At a Glance
- Tasks: Architect and execute innovative software solutions on Google Cloud Platform.
- Company: Join a leading tech firm in Glasgow with a focus on cloud-native technologies.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with a focus on collaboration and continuous learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the future of cloud architecture and mentoring fellow engineers.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software development with expertise in GCP, Kubernetes, and modern programming languages.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
Contract Role: Google Cloud Platform Architect
Contract Location: Glasgow / On-site 5 days
Contract Duration: 6 months initially (with potential extension)
Contract Start Date: Immediate
Job Responsibilities
- Architects and executes complex, creative software solutions with ability to think strategically beyond routine or conventional approaches - breaking down ambiguous technical problems and influencing architectural decisions across teams.
- Develops secure, high-quality production code and actively reviews, debugs, and improves code written by others - establishing coding standards and raising the engineering bar across the team.
- Leads architectural design for cloud-native systems and services, producing comprehensive design artifacts (RFCs, ADRs, architecture diagrams) that are reviewed and adopted across multiple teams.
- Owns operational excellence by proactively identifying patterns in system failures, operational metrics, and data; designing and implementing systematic improvements to system reliability, performance, and observability.
- Evaluates and leads vendor/technology assessments - conducting deep-dive sessions with external vendors, startups, and internal teams to drive outcomes-oriented evaluation of architectural designs, technical credentials, and applicability to the firm's technology strategy.
- Leads and grows engineering communities of practice across Software Engineering to drive awareness, adoption, and standards for emerging cloud native technologies and best practices.
- Mentors and develops junior and mid-level engineers through code review, design collaboration, and knowledge-sharing activities.
- Contributes to strategic initiatives that shape the firm's cloud platform standards, CI/CD maturity, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
- Builds and operates resilient, highly scalable services deployed to AWS in line with firm-wide public cloud standards and security/compliance requirements.
Required Qualifications, Capabilities, and Skills
- Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5+ years applied experience in production software development.
- Advanced hands-on practical experience delivering system design, application development, testing, and operational stability at scale.
- Advanced proficiency in one or more modern programming languages with demonstrated ability to optimize for performance, maintainability, and security with GoLang or Python being preferred including performance optimization and concurrency patterns.
- Advanced Kubernetes platform engineering expertise, including hands-on experience designing, developing, and operating custom Kubernetes Operators and Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) using frameworks such as Kubebuilder, Operator SDK, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated ability to extend Kubernetes APIs to automate complex platform, infrastructure, security, or application lifecycle workflows at enterprise scale.
- Proven experience building cloud-native control planes and automation frameworks on Kubernetes, including authoring reconciliation loops, admission controllers, webhooks, and custom controllers; strong understanding of Kubernetes internals, API machinery, RBAC, multi-tenancy, observability, and operational best practices for production environments.
- In-depth Google Cloud development experience - architecting, building, deploying, and operating production cloud-native workloads using core GCP services; understanding cost optimization and security best practices.
- Proficiency in automation and continuous delivery - designing and implementing CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and deployment strategies.
- Advanced understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle - ability to influence and improve SDLC practices across teams.
- Advanced knowledge of agile methodologies - CI/CD, Application Resiliency, Security, and capacity planning.
- Demonstrated expertise in a technical discipline (e.g., cloud architecture, artificial intelligence/machine learning, mobile, distributed systems, security, DevOps/platform engineering).
- In-depth knowledge of financial services industry and their IT systems, regulatory constraints, and operational requirements.
- Practical experience with AI-assisted developer tools and AI agents (Copilot, Claude Code, or equivalent) to improve engineering productivity, code quality, and knowledge acquisition.
- Strong communication and influence skills - ability to articulate technical decisions, trade-offs, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities, and Skills
- Advanced Infrastructure-as-Code expertise (Terraform, CloudFormation, CDK) designing reusable modules and standards across teams.
- Deep observability and monitoring expertise (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, CloudWatch) - designing comprehensive observability strategies.
- GCP certifications (Developer, Solutions Architect, Security Specialty).
- Experience with security practices - secure coding, threat modelling, compliance, and incident response in cloud environments.
- Track record of open-source contributions or knowledge-sharing within the engineering community.
- Experience architecting or leading multi-team initiatives that span infrastructure, application, and platform engineering.
Google Cloud Platform Architect in Glasgow employer: Launch Ventures
As a Google Cloud Platform Architect in Glasgow, you will join a dynamic and innovative team that values creativity and strategic thinking. The company fosters a collaborative work culture, offering ample opportunities for professional growth through mentorship and community engagement, while also prioritising operational excellence and cutting-edge technology practices. With a focus on employee development and a commitment to high-quality standards, this role provides a meaningful and rewarding experience in a vibrant city known for its rich culture and supportive environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Google Cloud Platform Architect in Glasgow
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Launch Ventures or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Launch Ventures.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Launch Ventures.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Launch Ventures that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Google Cloud Platform Architect in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Launch Ventures.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Launch Ventures and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Launch Ventures
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Launch Ventures uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.