Global Cloud Architect in City of Westminster

Reporting to the VP - Global IT Infrastructure & Strategy, the incumbent will play a key role in forming and leading the Crawford Global Cloud Team who will play a large strategic and operational role in Crawford’s technology transformation. As the Global Cloud Architect you will direct a team consisting of corporate and business IT engineers to provide service insight, response, and service management to maintain high service reliability and availability with low touch through extensible services and platforms, standardized processes, data insights, and product feedback. This role plays a crucial position in building a transparent approach to engineering cloud solutions while ensuring efforts are completed in the most cost effective manner.

Responsibilities

• Prioritises and coordinates global cloud team resources responsible for engineering & operations of our public cloud (AWS, Azure, ADO); oversees implementation of new platforms & solutions to ensure the successful and timely implementation with intended positive impact to the business.
• Champions cloud technology vision, strategy, policies and capabilities along with Corporate & Business IT leadership by evaluating the needs of new or existing systems through determining possible solutions, verifying solutions meet our needs and assisting in the procurement where needed.
• Works with Corporate & Business IT leadership to set long‑term strategic direction for the cloud services & best practices by formulating policies and procedures that support that direction.
• Manages and forecasts monthly cloud spend across our public cloud providers; continually improves the talent level and competencies of the Global Cloud Team; establishes SLAs with technology partners and vendors; acts as a mentor to direct reports; helps develop long‑term plans and sets the tactical direction for the IT cloud needs of the company.
• Works closely with the information security team to ensure compliance with all security requirements ensuring proper priority.
• Works with Internal Audit to ensure effective compliance testing.
• Helps the organization find, review, purchase and implement new IT systems.
• Plans, organizes, integrates and manages systems installation, configuration and administration activities.
• Establishes and maintains project and production schedules.
• Identifies information management issues and opportunities, analyses problems and alternatives and develops sound conclusions and recommendations.
• Assesses user business unit needs, sets priorities and allocates resources to most effectively meet needs in a timely manner.
• Analyses and evaluates new technology solutions for corporate applications.
• Develops, implements and adheres to appropriate procedures and controls.

Qualifications

• Prepare clear, concise and accurate reports and other requested materials.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective customer‑focused working relationships with managers, customers, vendors, consultants, employees and others encountered in the course of work.
• Experience in the design and installation of information systems and hardware; including supervisory and/or management experience or an equivalent of training and experience.
• Principles, practices and techniques of information systems management, including hardware and software options for business, engineering and operations applications and the cost‑benefit of systems alternatives.
• Analyses workflow, delegates projects and responsibilities to balance workload and meet departmental goals.
• Strong technical skills: well‑versed in cloud technologies, modern engineering, software development techniques and methods; experience with migrating and running production applications in public cloud environments with hands‑on experience.
• Strong financial acumen in budgeting and expense management.
• Proven ability to recruit, retain, and motivate highly skilled technical teams.
• Ability to inspire teams to achieve goals and exceed expectations.
• Communicates effectively with technical people as well as executives.
• Understands technology at a detailed level but can express concepts simply to non‑technical colleagues.