Lead Cloud Architect

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Lead Cloud Architect (GCP) to join a leading technology and innovation consultancy, supporting UK public sector clients in their cloud transformation journeys.

This role sits within a highly skilled team dedicated to designing, engineering, and optimising Google Cloud Platform (GCP) solutions that power large-scale, mission-critical systems. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping cloud strategy, driving architectural excellence, and leading technical delivery across complex digital environments.

What You'll Do

As a Google Cloud Architect, the successful candidate will:

• Lead the technical architecture and delivery of Google Cloud solutions for public sector organisations.
• Design, deploy, and operate secure, scalable, and high-performing GCP environments.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Apply deep knowledge of Google Cloud architecture and engineering to deliver enterprise-grade solutions that meet both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align technical decisions with strategic business outcomes.

Key Skills & Experience

Applicants should demonstrate:

• At least one Google Cloud Professional-level certification.
• Proven expertise across a range of Google Cloud services - such as Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Storage, and GKE - as well as broader IaaS technologies (e.g. Kubernetes, systems virtualisation).
• Experience designing and engineering cloud-based architectures to meet business and operational objectives.
• Hands-on experience producing comprehensive technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, design specifications, and operational runbooks.
• Strong understanding of foundational cloud platforms, including landing zones, IAM, VPCs, and networking.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable Skills

Candidates who stand out will also bring:

• Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, and experience with CI/CD pipelines and scripting languages (Bash, Python, Perl).
• A solid grasp of cloud security best practices and tools, including IAM, firewalls, and encryption.
• Experience managing hybrid and multi-cloud networking (TCP/IP, subnets, load balancing, DNS).
• A track record of leading small technical teams, providing guidance and mentorship.
• Experience in site reliability engineering (SRE) or IT operations, including incident response and troubleshooting.
• Strong problem-solving and innovation skills, with evidence of delivering technical improvements or new ways of working.