Lead/ Principal Architect GCP

Fractal; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 6,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Fractal in Bengaluru is seeking an Architect with 12+ years in Data Engineering and Cloud Native tech, especially Google Cloud Platform, to advise clients and shape strategic direction.

You will engage senior leaders, partner with offshore delivery teams, and lead end-to-end delivery across data and analytics projects with secure, scalable platforms.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in Data Engineering and Cloud Native technologies (incl. GCP), covering big data, analytics, and AI/ML.
• Extensive experience with GCP tools incl. BigQuery, Cloud Composer, Dataflow, Cloud Storage, Vertex AI, Dataproc.
• Experience deploying and scaling applications on GCP serverless infra.
• Strong knowledge in Data Engineering, Data Management, and Data Governance.
• Proven track record delivering end-to-end Data Engineering/Analytics projects.
• Proficiency in Python and/or Java.
• Familiarity with Agile, CI/CD, DevOps, and MLOps for data/ML pipelines.
• Ability to design future-proof, complex global solutions using GCP.
• Hands-on with microservices, event-driven systems, streaming, and online ML.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills to build consensus.

Responsibilities

• Act as Delivery Lead with end-to-end ownership of solution execution, quality, and client satisfaction.
• Drive program governance: planning, risk mitigation, stakeholder comms across workstreams.
• Resolve complex technical and delivery challenges, guiding teams through ambiguity.
• Provide hands-on leadership during critical delivery phases: architecture validation, performance, production issues.
• Ensure alignment between architecture and delivery for scalability and maintainability.
• Mentor delivery teams, fostering strong engineering practices and accountability.
• Share best practices, technical content, and reference architectures.
• Provide technical architecture direction on secure, scalable platforms.
• Collaborate with data engineers/scientists to develop architectures and solutions.
• Balance immediate client needs with long-term technical strategy.

Skills

GCP expertise

Data engineering

Cloud architecture

Big data analytics

AI/ML

Python/Java

CI/CD

DevOps

Kubernetes

Docker

Tools

GCP

BigQuery

Dataflow

Vertex AI

Dataproc

Python

Java

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD tools

Job description

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they are doing!

We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

Job Description

• Evaluate the current technology landscape and recommend a forward-looking, short- and long-term technology strategic vision.
• Engage with senior technical leaders at the client site, becoming a trusted thought partner by understanding their challenges and providing strategic guidance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior client leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proactively understand client needs and align them with Fractal’s value propositions, proposing innovative and comprehensive solutions.
• Collaborate with offshore delivery teams and other multidisciplinary teams within Fractal to ensure seamless integration and delivery of solutions.

Delivery Leadership (Added Focus)

• Act as a Delivery Lead when required, ensuring end-to-end ownership of solution execution, quality, timelines, and client satisfaction.
• Drive program-level governance, including planning, risk mitigation, and stakeholder communication across workstreams.
• Step in to resolve complex technical and delivery challenges, guiding teams through ambiguity and ensuring timely resolution.
• Provide hands‑on leadership during critical delivery phases, including architecture validation, performance optimization, and production issue resolution.
• Ensure alignment between solution architecture and delivery execution, balancing immediate delivery goals with long-term scalability and maintainability.
• Mentor and guide delivery teams, fostering strong engineering practices, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Be willing to take a hands‑on approach to understand complex contexts and underlying client requirements.
• Participate in the creation and sharing of best practices, technical content, and new reference architectures.
• Provide technical architecture leadership and direction on projects, ensuring secure, scalable, reliable, and maintainable platforms.
• Work with data engineers and data scientists to develop architectures and solutions.
• Assist in ensuring the smooth delivery of services, products, and solutions, while balancing immediate client needs with long-term technical strategy.

Skills & Requirements

In-depth experience as an Architect with expertise in Google Cloud Platform and a passion for applying the latest technologies to solve complex business problems. An ideal candidate would have:

• 12+ years of experience in Data Engineering and Cloud Native technologies (including Google Cloud Platforms), covering big data, analytics, and AI/ML domains.
• Extensive experience with GCP tools and technologies, including BigQuery, Cloud Composer, Data Flow, Cloud Storage, Vertex AI, and Dataproc.
• Expertise in creating, deploying, configuring, and scaling applications on GCP serverless infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge and working experience in Data Engineering, Data Management, and Data Governance.
• Proven track record of delivering multiple end-to-end Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, or Analytics projects.
• Knowledge of general programming languages and frameworks, particularly Python and/or Java.
• Familiarity with general technology best practices and development lifecycles such as Agile and CI/CD, as well as DevOps and MLOps for more efficient data and machine learning pipelines.
• Ability to design and implement future-proof, complex global solutions using GCP services.
• Hands‑on experience with foundational architectures, including microservices, event-driven systems, event streaming, and online machine learning systems.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to adapt messages to various audiences and build consensus.

Additional Delivery Expectations

• Proven ability to lead large-scale delivery programs or workstreams in complex, client-facing environments.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams across geographies, ensuring alignment and delivery excellence.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with the ability to dive deep into technical issues while maintaining a big-picture view.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in container technologies, specifically Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience or knowledge of DevOps on GCP.
• Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect Certification.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and build strong, lasting relationships.
• Hands‑on approach and willingness to delve into technical details to understand the full context of a problem and ensure the best solutions are provided.
• Experience with AWS, especially in the context of hybrid cloud setups.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!