Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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VARINDER ARORA

Irvine,CA

Summary

Strategic and results-driven Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Architect with over 15 years of experience leading enterprise-wide cloud transformations, secure infrastructure design, and data platform modernization across industries. Expert in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and cost-optimized cloud solutions using Oracle Exadata, Autonomous Data Warehouse (ADW), GoldenGate, and Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC).

Proven track record in architecting OCI landing zones, implementing VCN and hybrid network topologies, enforcing IAM governance and zero-trust security models, and leading high-performing global teams. Skilled in aligning cloud architecture with C-level strategy to deliver multi-million-dollar savings, performance gains, and regulatory compliance.

  • Architected secure OCI landing zones with structured VCNs, subnets, private endpoints, service gateways, and compartmentalized IAM policies.
  • Designed hybrid network solutions integrating FastConnect, VPN, and cross-region VCN peering for scalable enterprise connectivity.
  • Led cloud migration programs from on-prem to OCI, improving operational efficiency and system agility.
  • Modernized data platforms using ADW, GoldenGate, Data Guard, and automated ETL pipelines to enable real-time analytics.
  • Advised and collaborated with C-suite stakeholders to align OCI investments with business and compliance goals.
  • Directed and mentored globally distributed teams in architecture, automation, and cloud adoption best practices.
  • Championed OCI governance, security-first architecture, and engineering excellence across all phases of cloud initiatives.

Awards:

  • IMG Innovation Award: Kaiser Foundation Hospital
  • Patent (By Oracle): Developed Cross-platform migration tool for near-zero downtime


Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Lead Solution Architect/Cloud Infrastructure Engineer

State Of Minnesota (Contract)
07.2024 - 12.2024
  • Led the end-to-end migration of Oracle Cloud ERP from on-premises to OCI, ensuring high availability, scalability, and security.
  • Directed a cross-functional team of architects and developers in designing high-level cloud migration architecture blueprints.
  • Architected OCI landing zones, hybrid cloud networks (VCN, VPN, FastConnect), and automated provisioning using Terraform and Ansible.
  • Led performance tuning strategies, reducing application execution time by 40% and optimized multi-cloud database environments.
  • Executed POC for Oracle CDB/PDB conversion and integrated ETL pipelines into Exadata and ADW for real-time analytics.
  • Defined IAM policies and integrated Oracle Identity Cloud (IDCS) for secure access control and governance.
  • Developed robust DR strategies using OCI-native tools and Commvault, aligning with compliance and audit standards.
  • Collaborated with enterprise and security teams to ensure alignment with business goals and seamless integration.

Principal Cloud Architect

Astute Business Solutions
04.2023 - 05.2024
  • Led the end-to-end migration of PeopleSoft from on-premises to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), ensuring high availability, scalability, and disaster recovery.
  • Designed OCI architecture for hybrid workloads, leveraging VCN, FastConnect, VPN, and landing zones aligned with enterprise governance and security policies.
  • Implemented DR strategies using OCI-native tools and Commvault, and reduced query times by 40% through performance tuning.
  • Automated infrastructure provisioning and database deployments using Terraform, Ansible, and CI/CD best practices.
  • Delivered cost-optimized Exadata Cloud Service (ExaCS) solutions, migrating over 100+ on-prem databases, improving operational efficiency by 20%.
  • Developed and optimized data pipelines using ADW, Exadata, and Oracle SQL/PLSQL for real-time analytics and reporting.
  • Integrated Qlik and Talend ELT (v6.5+) to streamline data ingestion and accelerate job execution across cloud environments.
  • Designed multi-cloud solutions integrating OCI and Azure/AWS, with embedded security, tenancy management, and zero-trust IAM architecture via Oracle IDCS.
  • Created ransomware recovery architecture using Metallic-Commvault and Terraform for robust data protection.
  • Collaborated with BI teams to translate reporting needs into optimized data models and marts; implemented AI-powered analytics and query optimization.
  • Provided enablement sessions and developed SOPs to support enterprise-wide OCI adoption and governance.

