Lead Application Architect (GCP)

Description

The Lead Architect is a hands on technical leader responsible for defining and delivering end to end solution architecture for complex client and internal initiatives. The role drives technical direction across teams, ensures solutions are scalable, secure, and maintainable, and guides delivery teams to build high quality solutions aligned with enterprise modernization goals. Lead Architects stay close to the code and runtime by validating key architectural decisions, contributing where needed on critical paths, establishing engineering guardrails, and leading design reviews. Success is measured by both architectural quality and production outcomes, with the role remaining primarily focused on hands on solution engineering and minimal delivery support. Occasional travel may be required, such as for engagement kickoffs.

Key Responsibilities

· Serve as a Client CTO Partner: Advise client executive leadership (CTOs, VPs of Engineering, Enterprise Architects and Technology Architects) on technical strategy, cloud economics, and long-term modernization roadmaps aligned with business goals.

· Drive Legacy Modernization Strategy: Assess legacy application portfolios (monoliths, traditional tiered applications) and define pragmatic migration and re-architecting strategies (Refactor, Replatform, Rearchitect) for GCP.

· Own End-to-End GCP Architecture: Define and govern scalable, secure, and highly available distributed system architectures, including integrations, API strategies, data flows, and non-functional requirements.

· Lead Technical Governance: Conduct architecture and design reviews; document key decisions, trade-offs, technical debt mitigation strategies, and engineering guardrails.

· Stay Hands-On: Mitigate delivery risk by writing code for prototypes, proof-of-concepts (PoCs), and reference implementations of modern cloud patterns. Continuously evaluate and adopt new technologies and patterns

· Establish Engineering Standards: Define and enforce practices across API design (e.g., gRPC, REST), automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and secure-by-default blueprints.

· Embed Operability by Design: Ensure cloud workloads are built with production-readiness in mind, including deep observability, resilience, automated recovery, and incident response readiness.

· Support Practice Growth: Partner with pre-sales and account teams to shape modernization proposals, define solution boundaries, and provide accurate effort estimations.

· Mentor and Scale Talent: Mentor senior engineers, emerging architects, and client technical teams to foster a culture of engineering excellence.

Technical Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree /4-year college degree in Computer Science, or equivalent work experience

· 15+ years of software development experience.

· 12+ years of strong hands-on experience in Java.

· 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, migrating, and operating production workloads on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

· 5+ years of experience in a consultative, client-facing Lead Architect or Practice Architect role, with a proven track record of influencing executive stakeholders.

Technical Profile

Software Engineering

• Expert level software engineering with proven experience designing and governing architectures for distributed systems, including clear boundaries, contracts, versioning, and data ownership

· Strong hands on experience with Java frameworks such as Spring / Spring Boot, RESTful APIs, and microservices architectures or their Python equivalent

· Experience designing and delivering distributed, highly available systems

· Experience with relational and NoSQL databases, messaging, and integration patterns

· Deep expertise in Java (or) Python including refactoring mature codebases, performance tuning, and pragmatic framework evaluation

· Ability to define and enforce quality strategies across teams, including test automation, testability standards, and measurable quality outcomes

· Hands on contributor through prototyping, reference implementations, deep code reviews, and critical path development

· Relevant technical certifications (Cloud, Architecture, or Development) are a plus.

Engineering & Tooling

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar tools

· Advanced DevOps practices including CI/CD strategy, IaC, release safety, environment strategy, and scalable automation

· Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

· Strong understanding of security, identity, compliance, and secure by default practices

· Full stack solution design capability across frontend, backend, integration, and data layers, with depth in at least one area

· Ability to establish architectural patterns that improve maintainability, reduce coupling, and enable independent team delivery.

Cloud Platform Experience

· Deep expertise in cloud-native design patterns, GCP security/identity (IAM, VPC Service Controls), hybrid/multi-cloud networking, and cost optimization (FinOps).

· Hands-on knowledge of core GCP services: Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Cloud Run, Compute Engine, Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub, and Cloud Storage.

· Experience with managed database options on GCP, including Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, and BigQuery, as well as legacy-to-cloud data migration strategies.

· Familiarity with Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE) or Anthos / Google Distributed Cloud for hybrid modernization use cases is highly desirable.

· Preferred Certification: GCP Professional Cloud Architect or GCP Professional Applications Developer.

AI Skills & Tool Usage

• Sets expectations for responsible AI tool usage across teams, including validation, security, and IP/privacy considerations

· Evaluates and enables the adoption of generative AI developer tools (e.g., Gemini Code Assist) to safely accelerate modernization velocity, code translation, and documentation.

· Establishes architectural patterns for integrating enterprise data with cloud-based AI/ML services (e.g., Vertex AI) while maintaining strict data privacy, governance, and security boundaries.

Professional Expectations

· Comfortably navigates ambiguous environments, driving technical clarity and building consensus among conflicting client business and IT stakeholders.

· Strategic Communication: Translates highly complex technical architectures into clear, value-driven language for non-technical executives.

· Accountability: Takes ownership of production outcomes, ensuring systems are engineered for long-term security, reliability, and cost-efficiency.

· Force Multiplier: Acts as a technical mentor, accelerating team delivery through reusable reference architectures, code patterns, and shared tooling.

· Agile Advocacy: Deeply understands Agile methodologies and iterative delivery, ensuring large modernization programs are broken down into manageable, value-generating increments.

This is a Permanent position based out of Hanover, MD.

The pay range for this position is $160000.00 - $225000.00/yr.

We reserve the right to pay above or below the posted wage based on factors unrelated to sex, race, or any other protected classification. Additional earnings may be available through incentive programs like annual bonuses, profit sharing, etc. Our full-time, internal employment benefits include the following: • Medical, Dental, and Vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life and AD&D for employee and dependents) • Short and Long-Term Disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation Benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully remote position.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 13, 2026.

About TEKsystems

We're partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500, across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services, and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That's the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

About TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services

We’re a leading provider of business and technology services. We accelerate business transformation for our customers. Our expertise in strategy, design, execution and operations unlocks business value through a range of solutions. We’re a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 customers, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia, who partner with us for our scale, full-stack capabilities and speed. We’re strategic thinkers, hands-on collaborators, helping customers capitalize on change and master the momentum of technology. We’re building tomorrow by delivering business outcomes and making positive impacts in our global communities. TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services are Allegis Group companies. Learn more at TEKsystems.com.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.