Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Google Cloud Foundation Engineer to help establish and evolve an enterprise-grade Google Cloud Platform (GCP) foundation. The initial focus is the development of a cloud platform enabling AI services such as Google Gemini, while creating a scalable, secure, and governance-driven foundation for future cloud adoption across the organization.
The ideal consultant combines strong cloud engineering expertise with hands-on platform implementation skills, cloud architecture knowledge, and a passion for automation and operational excellence.
Your Responsibilities
Cloud Engineering & Platform Automation
- Design, configure, and manage cloud services and infrastructure using Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- Automate infrastructure through Infrastructure as Code (Terraform).
- Implement foundational cloud services, security controls, and platform components.
- Support the migration of existing workloads and use cases to the new cloud environment.
- Develop automation solutions using Python and cloud-native tooling.
- Contribute to technology evolution, capacity management, performance optimization, and operational improvements.
Architecture & Platform Design
- Design and implement an enterprise-wide cloud foundation aligned with organizational standards, policies, and governance requirements.
- Translate business and technical requirements into scalable cloud architectures.
- Evaluate architectural options, benefits, risks, and trade-offs.
- Validate designs and support their deployment to ensure business and technical objectives are achieved.
- Provide guidance on governance, security, operational models, and future platform evolution.
Security & Governance
- Develop and implement cloud security frameworks and threat models.
- Define and implement governance standards covering:
- Encryption
- Access management
- Compliance requirements
- Security policies and standards
- Design and integrate security controls within existing security processes and operating models.
- Ensure adoption of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements.
Identity & Access Management
- Design and implement enterprise IAM architectures.
- Establish and maintain:
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Federated Identity Management
- Least Privilege Access principles
Operations, Monitoring & Reliability
- Implement logging, monitoring, observability, and alerting capabilities.
- Integrate cloud services with existing SIEM and monitoring platforms.
- Define and implement incident management and operational support processes.
- Perform complex incident resolution and root cause analysis.
- Participate in on-call activities when required.
Cloud Governance & FinOps
- Define cloud operating and engagement models with strategic cloud vendors.
- Establish cost management practices, including:
- Cost tracking
- Showback and chargeback models
- Budget monitoring and optimization
- Advise on cloud lifecycle management and governance processes.
Networking
- Design and implement secure and scalable cloud networking architectures.
- Configure and manage network connectivity, gateways, and cloud security boundaries.
Innovation & Knowledge Management
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve processes, platforms, and services.
- Maintain technical documentation and architecture artifacts.
- Share knowledge and best practices across teams.
Required Experience & Skills
Must-Have
- Minimum 5 years of experience in cloud engineering, platform engineering, or cloud infrastructure roles.
- Proven experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) in enterprise environments.
- Experience designing and implementing Cloud Foundations or Landing Zones.
- Strong expertise in:
- Cloud Security
- Identity & Access Management
- Cloud Networking
- Governance Frameworks
- Infrastructure as Code
- Hands-on experience with platform automation and cloud operations.
Technical Skills
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- Terraform
- Python
- Cloud Monitoring & Observability
- IAM & Security Services
- Infrastructure Automation
Nice-to-Have
- Experience with AI platforms such as:
- Google Gemini
- Microsoft Foundry
- AWS Bedrock
- Experience within highly regulated environments (financial services, insurance, healthcare, etc.).
- Knowledge of FinOps principles and cloud cost optimization.
Core Competencies
- Adaptive
- Analytical Thinking
- Collaboration
- Flexibility
- IT Infrastructure Expertise
- Result-Oriented Mindset
- Software Development Knowledge
- Problem Solving
- Continuous Improvement
- Strong Communication Skills
Expected Deliverables
- Establishment of a functioning Google Cloud Foundation MVP supporting AI workloads.
- Migration of existing use cases to the newly established platform.
- Delivery of an enterprise-ready cloud foundation enabling future DevOps team onboarding.
- Implementation of governance, security, IAM, operational, and monitoring frameworks.
- Creation of a secure, scalable, and future-proof cloud environment aligned with enterprise standards.