Principal Pre-Sale Engineer

Oracle Corporation
08.2020 - 10.2022
  • Led strategic opportunity engagements, including technical discovery, qualification, and architectural design reviews, resulting in a 30% increase in solution win rates.
  • Partnered with sales teams to identify customer challenges and position Oracle Cloud (OCI, Exadata, ADW) offerings, contributing to a 25% reduction in sales cycle time.
  • Designed and presented custom OCI architectures that enabled enterprise IT transformation, achieving up to 40% improvement in workload performance and 20% TCO savings.
  • Delivered impactful PoCs, demos, and value presentations to executive and technical audiences, supporting $10M+ in cloud deals.
  • Managed full proposal lifecycle—from technical solutioning to RFP responses and executive briefings—resulting in a 35% increase in technical proposal acceptance.
  • Developed performance-optimized solutions using Exadata Cloud, Autonomous Database, and OIC, delivering query performance improvements of up to 50%.
  • Created pricing strategies and ROI models that showcased 15–30% cost savings through Oracle-native automation and consolidation.
  • Acted as a trusted cloud advisor, building long-term relationships with clients and enabling seamless transitions to cloud services.
  • Enabled cross-cloud strategies with OCI, AWS, and Azure, helping customers modernize infrastructure and reduce operational overhead by 25%.
  • Facilitated technical workshops and onboarding sessions to accelerate OCI adoption and architecture governance across large enterprises.

Senior Manager -Infrastructure Specialist

Cognizant Technologies Solutions
05.2018 - 07.2020
  • Directed technical architecture design initiatives for Fortune 500 clients, leading complex migrations to AWS services such as EC2, RDS, S3, and VPC, with a strong focus on scalability, availability, and security.
  • Directly led a team of 10+ developers and DBAs, overseeing end-to-end delivery of cloud migration, performance tuning, and post-migration support activities.
  • Developed and executed AWS cloud migration strategies, achieving 30% reduction in downtime and 25% cost optimization using CloudFormation, Migration Hub, and Auto Scaling.
  • Worked closely with engineering and infrastructure teams to ensure successful implementation of AWS architectures aligned with enterprise objectives.

Principal Database Engineer

Kaiser Permanente
06.2015 - 05.2018
  • Directed migration of 1,000+ databases to Oracle Exadata, achieving significant cost savings.
  • Established compliance frameworks ensuring HIPAA adherence for multi-site data warehouses.

Sr. Database Administrator

Xoriant Corporation
12.2007 - 06.2015
  • Created and updated database designs and data models.
  • Set up and controlled user access levels across databases to protect important data.
  • Developed scripts and processes for data integration and maintenance.
  • Modified databases to meet needs and goals determined during planning process.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Computer Science

Kurukshetra University
12.2004

Skills

  • Cloud Platforms: OCI, ADW, ExaCS, Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC), Oracle Identity Cloud (IDCS)
  • Automation & DevOps: Python, Shell scripting, Terraform, Jenkins, Ansible, CI/CD pipelines
  • Security & Governance: IAM, IDCS, encryption, auditing, compliance (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR)
  • Emerging Tech: Oracle 23ai (Graph DB), vector databases, AI/ML, cloud-native analytics
  • Leadership: Team mentoring, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, collaboration
  • Database Architecture & Strategy: Enterprise database design, performance tuning, automation

Timeline

Lead Solution Architect/Cloud Infrastructure Engineer

State Of Minnesota (Contract)
07.2024 - 12.2024

Principal Cloud Architect

Astute Business Solutions
04.2023 - 05.2024

Principal Pre-Sale Engineer

Oracle Corporation
08.2020 - 10.2022

Senior Manager -Infrastructure Specialist

Cognizant Technologies Solutions
05.2018 - 07.2020

Principal Database Engineer

Kaiser Permanente
06.2015 - 05.2018

Sr. Database Administrator

Xoriant Corporation
12.2007 - 06.2015

Bachelor of Science - Computer Science

Kurukshetra University

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