What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior GCP Technical Architect position at SMARTFOX?
Title: Senior GCP Technical Architect
Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid flexibility available)
Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire, CTH
Position Overview
We are seeking a Senior Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Technical Architect with 10–15 years of experience in infrastructure architecture, DevOps, and cloud engineering. This is a critical, client-facing role responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing secure, scalable, and resilient GCP solutions. The ideal candidate is a hands-on architect who thrives at the intersection of technology strategy, solution delivery, and team leadership.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement GCP-based infrastructure solutions leveraging best practices in scalability, performance, and security.
- Drive end-to-end architecture across compute, storage, networking, and cloud-native services.
- Lead DevOps practices, building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and automation frameworks.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including junior developers and business stakeholders, to translate requirements into technical solutions.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship while ensuring adherence to enterprise standards and compliance requirements.
- Stay current with emerging GCP technologies, patterns, and trends to drive innovation and continuous improvement.
Mandatory Skills (Hands-On Expertise Required)
- Infrastructure Architecture, DevOps, and Cloud Engineering.
- Advanced expertise with Terraform (reusable modules, remote state, and workspaces).
- Deep knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services and architectural patterns.
- Strong proficiency in Python scripting for automation and integration.
- Proven experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using Git-based workflows.
- Advanced hands-on expertise with Kubernetes or Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
Preferred Skills
- Experience with Google Distributed Cloud (GDC).
- Strong understanding of Cloud IAM, RBAC, and Workload Identity Federation for secure cross-service authentication.
- Background in cloud security, including encryption, firewall policies, VPC design, and service accounts.