Principal AI Platform Architect

Title Principal AI Platform Architect (GCP)Duration: Long TermLocation: Remote across Canada/ USARole SummaryThe Platform Architect is responsible for leading solution design across an AI-enabled GCP onboarding platform. This role drives end-to-end architecture decisions across platform services, infrastructure as code, AI integrations, and enterprise platform alignment. The Architect translates business and technical requirements into scalable, production-ready architectures, ensuring alignment with cloud best practices, security standards, and governance frameworks. They provide architectural guidance across all phases of the engagement and act as the primary design authority for the platform.Key ResponsibilitiesLead and govern end-to-end solution architecture across the platform, from initial design through production readiness.Define the overall architecture for AI-enabled platform components, including integration patterns, service interactions, and workflow orchestration.Establish high-level design patterns for AI integrations using Vertex AI and GCP services, ensuring scalable and maintainable implementations.Define integration architecture across platform components, including event-driven and API-led communication patterns.Design canonical data models and validation frameworks to ensure consistency and integrity across platform workflows.Architect GCP-based infrastructure, including networking, security boundaries, and cloud-native deployment patterns (e.g., Cloud Run).Define CI/CD and GitOps architecture using GitHub Actions and Terraform, including governance controls, policy enforcement, and release strategies.Establish security architecture covering access control (RBAC), identity integration (SSO), secrets management, and enterprise guardrails.Lead architecture reviews, validate implementation against design standards, and drive alignment based on pilot and stakeholder feedback.Own and maintain architecture documentation aligned to enterprise standards and governance requirements.QualificationsRequired8+ years in cloud/platform architecture, with 5+ years on GCP.Deep expertise in AI/ML platform architecture and agentic workflow design.Experience designing RAG pipelines and LLM-integrated enterprise systems.Strong command of GCP networking, Cloud Run, IAM, and Organizational Policy.Proven delivery in regulated or financial services enterprise environments.Proficiency with Terraform at an enterprise IaC governance level.Experience integrating with existing developer portals, chatbots, or service agent platforms.PreferredGCP Professional Cloud Architect certification.Familiarity with enterprise SIEM integration and Cloud Logging architecture.Experience with GitOps patterns and GitHub App/OAuth integration at scale.Exposure to complex financial services platform environments.Track record working alongside security, compliance, and governance teams on production readiness.Key Deliverables OwnershipSolution architecture blueprintsAgent framework designRAG knowledge layer designGCP network topologyCI/CD pipeline architectureSecurity & RBAC designProduction readiness planGovernance documentationStakeholder design reviews