compute, storage, network, virtualization, backup, DR, monitoring.
• Define transformation strategy and roadmap with phased execution.
• Own end-to-end DC target architecture across platforms.
• Establish architecture governance and technical risk management.
• Serve as primary technical interface with stakeholders.
• Deliver knowledge transfer to operations and managed services.

Skills

DC architecture

VMware

Storage design

Networking in DC

DR/BCP

Strategy & roadmap

Architecture governance

Documentation

Tools

Ansible

Terraform

Job description

Role: Data Center Transformation Architect

Location: London

Role Overview

We are seeking a Data Center Transformation Architect to be deployed within a customer environment to lead and support their data center transformation journey end-to-end—from strategy and planning through target-state design, migration planning, governance, and execution oversight.

The architect will act as the customer’s trusted technical leader, ensuring the transformation is technically sound, secure, resilient, compliant, and operationally adoptable, while coordinating across multiple technology towers and delivery teams.

Key Responsibilities

1) Strategy, Assessment & Planning

• Lead current-state assessments across compute, storage, network, virtualization, backup, DR, monitoring, and operational processes.
• Define transformation strategy and roadmap, including guiding principles, standards, target-state options, and phased execution plan.
• Translate business drivers (cost, resilience, regulatory requirements, exit/refresh timelines) into architecture priorities and delivery plans.
• Develop capacity and demand planning inputs (growth forecasts, constraints, critical workloads, performance baselines).

2) Target-State Architecture & Design Ownership

• Own end-to-end DC target architecture, including:
• Compute platforms, HCI (where applicable), standard builds
• Storage strategy (SAN/NAS/Object, tiering, replication, backup integration)
• Network/DC fabric design (segmentation, routing, HA patterns, load balancing)
• Virtualization and platform modernization (VMware/Hyper-V/KVM; container readiness)
• Security architecture alignment (segmentation, controls, hardening, IAM integration)
• Resilience and DR architecture (fault domains, HA design, RPO/RTO mapping)
• Produce and govern architecture deliverables: HLD/LLD, reference architectures, design decisions, and patterns.
• Ensure designs are aligned to operational supportability, including monitoring, patching, backup, DR drills, and incident/problem processes.
• Define migration approach and patterns (rehost/replatform/refactor where applicable).
• Create migration factory design inputs: wave planning, dependency mapping, cutover runbooks, rollback plans, and risk mitigations.
• Partner with application teams to validate workload suitability, downtime constraints, and sequencing.
• Ensure service continuity through cutovers, failover testing, and stabilization activities.

4) Architecture Governance & Delivery Assurance

• Establish architecture governance: design reviews, checkpoints, technical risk management, and exception handling.
• Act as the final authority for technical decisions, ensuring adherence to standards and non-functional requirements.
• Guide multiple delivery streams (compute/storage/network/security/operations) to ensure integrated outcomes.
• Perform ongoing technical assurance: validate build quality, configuration compliance, performance, and resilience readiness.

5) Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Serve as primary technical interface with customer stakeholders: Infrastructure leadership, Enterprise Architecture, Security, Operations, and Vendors.
• Communicate architecture trade-offs clearly (risk, cost, time) and maintain transparent decision logs.
• Coordinate with OEMs/partners where required for design validation, compatibility, and escalation.

6) Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Support knowledge transfer into customer operations and managed services teams, ensuring smooth transition to steady state.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong experience in infrastructure / data center architecture, with proven delivery ownership of large-scale DC transformation programs.
• Strong practical expertise across:
• Compute (x86), standard builds, lifecycle/refresh planning
• Storage architecture (SAN/NAS/Object), replication, backup integration, performance sizing
• Networking in DC environments (segmentation, HA, DC fabric concepts)
• Virtualization (VMware strongly preferred) and platform modernization
• DR/BCP design and testing practices (RPO/RTO engineering)
• Proven ability to create strategy + roadmap and translate into implementable designs.
• Strong delivery mindset: ability to work in complex environments with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills, including executive-level narrative and technical depth.

Preferred / Good-to-Have

• Experience in regulated environments (pharma), audit readiness, and security control alignment.
• Exposure to hybrid connectivity patterns and integration with cloud landing zones.
• Working knowledge of automation/IaC concepts (Ansible/Terraform) and standardized build pipelines.
• ITIL/ITSM familiarity and operational model design (monitoring, patching, CMDB, change governance).
• Certifications (nice to have): VMware (VCP/VCAP), TOGAF, Cisco (CCNP), ITIL, OEM certifications.