Principal GCP Solutions Architect

K&K Global Talent Solutions Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

K&K Global Talent Solutions Inc. seeks a Principal GCP Solutions Architect with 15+ years of IT leadership to guide a cross‑functional migration from legacy SAS to Google Cloud.

You will define modernization strategy, translate SAS workloads into BigQuery, Dataproc, Dataflow, and Vertex AI, and lead governance and security posture. You'll interact with executives and ARB, drive architectural sign‑offs, and mentor engineering teams while shaping cloud operating models and FinOps in a remote USA

Qualifications

• 15+ years IT leadership experience in enterprise environments.
• Experience migrating legacy SAS to cloud native architectures.

Responsibilities

• Define target-state cloud architecture and multi-phase modernization roadmap.
• Lead architecture reviews and governance with executives and ARB.
• Provide mentoring to cross‑functional engineering teams.

Skills

IT Leadership

GCP Data Platforms

Executive Stakeholder Mgmt

Security & Compliance

IaC / DevOps

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/SE

Tools

BigQuery

Dataproc

Dataflow

Vertex AI

Dataplex

Job description

Job Title: Principal GCP Solutions Architect

Location: Remote (USA)

Experience: 15+ years preferred

Job Summary:

We are looking for a seasoned, executive-ready Principal GCP Solutions Architect with 15+ years of IT leadership experience to serve as the chief technical authority for a multi-million-dollar legacy SAS to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) migration program.

In this strategic, high-visibility leadership role, you will be accountable for defining the overarching modernization strategy, translating legacy SAS ecosystems (Base SAS, Macros, SAS EG, SAS Viya) into modern cloud-native architectures (BigQuery, Dataproc, Dataflow, Vertex AI). You will act as the primary liaison to the Client’s Executive Leadership and Enterprise Architecture Review Board (ARB), leading technical defense sessions, justifying architectural paradigms, and driving formal consensus and architectural sign-offs across complex enterprise domains.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Architecture & Modernization:

• Establish the target-state cloud architecture, modernization blueprint, and multi-phase roadmap to transition complex SAS footprints to GCP-native analytics platforms.
• Architect conversion patterns across diverse workloads:
• Statistical & Predictive Models → Vertex AI and Python/PySpark on Serverless Dataproc.
• Complex Orchestration & Batch Workflows → Cloud Composer (Apache Airflow) or Workflows.
• Establish enterprise-wide data validation, dual-run reconciliation, and automated parity frameworks to guarantee data consistency and computational integrity between SAS and GCP.
• Define and enforce governance frameworks covering IAM, data mesh/governance (Dataplex), VPC Service Controls, Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK), and regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS, Basel III/BCBS 239).
• Lead architecture defense, design reviews, and steer‑co presentations before the Client Chief Enterprise Architect, Chief Data Officer (CDO), and ARB.
• Drive consultative discussions regarding total cost of ownership (TCO), capacity sizing, compute optimization (BigQuery editions/slots vs. Dataproc), and migration approaches (automated translation vs. refactoring).
• Author and govern high-level designs (HLD), Architecture Design Documents (ADD), threat models, and architectural decision records (ADRs).
• Proactively address enterprise security audits, infrastructure hurdles, and governance challenges to secure formal written sign-offs.
• Program Leadership & Technical Governance
• Provide technical direction, mentorship, and architectural oversight to cross‑functional engineering pods, migration leads, and data engineering squads.
• Guide the creation of reference implementations, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), and code conversion accelerators for automated SAS macro and proc translations.
• Oversee zero‑downtime cutover plans, dual‑run operations, business continuity, and disaster recovery (DR) strategies.
• Partner with client leadership to establish target operational operating models (Cloud CoE / FinOps).

Required Skills & Experience:

• Extensive IT & Cloud Leadership: 15+ years of technology consulting and solution design experience, with substantial hands‑on and architectural depth in enterprise GCP data platforms (BigQuery, Dataproc, Dataflow, Composer, Vertex AI, Dataplex).
• Legacy Modernization Pedigree: Proven track record leading large‑scale analytics migrations from legacy analytical platforms (SAS, Teradata, Oracle, or Mainframe) into cloud environments. Deep functional comprehension of Base SAS, SAS Macros, SAS/STAT, and SAS EG logic is required.
• Executive Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated mastery in guiding client C‑suite, Chief Architects, and ARBs through complex architectural transformations and change management.
• Security, Compliance & Networking: Comprehensive mastery of enterprise GCP networking (Shared VPC, Cloud Interconnect, Private Service Connect) and zero‑trust security postures (VPC‑SC, Cloud KMS/CMEK, BigQuery policy tags and row/column security).
• Automation & Enterprise DevOps: Strong grounding in Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), GitOps, and enterprise‑grade CI/CD automation.

Qualifications & Certifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Required Certifications: Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect AND Professional Data Engineer.
• Preferred Background: Senior leadership/advisory tenure within a premier Global System Integrator (GSI), Big 4, or elite technology consultancy.