Head of Cloud and Platform Engineering

Head of Cloud and Platform Engineering needed to set up and run a brand new function at a large professional services firm in London, reporting straight to the CIO. The firm is shifting its infrastructure into Azure and wants one person to own where that goes and how it gets there. You’ll decide the direction for cloud, build the engineering capability that sits on top of it, and take charge of the Microsoft 365 and end-user estate the whole firm works on every day. Day-to-day infrastructure is run by an outsourced partner, so a big part of the job is getting the best out of that relationship while building a small in-house team of specialists around you. What you’ll be doing - Setting the plan for cloud, platforms and workplace technology, and agreeing it with the CIO and the wider technology leadership group - Making Azure the firm’s default home for infrastructure, with proper control over cost, security and reliability - Standing up a platform engineering team that gives the rest of technology ready-made building blocks, automation and clear rules to build within - Owning the direction for Microsoft 365, Copilot, identity, devices and collaboration tools, with the aim of making people’s working day easier - Working alongside architecture, cyber security and operations so that what you build fits the firm’s standards and can be supported once live - Managing the outsourced infrastructure provider and the Microsoft relationship, and holding both to account - Hiring into and leading a small specialist team, with four direct reports What you’ll bring - You’ve led cloud, infrastructure or platform engineering at a senior level, including a major move to cloud - Deep Azure knowledge and a strong grounding in the wider Microsoft stack - A track record of building a cloud or engineering team from a standing start - A solid understanding of how modern platform teams work: infrastructure as code, automated deployment and DevOps practice - Enough breadth across Microsoft 365 and end-user technology to set direction for it - Experience running large technology change programmes - You’ve managed an outsourcing partner or managed service provider and know how to get results from one - The ability to explain technical choices to senior people who aren’t technologists If you want to build your own function with a direct line to the CIO, I’d like to hear from you. Apply here or message me directly.