Cloud Platform Lead in Ipswich

We are seeking a Cloud Platform Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering Fred. Olsen Digital’s cloud transformation. Operating within our Platform & Cloud Tower, you will lead, design and engineer a secure, scalable, and cost-efficient Cloud platform that underpins all business services.

This is a technical leadership role where you will define engineering standards, build cloud landing zones, and embed automation, resilience, and DevOps practices to accelerate our transition to a platform-led operating model. You will drive best practice in cloud security, governance, and cost optimisation, while supporting modernisation of applications and infrastructure.

The role can be based from our Ipswich or Glasgow location.

Purpose of Role

To act as the senior technical authority for cloud engineering across FO Digital, designing, building, and evolving a secure, scalable, and cost-efficient Azure-based platform that underpins all service towers and enables business growth.

Role Context (Aligned to Tower Model)

• Sits within Platform & Cloud Tower - accountable for Azure, hosting, platform engineering, and automation
• Provides deep technical capability supporting:
• Cloud landing zones, automation, and operational readiness
• Platform modernisation and infrastructure-as-code
• FinOps and cost governance integration
• Enables delivery of:
• Secure, reliable, scalable technology services across all FO businesses
• Design and implement Azure cloud platforms, landing zones, and reference architectures
• Define and enforce engineering standards for: Resilience, scalability, security, and performance
• Lead adoption of: Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Platform automation and DevOps practices
• Partner with architecture/governance forums to ensure alignment to enterprise guardrails
• Lead engineering delivery of cloud migration and modernisation initiatives
• Support transition from legacy/on-prem infrastructure to hybrid/cloud-first models

Collaborate with:

• Applications teams (modernisation)
• Infrastructure teams (decommission / hybrid integration)

Cross-Tower Enablement

Act as the platform enabler across all service towers:

• Service Desk: Improve automation, monitoring, and resolution capability (shift-left)
• Modern Workplace: Ensure identity, endpoint, and collaboration services integrate into cloud platform
• Infrastructure & Network: Define hybrid connectivity, resilience, and DR patterns
• Applications & Data: Provide scalable hosting and data platform foundations

Supports the end-to-end service model and shared accountability across towers. Ensure cloud platforms are secure by design and aligned to ISO27001 / Cyber Essentials.

Embed:

• Identity and access controls
• Patching, vulnerability management, and monitoring

Work with security stakeholders to enforce governance and audit readiness. Work alongside FinOps capability to embed cost visibility and optimisation into platform design.

Drive:

Business-aligned cost transparency.

Service Reliability & Operational Readiness

Ensure all cloud services are:

• Fully supportable (aligned to ITSM / Halo)
• Monitored, documented, and resilient

Define: Runbooks, alerting, and operational standards. Support major incident resolution and root cause analysis.

Lead adoption of:

• Automation, AI-enabled operations, and platform tooling

Identify opportunities to reduce operational toil and increase platform reuse and standardisation. Supports continuous improvement and platform-led delivery model.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Platform availability, resilience, and performance
• Security compliance / vulnerability metrics
• Reduction in incidents linked to platform issues
• Adoption of platform services across towers

Person Specification - Experience (Essential)

• Strong experience designing and engineering Azure cloud platforms
• Proven delivery of cloud transformation / migration programmes
• Experience with: Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep, ARM, etc.), CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Strong understanding of: Networking, identity (Entra ID), and security in cloud environments
• Experience working in: ITIL-aligned service organisations
• Experience with FinOps and cost optimisation practices
• Exposure to multi-entity / shared service models
• Experience supporting data platforms and analytics workloads

Qualifications

• Azure certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-305 or equivalent)
• ITIL v4 Foundation (or working towards)

Behavioural Expectations (Aligned to FO Digital Values & Model)

• One Service Mindset: Think beyond tower boundaries and optimise for end-to-end service outcomes
• Ownership & Accountability: Take ownership of platform quality, standards, and outcomes
• Simplicity & Standardisation: Drive reduction in complexity through standard platforms and reusable patterns
• Work across towers to enable delivery and remove friction
• Embed a culture of automation, learning, and optimisation

Success Profile (First 6-12 Months)

• Cloud platform (Azure) stabilised and baseline architecture defined
• Landing zones, governance, and security controls implemented
• FinOps controls established and visible
• Clear platform standards adopted across towers
• Measurable improvement in provisioning speed and reliability

Strategic Impact

This role is critical to delivering the platform-led cloud transformation, enabling scalable services across all FO businesses, driving cost control, resilience, and innovation, and moving the organisation from reactive infrastructure to engineered platform capability.

Fred. Olsen Ltd offers a wide range of exciting employee benefits including but not limited to Axa Health Private Medical, Life Assurance, Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Pay, Discounted Travel, Cruise Concessions plus retail discounts and cash back incentives through our Boost Benefits scheme. As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We want to ensure that you feel supported throughout the application process and provide reasonable adjustments where necessary and requested. If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of your application and interview process, please do not hesitate to let us know.