Cloud Operations Manager

About you and the role:

Reporting to the Head of IT Operations, the Cloud Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations including health, availability, compliance and cost-effectiveness of the cloud infrastructure. Management of outsourced service provider activities including IT service levels, audit, compliance, IT controls and backup activities.

What you will be doing:

Operations Management

• Function as initial point of contact and escalation for Cloud infrastructure operations.
• Ensure all requests and escalations from users for service support and system changes are handled promptly and effectively monitor the key performance indicators and SLAs.
• Review and develop procedures and working practices for the efficient and effective running of all tasks associated with operating and controlling the Cloud infrastructure.
• Ensure that robust availability monitoring and capacity planning procedures are in place to ensure the resilience of operational services.
• Work with the wider IT team and managed service provider on the delivery of IT projects and cyber security remediation activities.
• Attend service reviews and carry out performance report reviews.
• Assist with maturing IT service management principles including governance, policies, processes, procedures, and standards.
• Identify opportunities for optimisation, automation, and process improvements.
• Assist with implementation of cloud automation and optimisation initiatives.
• Serve on CAB and review or approve CRs as needed.
• Serve as the escalation point for IT operational concerns and significant incidents.
• Ensure incidents and service requests are managed to resolution.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of the infrastructure architecture including design, migration,
• integration and installation.
• Provide & support budgetary requirements for cloud related services.
• Maintain operational RAID logs.

Audit and Compliance

• Ensure monthly / quarterly / annual IT control activities are carried out and validate associated evidence in a timely manner and perform attestations.
• Conduct yearly reviews of SOC reports for key suppliers, update or implement IT controls to address any exceptions that are found.
• Preparation of reports on IT operational risks and controls, making sure that remediation or mitigation plans are monitored and tracked.
• Maintain compliance for vendors by recording & validating performance, monthly, quarterly & annually.
• Maintain Lifecycle Asset Management compliance for Azure components.

Security and Data Protection

• Responsible for developing and maintaining key provider business contingency plans.
• Ensure access control is implemented and maintained to ensure infrastructure is secure.
• Collaborate with the security team and service providers to oversee and address security vulnerabilities effectively.

Supplier Management

• Work with MSP to ensure SOWs and SLAs are carried out to agreed performance targets and outcomes.
• Conduct monthly supplier service reviews as required to maintain service quality.
• Function as SME during any IT service onboarding activities for business acquisitions or new suppliers.
• Work with MSP to prepare service delivery reviews to senior management.
• Assist with developing RFIs and RFPs and evaluating selection criteria.
• Ensure that service levels for services/functions are maintained and continually improved, and that any problems with the day-to-day delivery of services provided by the suppliers are minimised.

Financial Management

• Assist with cloud license and software management.
• Raise purchase orders, reconcile and approve IT operations invoices and track against budget.
• Analyse cloud consumption and work with wider IT team to ensure cloud cost optimisation.

Disaster Recovery

• Act as secondary point of contact and escalation for DR activities including out of hours DR testing.
• Provide inputs to the global IT Service Continuity and Disaster Recovery (ITSC/DR) framework, including governance, plans, policies, processes, procedures, standards and strategies.
• Work with MSP to ensure Cloud resources are available to support demand for testing of IT DR & BCP services.
• Validate DR demand & cloud engineering requirements to support testing activities.
• Identify gaps in existing DR capabilities including plans, processes and other related documentation and develop remediation plans.
• Represent Cloud Op…