Google Cloud Architect / Lead Platform Engineer

Job Description

NCS Google Cloud Solutions Group is expanding its enterprise cloud transformation capabilities. As a Google Cloud Architect & Lead Platform Engineer, you will operate at the intersection of enterprise architecture, zero-trust security governance, and deep, hands-on platform engineering.

We are seeking a high-caliber technical authority to take end-to-end ownership of designing, securing, and building ~15 core platform component solutions ahead of our major January go-live.

This is not a purely advisory role, nor is it a standard operational DevOps position. You will act as a primary technical SME—defining architectural blueprints, establishing landing zones, writing modular Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform), and steering solutions through complex enterprise security reviews alongside principal engineers.

Key Responsibilities & Focus Areas

• Component Solution Architecture & Blueprints: Take end-to-end ownership for designing, documenting, and building ~15 enterprise-grade platform component solutions (e.g., secrets management, Workload Identity Federation, custom landing zones, and advanced CI/CD pipelines).

• Enterprise Security & Zero-Trust Governance: Partner directly with enterprise security architects to incorporate threat-modeling feedback, enforce secure-by-default standards, and successfully guide architecture through formal governance controls.

• Hands-on Core Platform Build: Design and provision resilient, scalable GCP foundations leveraging GKE, Cloud Run, Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE), Compute Engine, and enterprise VPC topologies.

• Advanced Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC): Architect and deploy production-ready Terraform modules using GitOps methodologies, Cloud Foundation Fabric patterns, and automated delivery frameworks.

• Modern CI/CD & Platform Automation: Design robust, automated build/release workflows using GitHub Actions, Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, and custom Python/Bash automation.

• Observability & Service Mesh: Implement comprehensive telemetry, auditability, and operational visibility across GKE and GCP workloads (utilizing OpenTelemetry, New Relic, and service mesh architectures).

Qualifications

• Senior GCP Architecture Leadership: Demonstrated track record acting as a Senior/Staff Cloud Architect or Principal Platform Engineer leading enterprise-scale GCP implementations.

• Hands-on Engineering Rigor: Proven ability to balance high-level architectural design with deep execution—writing production-grade Terraform, configuring network topologies, and debugging complex platform pipelines.

• Security-First Mindset: Expertise in zero-trust architecture, GCP IAM policies, KMS/Secret Manager, Workload Identity, and enterprise network security controls.

• Advanced IaC & Automation: Mastery of Terraform (modular architecture/state management), GitOps, GitHub Actions, and scripting (Python/Bash).

• Technical Documentation & Artifacts: Ability to produce clear, structured solution design documents (SDDs) and architectural diagrams that bridge strategic vision with hands-on squad delivery.

• Google Cloud Certifications: Professional Google Cloud Certification required (e.g., Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, or Professional Cloud Security Engineer).

Additional Information

Why NCS?

This is a place for people who like to get stuck in, bring ideas to life and make things happen. You'll work alongside experienced people who care about what they do, contribute to meaningful work and have the support to keep learning and grow your career.  Whether you want to deepen your expertise, explore something new or take your career in a different direction, there's room to make it your own.  We value Adventure, Excellence, Integrity, Ownership and Unity - bringing curiosity, collaboration and accountability to the way we work with our clients and each other.

Ready to make extraordinary happen?

We'd love to hear from you.

We celebrate diversity and inclusion

We value different perspectives, experiences and strengths our people bring.  We're committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to contribute, grow and succeed, and to providing equal employment opportunities and reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Important information

Applicants will need valid Australian work rights and may be required to undergo relevant background, probity and police checks.

Agencies: NCS accepts candidate submissions only from agencies on our preferred supplier panel through the NCS Agency Portal.