Principal Solutions Architect Data Center

Role: Principal Solutions Architect – Data Center
Location: San Jose CA (100% Onsite)
1^st Preference – FTE – Max Salary: $160K/annum
2^nd Preference – Contract – Max Rate: $90/hr

Job Description:
The Principal Solutions Architect – Data Center is responsible for defining, designing, and governing end to end data center architecture solutions aligned with business, security, and operational requirements. This role provides technical leadership across compute, network, storage, security, and platform layers and acts as a trusted advisor for large scale data center transformation, modernization, and hybrid cloud initiatives.
The role works closely with customers, delivery teams, engineering, and operations to ensure architecture integrity from concept to deployment and transition to run.

Key Responsibilities

• Define end to end data center architecture covering compute, network, storage, security, and management platforms.
• Translate business and technical requirements into scalable, secure, and resilient architecture designs.
• Own high level and low level designs, reference architectures, and solution blueprints.
• Lead architecture reviews and govern adherence to enterprise standards and best practices.
• Provide technical leadership during data center build, migration, consolidation, or modernization programs.
• Collaborate with Deployment Pods and Delivery Leads to ensure architectural intent is implemented correctly.
• Drive decisions on technology selection, capacity planning, performance, and resiliency.
• Ensure alignment with security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Act as a key technical stakeholder in presales engagements, solution reviews, and client workshops.
• Support operational readiness, transition to run, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Skills & Experience
Architecture & Technical Skills

• Strong experience designing and architecting enterprise data center solutions
• Deep understanding of:
  • Data center networking (L2/L3, spine leaf, firewalls, load balancers)
  • Compute & virtualization platforms (VMware, KVM, Windows, Linux)
  • Storage technologies (SAN, NAS, HCI)
  • Security architecture and hardening standards
• Exposure to hybrid cloud integration and cloud adjacent architectures

Leadership & Consulting Skills

• Proven ability to influence architecture decisions across teams and stakeholders
• Experience working with customers, senior leadership, and delivery organizations
• Strong documentation, presentation, and communication skills

Certifications (Preferred)

• Data Center or Infrastructure Architect certifications
• VMware / Cisco / Cloud Architecture certifications
• TOGAF or equivalent (nice to have)