Cloud Engineer

Role: Head of Infrastructure and Cloud Practice

Location: Delhi or Noida

Experience: 20-30 years

Education: BE/BTech/MCA with advanced certifications in Cloud and Infrastructure

We are seeking a visionary technology leader with experience to lead our global Infrastructure and Cloud Practice. This executive role requires a strategic leader who can build and scale our cloud capabilities across multiple geographies, drive practice-wide P&L ownership, and establish. The successful candidate will oversee multiple delivery pillars including Customer Projects, Managed Services engagements, Cloud Centre of Excellence, Partnerships & Alliances, and Innovation Labs, while maintain deep client relationships and drive business growth. Candidate will play a pivotal role in collaborating closely with client CTOs and CIOs.

Key Responsibilities

Practice Leadership & Strategic Vision

1. Lead the overall Infrastructure and Cloud Practice with full P&L responsibility, driving profitable growth across all service lines and geographies
2. Develop and execute comprehensive practice strategy, including go-to-market plans, service portfolio expansion, and competitive positioning
3. Lead strategic partnerships with major cloud vendors (Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud) and technology providers
4. Identify and enable strategic partnerships across multiple Infrastructure capabilities
5. Develop a Strategic Plan for Cloud and Infrastructure services for Xceedance
6. Develop and manage to annual budgets for Cloud and Infrastructure services
7. Establish practice governance framework with standardized delivery models, pricing strategies, and operational excellence metrics
8. Drive practice-wide revenue growth targets through new client acquisition, account expansion, and service innovation
9. Oversee multiple practice pillars including Customer Delivery, Managed Services, Cloud Center of Excellence, and Innovation initiatives

Business Development & Client Engagement

1. Drive enterprise-level client engagement and strategic account management
2. Lead major RFP responses, client presentations, and deal negotiations for large-scale transformation programs
3. Establish thought leadership through industry conferences, publications, and client advisory sessions
4. Maintain C-suite relationships with key clients and prospects, serving as the primary executive sponsor for strategic accounts
5. Collaborate with sales leadership to develop winning propositions and pricing strategies for complex multi-year engagements

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

1. Build and lead a practice organization of 200+ professionals across multiple geographies
2. Establish clear organizational structure with defined roles for AVPs, Directors, and Associate Directors
3. Drive talent acquisition strategy to build capabilities in emerging technologies and industry-specific solutions
4. Implement comprehensive learning and development programs aligned with cloud technology evolution and insurance domain requirements
5. Foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and client-centricity across all practice teams

Technology Leadership & Innovation

1. Define practice-wide technology strategy and roadmap, including emerging technologies like AI/ML, AIOps, to gain efficiencies
2. Establish Cloud Center of Excellence to drive standardization, best practices, and accelerator development
3. Lead innovation initiatives including proof-of-concepts, technology partnerships, and new service development
4. Ensure practice maintains cutting-edge capabilities across multi-cloud environments, containerization, DevSecOps, and site reliability engineering
5. Drive digital transformation initiatives that leverage cloud technologies to solve complex insurance industry challenges

Delivery Excellence & Quality Management

1. Establish and maintain practice-wide delivery standards, methodologies, and quality assurance processes
2. Implement comprehensive governance framework including Executive Steering Committees, QBRs, and Program Management Offices
3. Drive continuous improvement in delivery KPIs including SLA compliance, CSAT/NPS scores, cost-to-serve metrics, and operational stability
4. Ensure seamless integration between different service pillars and consistent client experience across all touchpoints
5. Maintain oversight of critical client escalations and ensure rapid resolution of complex technical and business issues

Financial Management & Operational Excellence

1. Own complete P&L responsibility for the practice including revenue forecasting, cost management, and profitability optimization
2. Establish robust financial governance including project budgeting, resource allocation, and margin improvement initiatives
3. Drive operational efficiency through automation, standardization, and best practice implementation
4. Manage practice-wide resource planning, capacity management, and skill development investments
5. Ensure compliance with organizational financial controls, risk management, and governance requirements

Practice Structure & Key Pillars

Customer Delivery Pillar

1. Lead large-scale cloud transformation and infrastructure modernization programs
2. Manage delivery teams of 40-80 professionals for complex customer engagements
3. Drive client satisfaction and account growth through exceptional service delivery
4. Ensure alignment with overall practice strategy and delivery standards

Managed Services Pillar

1. Own 24x7 cloud and infrastructure managed services delivery
2. Drive SLA-based performance management and operational continuity
3. Implement AIOps and automation to enhance service quality and reduce operational costs
4. Establish runbook-driven operations leveraging ITIL-based practices

Cloud Center of Excellence

1. Develop and maintain cloud reference architectures, frameworks, and accelerators
2. Drive standardization of tools, methodologies, and best practices across all engagements
3. Lead technology evaluation, vendor management, and strategic partnerships
4. Drive Presales, solutions, transition and other sales support
5. Establish training and certification programs for practice teams

Partnerships & Alliances

1. Identify partnerships of relevance to Xceedance
2. Lead efforts to develop relevant partnerships as per Strategy and Annual Plans

Innovation & Emerging Technologies

1. Lead research and development initiatives for next-generation cloud solutions
2. Drive proof-of-concept development for emerging technologies and industry-specific solutions
3. Establish innovation labs and collaboration with technology partners
4. Maintain awareness of industry trends and competitive landscape

Required Qualifications

Executive Leadership Experience

1. 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in cloud and infrastructure services with at least 5 years in practice/business unit leadership roles
2. Proven track record of building and scaling technology practices with P&L responsibility for $30M+ annual revenue
3. Experience leading large, geographically distributed teams (150+ professionals) across multiple technology towers
4. Strong background in business development, client relationship management, and strategic account growth
5. Demonstrated success in driving organizational transformation and cultural change initiatives

Technical Expertise & Industry Knowledge

1. Deep expertise in cloud platforms (Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) with hands-on experience in enterprise-scale implementations, migration and transition
2. Comprehensive understanding of infrastructure modernization, DevSecOps practices, and site reliability engineering
3. Strong knowledge of insurance industry technology landscape, regulatory requirements, and business processes
4. Experience with emerging technologies including AI/ML, and their application in insurance domain
5. Understanding of enterprise architecture principles, system integration, and digital transformation methodologies

Strategic & Commercial Acumen

1. Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive business strategies in competitive technology markets
2. Strong financial management skills including P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, and margin optimization
3. Experience in strategic partnership development and vendor relationship management
4. Demonstrated success in large-scale business development and deal closure for complex technology services
5. Understanding of pricing strategies, contract negotiations, and risk management in technology services

Communication & Stakeholder Management

1. Exceptional communication and presentation skills with ability to engage effectively with C-suite executives and board members
2. Strong thought leadership capabilities with experience in industry conferences, publications, and client advisory roles
3. Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships across clients, partners, and internal teams
4. Experience in crisis management, escalation handling, and client relationship recovery
5. Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively across diverse global teams and client environments

If you find the role interesting please share your updated resume.