GCP Data Lead/Architect

About Ascendion:
Ascendion is a leader in AI-powered software engineering, helping businesses innovate faster, smarter, and with greater impact. We partner with Global 2000 clients across North America, UK, Europe, and APAC to solve complex challenges in data, experience design, software product engineering, and workforce transformation. Powered by expert engineers, thousands of AI agents, and our Engineering to the Power of AI™ (EngineeringAI) method, we deliver measurable outcomes that build trust, unlock value, and accelerate growth. Learn more at ascendion.com
Ascendion | Engineering to elevate life (https://ascendion.com/)
We have a culture built on opportunity, inclusion, and a spirit of partnership. Come, change the world with us:

- Build the coolest tech for world’s leading brands
- Solve complex problems – and learn new skills
- Experience the power of transforming digital engineering for Fortune 500 clients
- Master your craft with leading training programs and hands-on experience
Experience a community of change makers!
Join a culture of high-performing innovators with endless ideas and a passion for tech. Our culture is the fabric of our company, and it is what makes us unique and diverse. The way we share ideas, learning, experiences, successes, and joy allows everyone to be their best at Ascendion. 
Role Overview: We are seeking an accomplished AWS Data Architect who is responsible for running, scaling, and governing the AWS Cloud Center of Excellence (COE) across the organization. This role combines delivery leadership, cloud strategy, solution architecture, pre-sales support, capability development, innovation, and practice growth. The individual will drive cloud adoption, build reusable assets and accelerators, lead customer solutioning efforts, support business development initiatives, and ensure successful execution of cloud transformation programs. The architect will work with the data director leading the AWS COE. 
Key Responsibilities
- COE Strategy & Leadership

- Execute the vision, roadmap, and operating model for the AWS Cloud Center of Excellence.
- Establish governance frameworks, standards, best practices, and reusable reference architectures for AWS engagements.
- Drive cloud adoption and modernization initiatives across customer and internal programs.
- Participate in COE planning, operating reviews, quarterly roadmaps, and leadership governance meetings.
- Define KPIs and success metrics for practice growth, innovation, utilization, certifications, and delivery excellence.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with AWS stakeholders and ecosystem partners.

- Delivery & Program Leadership

- Provide leadership oversight for AWS delivery programs ensuring quality, scalability, and successful customer outcomes.
- Review solution architectures, delivery plans, migration strategies, and program execution risks.
- Drive architectural governance and ensure adherence to AWS Well-Architected principles.
- Support program managers and delivery teams through major milestones and critical escalations.
- Establish delivery accelerators, deployment frameworks, templates, and best practices for consistent execution.
- Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned, delivery reviews, and operational excellence initiatives.

- Presales & Solutioning

- Partner with sales, account teams, and customers to shape cloud transformation opportunities.
- Lead and participate in discovery workshops, assessment engagements, and solution strategy discussions.
- Own solutioning activities including: Architecture definition, Effort estimation, Sizing and costing, Scoping and assumption, Resource planning, Risk assessment
- Support RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, proposal preparation, and customer presentations.
- Participate in deal reviews and support technical defense during customer evaluations.
- Contribute to the growth of AWS-related revenue opportunities across strategic accounts.

- Innovation, Accelerators & Assets

- Define and drive the COE innovation agenda.
- Identify opportunities to create reusable frameworks, accelerators, templates, and reference implementations.
- Lead development of:
Cloud migration accelerators o DevOps automation frameworks o Generative AI accelerators
- Data and analytics blueprints o Industry-specific AWS solutions
- Execute and govern Proof of Concepts (POCs) and Proof of Value (POVs).
- Create repeatable assets that improve delivery efficiency, speed, and quality.
- Establish innovation labs and showcase capabilities to customers and internal stakeholders.

- Training, Enablement & Capability Building

- Build and execute AWS capability development programs.
- Define certification roadmaps and learning paths for architects, engineers, and consultants.
- Run AWS bootcamps, internal training programs, technical communities, and hackathons.
- Mentor architects and delivery leads on cloud-native solution design and implementation.
- Drive organization-wide AWS certifications and skill enhancement initiatives.
- Establish knowledge-sharing mechanisms, communities of practice, and technical forums.

- Cloud Architecture & Technology Leadership

- Provide architectural leadership across AWS cloud services and modernization programs.
- Review and approve enterprise cloud architectures and solution designs.
- Guide teams on: Cloud migration, Application modernization, Platform engineering o DevOps, Data & Analytics o AI/ML and Generative AI
- Evaluate emerging AWS services and recommend adoption strategies.
- Ensure solutions align with security, compliance, reliability, performance, and cost optimization objectives.

- Stakeholder & Customer Engagement

- Act as a trusted advisor to customer executives, architects, and business stakeholders.
- Lead executive-level architecture reviews and transformation workshops.
- Collaborate with AWS account teams to develop joint go-to-market strategies.
- Support customer success initiatives and strategic cloud transformation programs.
- Build strong relationships with key customer and partner stakeholders.

Required Experience & Skills
- 15+ years of overall IT experience with 8+ years focused on AWS Cloud technologies.
- 5+ years of experience leading an AWS COE, Practice, or Cloud Competency organization.
- Strong experience managing large-scale cloud transformation and migration programs.
- Demonstrated experience in:
- Pre-sales and solutioning o Estimation and sizing o Proposal development
- RFP/RFI responses
- Technical presentations and customer workshops
- Proven experience building and managing COE functions including:
- Cloud governance o Practice growth
- Certification initiatives
- Capability development o Innovation programs o Reusable accelerators
- Hands-on architectural knowledge across core AWS services.
- Experience building accelerators, frameworks, reference architectures, and reusable cloud assets.
- Strong experience leading POCs, POVs, innovation programs, and cloud modernization initiatives.
- Knowledge of DevOps, IaC, Platform Engineering, Data & Analytics, AI/ML, and Generative AI ecosystems.
- Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience including mentoring, team building, and capability development.

Preferred Qualifications
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
- AWS Specialty Certifications • Enterprise Architecture certifications
- Generative AI, Machine Learning, or Data & Analytics certifications

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