Specialist Solutions Architect (SSA) (Cloud Infrastructure)
ReqID: FEQ427R340
Location: London
Skills: Networking, Security, Platform, DevOps, Databricks, Cloud - AWS, GCP, Azure, Infrastructure
The Role
As an Infrastructure & Platform Specialist Solutions Architect (SSA), you will serve as a trusted technical advisor, guiding enterprise customers through the architecture, administration, and security of their Databricks deployments on their cloud of choice (AWS, Azure, or GCP). You combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to position Databricks as the foundation of your customers' data and AI strategy.
The Impact You Will Have
Guide strategic customers through the full lifecycle of Databricks on their cloud platform, including platform administration from initial architectural design to production deployment
Architect secure, scalable enterprise deployments that satisfy complex cloud networking (virtual networks, private connectivity), identity (cloud IAM and enterprise identity providers), and security compliance standards
Serve as a subject matter expert in core areas such as cloud infrastructure, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), cloud networking, and identity management
Drive technical wins in competitive scenarios by demonstrating Databricks' differentiation through custom-built solutions
Orchestrate cross-functional resources (DSAs, SAs, FDE, Partners) to deliver comprehensive solutions for complex customer needs
Influence product direction by providing structured feedback on customer requirements and competitive gaps
What We Look For
8+ years in solutions architecture, technical pre-sales, or a senior hands-on technical role
Advanced expertise across the following areas:
Security & Identity: Cloud security controls, platform/network/data security, encryption, vulnerability management, compliance, and identity protocols. This includes cloud-native IAM (AWS IAM, Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD, Google Cloud IAM), enterprise identity services (AWS IAM Identity Center, Entra ID, Google Cloud Identity), and federation standards (SCIM, OAuth, SAML, OIDC)
Networking & Deployments: Enterprise cloud networking (VPC/VNet design and peering, dedicated interconnects such as AWS Direct Connect / Azure ExpressRoute / Google Cloud Interconnect, and private connectivity such as AWS PrivateLink / Azure Private Link / GCP Private Service Connect), network routing, performance optimisation, and large-scale deployment management
Platform Administration: High availability, disaster recovery, cluster orchestration, observability and audit (e.g. Amazon CloudWatch / CloudTrail, Azure Monitor, Google Cloud Operations Suite), and cloud cost management
Infrastructure Automation (InfraOps): Hands-on automation using IaC tools (e.g. Terraform, plus cloud-native tooling such as AWS CloudFormation / CDK, Azure Resource Manager / Bicep, or Google Cloud Deployment Manager) to build, maintain, and scale complex cloud environments
Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL: you must demonstrate live coding, debugging, and solution-building skills
Deep expertise in distributed data systems architecture: designing scalable pipelines, streaming architectures, lakehouse patterns, and cloud-native data platforms
Proficient in the Databricks Platform
Proven ability to lead architecture discussions with senior technical stakeholders: whiteboarding, design reviews, and trade-off analysis
Track record of driving platform adoption and consumption growth within accounts
Coach and develop other team members on technical depth, customer engagement, and use case prioritisation
Contribute to Field Engineering thought leadership through customer-facing content, workshops, and community engagement
Excellent communication skills: able to translate complex architectures into business value for both technical and executive audiences
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a quantitative discipline (or equivalent experience)
Willingness to travel up to 30% as needed
Nice to Have:
Databricks certifications
Cloud provider certifications at professional level (e.g. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional or AWS Certified Data Engineer; Azure Solutions Architect Expert; Google Professional Cloud Architect)
Experience with competitive platforms (Snowflake, cloud-native data services, Azure Synapse, BigQuery) — understanding the landscape you'll position against
Background in a data/AI company or cloud provider