APPLICATION ARCHITECT L3

Job Description

Role Overview:

We are seeking a Data Center Transformation Architect to be deployed within a customer environment to lead and support their data center transformation journey from strategy and planning through target-state design, migration planning, governance, and execution oversight.

The architect will act as the customer’s trusted technical leader, ensuring the transformation is technically sound, secure, resilient, compliant, and operationally adoptable, while coordinating across multiple technology towers and delivery teams.

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Key Responsibilities

1) Strategy, Assessment & Planning

• Lead current-state assessments across compute, storage, network, virtualization, backup, DR, monitoring, and operational processes.
• Define transformation strategy and roadmap, including guiding principles, standards, target-state options, and phased execution plan.
• Translate business drivers (cost, resilience, regulatory requirements, exit/refresh timelines) into architecture priorities and delivery plans.
• Develop capacity and demand planning inputs (growth forecasts, constraints, critical workloads, performance baselines).

2) Target-State Architecture & Design Ownership

• Own end-to-end DC target architecture, including:
• Compute platforms, HCI (where applicable), standard builds
• Storage strategy (SAN/NAS/Object, tiering, replication, backup integration)
• Network/DC fabric design (segmentation, routing, HA patterns, load balancing)
• Virtualization and platform modernization (VMware/Hyper-V/KVM; container readiness)
• Security architecture alignment (segmentation, controls, hardening, IAM integration)
• Resilience and DR architecture (fault domains, HA design, RPO/RTO mapping)
• Produce and govern architecture deliverables: HLD/LLD, reference architectures, design decisions, and patterns.
• Ensure designs are aligned to operational supportability, including monitoring, patching, backup, DR drills, and incident/problem processes.

3) Migration & Transition Architecture

• Define migration approach and patterns (rehost/replatform/refactor where applicable).
• Create migration factory design inputs: wave planning, dependency mapping, cutover runbooks, rollback plans, and risk mitigations.
• Partner with application teams to validate workload suitability, downtime constraints, and sequencing.
• Ensure service continuity through cutovers, failover testing, and stabilization activities.

4) Architecture Governance & Delivery Assurance

• Establish architecture governance: design reviews, checkpoints, technical risk management, and exception handling.
• Act as the final authority for technical decisions, ensuring adherence to standards and non-functional requirements.
• Guide multiple delivery streams (compute/storage/network/security/operations) to ensure integrated outcomes.
• Perform ongoing technical assurance: validate build quality, configuration compliance, performance, and resilience readiness.

5) Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Serve as primary technical interface with customer stakeholders: Infrastructure leadership, Enterprise Architecture, Security, Operations, and Vendors.
• Communicate architecture trade-offs clearly (risk, cost, time) and maintain transparent decision logs.
• Coordinate with OEMs/partners where required for design validation, compatibility, and escalation.

6) Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Maintain customer-ready documentation: target architecture packs, design decisions, standards, operational handover artefacts.
• Support knowledge transfer into customer operations and managed services teams, ensuring smooth transition to steady state.

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Required Skills & Experience

• 12+ years of experience in infrastructure / data center architecture, with proven delivery ownership of large-scale DC transformation programs.
• Compute (x86), standard builds, lifecycle/refresh planning
• Storage architecture (SAN/NAS/Object), replication, backup integration, performance sizing
• Networking in DC environments (segmentation, HA, DC fabric concepts)
• Virtualization (VMware strongly preferred) and platform modernization
• DR/BCP design and testing practices (RPO/RTO engineering)
• Proven ability to create strategy + roadmap and translate into implementable designs.
• Strong delivery mindset: ability to work in complex environments with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills, including executive-level narrative and technical depth.

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Preferred / Good-to-Have

• Experience in regulated environments (pharma), audit readiness, and security control alignment.
• Exposure to hybrid connectivity patterns and integration with cloud landing zones.
• Working knowledge of automation/IaC concepts (Ansible/Terraform) and standardized build pipelines.
• ITIL/ITSM familiarity and operational model design (monitoring, patching, CMDB, change governance).
• Certifications (nice to have): VMware (VCP/VCAP), TOGAF, Cisco (CCNP), ITIL, OEM certifications.