Lead Multi-Cloud & Disaster Recovery Architect

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Contract Duration: 6 Months Work Arrangement: Hybrid About the Project Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Multi-Cloud & Disaster Recovery (DR) Architect to lead the assessment and design of a comprehensive Disaster Recovery strategy for Qiddiya’s technology estate. The project will assess and define resilience and disaster recovery capabilities across a complex technology environment, including Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure, SaaS, on-premises infrastructure, networking, integration/API platforms, and edge/OT environments. GCP is a particularly significant component of the production estate, comprising approximately: • 300+ Compute Engine instances • 12 Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) clusters • 54 Cloud SQL instances The successful candidate will serve as the overall technical authority for the strategy and design workstream, translating business continuity requirements into practical, cost-effective and resilient architecture recommendations. Key Responsibilities • Lead the technical assessment of Qiddiya’s existing technology estate across GCP, Azure, AWS, SaaS, on-premises, network, integration/API and edge/OT environments. • Assess application criticality and validate achievable Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs). • Evaluate and recommend suitable disaster recovery options, including cloud-to-cloud and on-premises-to-cloud recovery models. • Define the target-state multi-cloud and hybrid DR architecture, including High-Level Designs (HLDs). • Develop the overall backup, replication and recovery strategy across infrastructure, platforms, databases and applications. • Provide technical recommendations covering resilience, availability, data protection, data residency, security, cost and vendor lock-in considerations. • Define the DR operating model, governance framework, roles and responsibilities, and ongoing operational requirements. • Ensure alignment with applicable regulatory, security and data-residency requirements. • Develop a costed implementation roadmap, technical requirements and recommendations for the subsequent DR implementation and operations RFP. • Independently lead client-facing technical workshops with cloud, infrastructure, security, network, application and operations teams. • Coordinate domain architects and subject-matter experts, challenge proposed solutions and drive technical decisions through to stakeholder agreement. • Present architecture options, technical trade-offs, risks and recommendations to senior stakeholders. Required Skills & Experience • 15+ years of experience in enterprise infrastructure, cloud architecture, technology strategy or disaster recovery. • Strong expertise in Google Cloud Platform (GCP), particularly enterprise-scale architecture, infrastructure resilience and disaster recovery. • Demonstrated experience designing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures involving GCP, Microsoft Azure and AWS. • Deep knowledge of disaster recovery, business continuity, backup, replication, failover and recovery architecture. • Hands-on architectural understanding of GCP services, particularly: • Compute Engine • Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) • Cloud SQL • Cloud storage, backup and replication capabilities • Experience assessing complex enterprise technology estates, including SaaS, on-premises infrastructure, networking, APIs and integration platforms. • Strong understanding of application criticality assessments and the definition and validation of RTO/RPO requirements. • Experience developing DR strategies, target-state architectures, HLDs, operating models and implementation roadmaps. • Knowledge of enterprise networking, infrastructure security, data protection and regulatory/data-residency requirements. • Ability to assess and compare DR solutions, clearly articulating technical, operational and financial trade-offs. • Experience preparing technical requirements and contributing to RFPs for large-scale technology implementation and managed services. • Strong client-facing consulting experience, including independently leading technical workshops and engaging senior stakeholders. • Proven ability to coordinate architects and technical SMEs across multiple technology domains. Leadership & Communication Requirements • Strong technical leadership and stakeholder management capabilities. • Ability to operate as the overall technical authority for the architecture and strategy workstream. • Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation and documentation skills. • Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for business and technology stakeholders. Ideal Candidate Profile: A senior multi-cloud and disaster recovery architect with deep GCP expertise, a strong track record in enterprise-scale resilience strategy and architecture, and the consulting leadership skills to independently drive workshops, technical decisions and stakeholder alignment.