Data Center Architect- Need NY/NJ locals

Job Description:

Data Center Architect Skills Requirements 1. Data Center Architecture & Technical Leadership Proven ability to serve as technical lead for enterprise-scale data center initiatives, including design, build, migration, and operational transition. Deep expertise in end-to-end data center architecture, including: Compute platforms (physical and virtual) Storage and SAN architectures (including modern spine-leaf designs) Network and WAN architectures Backup and data protection solutions Voice and supporting infrastructure Physical data center facilities and plant design Demonstrated experience eliminating single points of failure and modernizing legacy architectures. Ability to model and document architectures across compute, storage, backup, network, and physical facilities.

2. Data Center Modernization & Transformation Hands-on experience leading data center modernization efforts, including: Migration from legacy technologies (e.g., tape-based backup systems) to modern platforms such as Commvault and cloud-based storage (e.g., AWS). UNIX platform migrations (e.g., Solaris to AIX or equivalent). Transition to cloud-aligned and hybrid operating models. Strong understanding of cloud integration, automation, and DevOps-aligned infrastructure practices. Experience partnering with DevOps teams on observability, automation, and monitoring strategies.

3. Infrastructure Engineering & Facilities Design Expertise in physical data center design, including: Facility floor plans with rack layouts Power, cooling (BTU), weight load, and space planning Electrical, grounding, and cabling requirements Ability to define and document physical requirements for new data center facilities. Experience providing engineering data for: Ladder racks Fiber raceways Structured cabling systems Power distribution and grounding Proven ability to coordinate with vendors, contractors, and facilities teams for electrical, power, and cabling installations.

4. Project Leadership & Delivery Strong capability to lead all phases of a data center project, including: Business and technical requirements gathering Architecture and design development Proposal and RFP contribution Financial forecasting and business case development Installation, configuration, and commissioning Production cutover and application/service migration Experience overseeing concurrent, high-risk initiatives that cannot pause without significant operational impact. Ability to identify, assess, and communicate technical and operational risks.

5. Financial Planning & Business Acumen Proven experience developing: Capital and operational expenditure (CapEx/OpEx) plans Financial forecasts for data center infrastructure and CoLo space Cost models for infrastructure services Ability to develop and present business cases, solution overviews, and data-driven recommendations to leadership. Strong analytical skills for evaluating design options and financial trade-offs.

6. Operations Readiness & Transition Strong understanding of data center operations, including: Transitioning services from build teams to run/operations teams Operational readiness, documentation, and support models Maintenance, patching, and lifecycle management Ability to ensure systems and environments are fully documented for operations best practices. Experience supporting operations through: Strategic recommendations Technical consulting Identification and remediation of operational inefficiencies

7. Monitoring, Observability & Automation Expertise in monitoring and observability platforms, including application and infrastructure visibility tools (e.g., AppDynamics and Riverbed). Ability to design and expand monitoring solutions with a strong focus on automation and proactive operations. Experience defining metrics, dashboards, and alerting strategies aligned with operational and business needs.

8. Governance, Compliance & Security Strong knowledge of security, compliance, and regulatory requirements applicable to enterprise data centers. Ability to ensure architectures and implementations meet quality, compliance, and audit standards. Experience developing and updating policies, procedures, and standards for data center operations.

9. Capacity Planning, KPIs & Service Management Proven experience in: Data center capacity planning and roadmap development Defining and documenting KPIs and recommending SLAs Supporting service performance management and continuous improvement Ability to translate business demand into scalable and sustainable infrastructure designs.

10. Communication, Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Strong ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions. Demonstrated experience collaborating with: Infrastructure, application, and operations teams Vendors and service providers Facilities and external contractors Ability to provide clear, regular updates to management and executive stakeholders. Recognized as a subject matter expert (SME) and trusted technical advisor.