Senior AI & Google Cloud Engineer — Independent Audit, Start ASAP

We need a senior, hands-on AI/cloud engineer to independently review an existing automation project for a roofing business. Work has already been done across code, documentation, integrations, and local/cloud tools. We need a clear, evidence-based assessment of what actually works, what is incomplete, and the fastest safe path to a reliable system. Please apply if you can start within 24 hours and provide initial findings within 48 hours after receiving the agreed access. Include your earliest kickoff time and time zone. FIRST ENGAGEMENT A focused technical audit, targeting 8–10 hours, with a maximum of 10 hours unless we approve additional work in writing. Proposed rate: $75–$125/hour depending on directly relevant experience. Final rate and hours will be agreed in the Upwork contract before work starts. The initial assignment is an assessment; implementation can be scoped separately. WHAT YOU WILL REVIEW • Existing Python/JavaScript code, repository history, setup instructions, and project tracking. Identify discrepancies between documented completion and reproducible results. • An AI assistant running on Macs and its planned migration to Google Cloud: service inventory, dependencies, backups, persistent memory, conversation continuity, restart behavior, and rollback. • Google Cloud/AI integrations, API authentication, access controls, secret handling, deployment configuration, logging, and operating costs. • Retrieval and knowledge workflows: source traceability, separation of business data, access boundaries, and tests for unsupported answers. • Roofing workflows such as hail/property data, CRM handoffs, document processing, and proposal preparation. Distinguish a working integration from a mockup or unfinished component. DELIVERABLES 1. A concise system map and inventory of what you actually inspected. 2. A findings table: verified working, partially working, not working, or not tested — with evidence and reproduction steps. 3. The highest-priority issues, ranked by business impact, with recommended fixes and effort estimates. 4. A practical plan for the next 7 days, plus clear acceptance tests for the cloud migration and critical workflows. 5. A live walkthrough in plain English with the project lead. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE Hands-on Google Cloud, Python, API/OAuth integration, GitHub, cloud migration, and production AI applications. You should be comfortable reviewing AI-assisted code and distinguishing successful API calls from a working end-to-end application. Experience with macOS services, Docker, Cloudflare, RAG, or CRM automation is valuable. Roofing industry experience is helpful but not required. HOW WE WILL WORK We will begin with a screen-shared walkthrough and scoped access. Preserve existing files and services. Changes, live messages, production cutovers, expanded access, and extra spending require separate approval. This assignment does not include tax preparation, legal advice, or insurance/engineering determinations. PLEASE ANSWER 1. What comparable system have you personally audited or migrated? Describe your role and one concrete problem you found. 2. What would you inspect and demonstrate during the first two hours? 3. How would you verify that an AI assistant's memory and behavior survive a local-to-cloud migration? 4. Can you meet the start/turnaround targets, and what is your hourly rate? We value direct findings, reproducible checks, and clear explanations. Please keep your proposal specific to this assignment.