Cloud Architect – Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Job Title- Cloud Architect – Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Job Location- Hybrid [3 days]- Austin, Texas, USA

• * Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future**

We are seeking an experienced Cloud Architect (GCP) to lead cloud assessment and architecture design initiatives as part of our cloud transformation journey. The successful candidate will play a critical role in assessing existing on‑premises environments, defining target‑state architectures, and designing a scalable, secure, and well‑governed Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Landing Zone. This role requires strong technical depth in GCP architecture, hands‑on experience with migration planning (particularly VMware to GCP), and the ability to communicate complex architectural concepts to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

In this role, you will

Cloud Assessment & Discovery

• Lead GCP cloud assessments, including discovery workshops with application, infrastructure, and security stakeholders.
• Perform current‑state analysis, including application and infrastructure inventory, dependency mapping, and identification of risks, constraints, and assumptions.
• Evaluate existing VMware‑based environments and define appropriate migration strategies to GCP (rehost, replatform, refactor, or hybrid approaches).

Architecture & Design

• Define target‑state cloud architecture aligned to business, security, and operational requirements.
• Design and document a GCP Landing Zone, including:
• Organization, folder, and project hierarchy
• IAM model and identity integration
• Network segmentation and connectivity patterns
• Security baseline, guardrails, and compliance controls
• Architect core GCP services across compute, networking, storage, and IAM to support enterprise workloads.

Governance, Security & Operations

• Establish cloud governance frameworks, including policies for access control, networking, security, and resource management.
• Contribute to cost governance and FinOps practices, including cost visibility, optimization recommendations, and chargeback/showback considerations.
• Define logging, monitoring, and observability strategies aligned with enterprise operational standards.

Delivery Enablement & Documentation

• Produce high‑quality assessment deliverables, including:
• Architecture diagrams (current and target state)
• Migration waves and high‑level migration roadmap
• Effort estimates, role definitions, and dependency assumptions
• Inputs required for Statements of Work (SOW) or Service Orders (SO)
• Support downstream implementation teams by providing architectural guidance and clarifications.

Collaboration & Communication

• Act as a trusted technical advisor to customers, internal teams, and partners.
• Communicate architectural decisions, trade‑offs, and recommendations clearly to both technical and executive stakeholders.
• Collaborate with security, networking, DevOps, and application teams to ensure cohesive end‑to‑end solutions.

What you’ll need to succeed (required skills)

· Strong expertise in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) architecture, including:

o Compute services

o Networking and connectivity

o Identity and Access Management (IAM)

o Storage services

· Hands‑on experience designing GCP Landing Zones, including governance, security, and network architecture.

· Proven experience in cloud migration assessments, particularly migrating VMware estates to GCP.

· Ability to design scalable, secure, and resilient enterprise cloud architectures.

Preferred skills: what will help you stand out

· Experience with Infrastructure‑as‑Code (IaC) tools, preferably Terraform.

· Understanding of CI/CD concepts and integration with cloud environments.

· Working knowledge of cloud cost management and FinOps principles.

· Experience defining logging, monitoring, and observability strategies.

· Strong documentation skills, including architecture diagrams and technical reports.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

· Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

· Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

· 401(k) plan and contributions

· Long-term/Short-term Disability

· Paid Parental Leave

· Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without sponsorship. Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future.

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite at the client location in Austin, Texas, USA.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

“Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.”