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SmartLayer Business Solutions (www.smartlayer.ca) is an independently-run 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.

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We’re hiring a Solutions Architectwho can own technical direction across complex environments, design end-to-end solutions, and lead delivery teams to high-quality outcomes. This is a senior role with significant autonomy and accountability, combining architecture, delivery leadership, and technical mentorship.

What you'll 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:
- VMware vSphere/ESXi architecture (clusters, HA/DRS, vMotion, storage design, lifecycle management)
- 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 high-quality technical deliverables: HLD/LLD, diagrams, standards,



runbooks, implementation plans, and as-built documentation.
- Lead complex projects end-to-end with delivery teams (Calgary + offshore): planning, task breakdown, change control, risk management, validation, and handover.
- Act as an escalation point for high-severity issues; drive root cause analysis and long-term remediation, including preventative controls and standardization.
- Establish and improve reference architectures and standards (VMware, storage, backup/DR, segmentation, firewall standards, monitoring/alerting).
- Support pre-sales: solutioning, technical scoping, statement-of-work input, assumptions/risks, and high-level estimates.
- Participate in after-hours 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
- Datacenter infrastructure: compute/storage/network integration, redundancy planning, operational runbooks
- Networking: routing/switching fundamentals,



VLAN segmentation, VPNs, core troubleshooting
- Firewalls/security appliances: Palo Alto, Fortinet (or equivalent); policy/NAT concepts, site-to-site and remote access VPN
- Backup/DR: Veeam (or equivalent); immutable backups, offsite copies, restore testing, RPO/RTO planning
- Windows Server / Active Directory: DNS/DHCP fundamentals, GPO, file services
- 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.
- Solid judgment, ownership, and ability to operate under pressure without compromising quality.
- Valid Class 5 driver’s license (client-site visits required).

Nice-to-have (strong assets):

- Azure architecture and hybrid networking patterns
- Storage platform experience (NetApp, Nimble, Dell, HPE, etc.)
- Advanced networking (BGP/OSPF, SD-WAN concepts, multi-site routing patterns)
- Multi-tenant hosting / colocation / ISP-adjacent experience
- Monitoring/observability platforms and operational maturity frameworks
- Security frameworks and hardening standards (CIS, NIST-aligned controls)
- Vendor certifications (VMware, Microsoft, Palo Alto, Fortinet, storage vendors)

What we value: High ownership, calm under pressure, excellent judgment, and a strong bias for secure, maintainable, well-documented solutions that stand up in real operations.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits

- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care

Work Location: In person

📌 Solutions Architect (Calgary)
🏢 SmartLayer Business Solutions
📍 Calgary