Job Description SmartLayer Business Solutions (www.smartlayer.ca) is a computing and technology consulting company, which provides customized and high-quality services. We bring advanced technology solutions to small-to-medium sized enterprises. We offer IT consulting, managed services, asset management, system design and installation, custom software and web development services, and training and user support services. What youll do Own architecture and technical direction across client environments: on-prem datacenters, hybrid cloud, networking, virtualization, storage, backup/DR, and security. Lead discovery and assessments: current-state analysis, risk identification, capacity reviews, and modernization roadmaps. Design and deliver solutions spanning: Datacenter compute/storage/network stacks (racks, power/UPS, redundancy, cabling standards, monitoring) Storage and SAN/iSCSI design (multipathing, performance baselining, zoning concepts where applicable, iSCSI best practices, throughput/IOPS considerations) Backup/DR architecture (Veeam or equivalent; immutable repositories, offsite replication, recovery validation, DR testing) Hybrid identity and Microsoft 365 architecture (Entra ID, Conditional Access patterns, governance) Produce highquality technical deliverables: HLD/LLD, diagrams, standards, runbooks, implementation plans, and asbuilt documentation. Lead complex projects endtoend with delivery teams (Calgary + offshore): planning, task breakdown, change control, risk management, validation, and handover. Act as an escalation point for highseverity issues; drive root cause analysis and longterm remediation, including preventative controls and standardization. Establish and improve reference architectures and standards (VMware, storage, backup/DR, segmentation, firewall standards, monitoring/alerting). Support presales: solutioning, technical scoping, statementofwork input, assumptions/risks, and highlevel estimates. Participate in afterhours work as needed for planned changes, migrations, and critical incidents. Primary Qualifications 10+ years progressive IT experience with meaningful architecture/design responsibility. Proven experience designing, deploying, and troubleshooting complex infrastructure, including: VMware vSphere: clusters, HA/DRS, vCenter, templates, lifecycle/patching, performance troubleshooting Storage / SAN / iSCSI: LUN design, iSCSI networking concepts, MPIO/multipathing, performance and latency troubleshooting Networking: routing/switching fundamentals, VLAN segmentation, VPNs, core troubleshooting Firewalls/security appliances: Palo Alto, Fortinet (or equivalent); policy/NAT concepts, sitetosite and remote access VPN Backup/DR: Veeam (or equivalent); immutable backups, offsite copies, restore testing, RPO/RTO planning Microsoft 365 / Entra ID: identity, MFA, conditional access concepts, tenant administration and governance patterns Strong documentation and communication skills: you can translate business outcomes into technical designs and guide stakeholders through decisions. Strong judgment, ownership, and ability to operate under pressure without compromising quality. Valid Class 5 drivers license (clientsite visits required). Nicetohave (strong assets) Azure architecture and hybrid networking patterns Advanced networking (BGP/OSPF, SDWAN concepts, multisite routing patterns) Monitoring/observability platforms and operational maturity frameworks Security frameworks and hardening standards (CIS, NISTaligned controls) What we value High ownership, calm under pressure, excellent judgment, and a strong bias for secure, maintainable, welldocumented solutions that stand up in real operations. #J-18808-Ljbffr
Job Title
Solutions Architect