New Long term Contract for the role of DC Architect
Location: Reading (Office Based)
Contract Duration:1 Year
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
The Role
A Data Centre Architect is responsible for the end-to-end design, planning, and governance of data center infrastructure- including compute, storage, network, security, and facilities. The role ensures high availability, scalability, performance, and compliance while aligning with business and digital transformation goals (e.g., hybrid cloud, modernization).
A Data Centre Architect plays a strategic and technical leadership role, bridging infrastructure, cloud, and business needs. The position demands deep technical expertise along with the ability to design resilient, scalable, secure, and cost-efficient environments.
Your Profile
Essential skills/experience:
- Enterprise Data Centre Design Proven experience in designing scalable, high-availability data center architectures (Tier II-IV), including compute, storage, and networking layers.
- Hybrid & Cloud Integration Strong expertise in integrating on-premises infrastructure with public cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP), including hybrid and multi-cloud strategies.
- Virtualization & Containerization Deep knowledge of VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM along with container platforms like Kubernetes and Docker.
- Advanced Networking Architecture Expertise in LAN/WAN design, SDN, leaf-spine architecture, network segmentation, firewalls, and load balancing.
- Storage & Data Management Experience with SAN, NAS, object storage, backup/recovery, replication technologies, and data lifecycle management.
- Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Strong experience in designing DR strategies, failover models, and defining RPO/RTO aligned with business SLAs.
- Security & Compliance Frameworks Knowledge of infrastructure security, zero-trust models, encryption, and compliance standards like ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and regulatory requirements.
- Automation & Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Hands-on experience with automation tools such as Terraform, Ansible, PowerShell, or Python for provisioning and configuration.
- Capacity Planning & Performance Optimization Ability to forecast growth, optimize resource utilization, and implement performance tuning across infrastructure components.
- Vendor & Stakeholder Management Experience in evaluating vendors, leading RFPs/PoCs, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver architecture solutions.
- Software-Defined Data Centre (SDDC) Exposure to SDDC technologies including VMware NSX, vSAN, and software-defined networking/storage.
- Edge Computing & Distributed DC Models Understanding of edge data center deployments and low-latency architecture designs.
- Green Data Centre Practices Knowledge of energy-efficient designs, carbon footprint reduction, and sustainability initiatives.
- AI/ML Infrastructure Awareness Familiarity with GPU-based infrastructure and high-performance computing (HPC) environments for AI workloads.
- Advanced Monitoring & Observability Experience with AIOps, predictive analytics, and advanced observability platforms (e.g., Dynatrace, AppDynamics).
- Regulatory & Industry-Specific Compliance Exposure to domain-specific regulations (e.g., BFSI, healthcare) and data residency requirements.
- Migration & Transformation Programs Experience in large-scale DC consolidation, relocation, or cloud migration initiatives.
- Financial Management / FinOps Understanding of cost governance models for infrastructure and hybrid cloud environments.
- DevSecOps Integration Familiarity with embedding security into DevOps pipelines and infrastructure provisioning workflows.
DC Architect in Reading employer: Queen Square Recruitment
Join a forward-thinking company that values innovation and collaboration, offering a hybrid work model that promotes work-life balance while being part of a dynamic team in the heart of the UK. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have access to continuous learning opportunities and the chance to work on critical production environments that make a real impact. Enjoy a supportive work culture that encourages open communication and teamwork, making it an excellent place for skilled professionals looking to advance their careers.
