Principal Cloud Technical Architect (Google)

ATS Client; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,300,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

ATS Client seeks a Principal Cloud Architect with deep Google Cloud Platform expertise to lead enterprise cloud solutions across architecture, governance, and transformation initiatives. You will shape cloud strategy, drive IaC adoption, and mentor teams in migration, modernization, and platform automation.

The role requires 8+ years in IT infrastructure or cloud architecture, with at least 4 years on Google Cloud, and a strong focus on security, governance, and FinOps.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a computer science, IT, engineering or related field.
• 8+ years in IT infrastructure, cloud architecture or platform engineering; at least 4 years on Google Cloud.
• GCP certification (Professional Cloud Architect) preferred.
• Deep Google Cloud expertise: VPC, IAM, Networking, security, observability, DR.
• Hands-on IaC with Terraform and GCP automation tools.
• Strong DevOps, Git, CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes skills.
• Experience with cloud security, governance and FinOps.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design and governance of enterprise Google Cloud solutions.
• Partner with sales and clients to craft cloud strategies and roadmaps.
• Design highly available, secure, scalable Google Cloud platforms per best practices.
• Define target-state architectures for networking, identity, security, observability, DR, and operations.
• Drive IaC and automation across deployments using Terraform and GCP tools.
• Provide technical leadership for migration, modernization, containerization, and serverless initiatives.
• Oversee CI/CD adoption and platform automation; ensure cloud security and compliance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Excellent communication

Stakeholder management

Cloud architecture

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect certification

Tools

Terraform

Google Cloud Deployment Manager

Docker

Kubernetes (GKE)

Git & CI/CD

Prometheus/Grafana/Datadog/ELK/OpenSearch

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Cloud Architect with deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform, to lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and resilient cloud solutions. The successful candidate will serve as a key technical authority, driving architecture decisions and enabling enterprise cloud transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and technical governance of enterprise-scale Google Cloud solutions.
• Partner with sales and client stakeholders to develop compelling cloud strategies, solution architectures, and transformation roadmaps.
• Design highly available, resilient, secure, and scalable cloud platforms using Google Cloud best practices and Google Cloud Architecture Framework principles.
• Define target‑state architectures covering networking, security, identity, observability, automation, disaster recovery, and operational excellence.
• Develop and promote Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, Google Cloud Deployment Manager (or Infrastructure Manager) and Google Cloud configuration automation tools.
• Provide architectural leadership for cloud migration, application modernization, containerization, and serverless initiatives.
• Collaborate with engineering, DevOps, security, and application teams to implement CI/CD and platform automation strategies.
• Drive cloud security, compliance, governance, and FinOps best practices.
• Perform architecture reviews and provide technical oversight throughout solution delivery.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, presenting technical solutions to executive, business, and technical audiences.
• Mentor architects and engineers while contributing to cloud capability development and thought leadership.
• Stay current with emerging Google Cloud services, industry trends, and cloud-native technologies.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud architecture, or platform engineering, with at least 4 years focused on Google Cloud.
• Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect certification (required or strongly preferred). Additional Google Cloud certifications are advantageous.
• Deep expertise across Google Cloud services including VPC, Cloud Router, Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Bigtable/Firestore, Cloud IAM, Resource Manager, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud DNS, and Backup and DR.
• Strong experience designing enterprise networking, identity, security, and governance architectures within Google Cloud.
• Hands‑on expertise with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform and Google Cloud infrastructure automation frameworks.
• Strong understanding of DevOps and platform engineering practices, including Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, and automation frameworks.
• Experience implementing cloud security controls, compliance frameworks, and operational monitoring solutions.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, solution presentation, and documentation skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience leading large‑scale cloud migration and modernization programs.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure in hybrid or multi‑cloud environments.
• Experience with serverless architectures, event‑driven systems, and cloud‑native application patterns.
• Experience with observability and monitoring platforms such as Datadog, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/OpenSearch, or Splunk.
• Background in software development or scripting using Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar languages.
• Experience with cloud financial management (FinOps), cost optimization, and cloud governance frameworks.
• Experience supporting pre‑sales, solution consulting, RFP responses, and executive‑level client engagements.
• Experience supporting complex sales pursuits, RFP/RFI responses, solution workshops, and executive‑level client presentations.