Cloud Practice Leader

Role Summary We are seeking a highly accomplished Cloud Sub Practice Lead to lead the strategy, growth, and execution of a high-impact cloud practice within our Platform Engineering organization. This leadership role combines business ownership, technology vision, solutioning excellence, and people leadership to accelerate enterprise cloud transformation for global clients. The ideal candidate has 18+ years of experience building and scaling cloud businesses, shaping large transformation programs, leading enterprise architecture, and partnering with sales and customers to drive growth. Beyond technical expertise, the candidate should demonstrate strong commercial acumen, the ability to influence executive stakeholders, and a passion for building high-performing teams, differentiated offerings, and AI-enabled engineering capabilities. Key Responsibilities Practice Strategy & Business Growth - Define and execute the vision, strategy, and growth roadmap for the Cloud Sub Practice aligned with the Platform Engineering strategy. - Own practice health, including revenue growth, profitability, utilization, customer success, capability maturity, and talent development. - Develop differentiated cloud offerings, industry solutions, accelerators, reusable assets, and AI-enabled frameworks that improve delivery velocity and business outcomes. - Identify emerging technology trends and convert them into scalable business opportunities. - Build strategic relationships with hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud) and technology partners. Solutioning & Enterprise Architecture - Lead solution architecture for strategic cloud transformation programs across application modernization, cloud-native engineering, data platforms, AI workloads, integration, and platform engineering. - Architect secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-optimized multi-cloud solutions aligned with enterprise architecture principles. - Drive architecture governance, design reviews, and technical decision-making across engagements. - Champion modern engineering practices including microservices, Kubernetes, containers, DevSecOps, FinOps, Infrastructure as Code, platform engineering, and AI-assisted software delivery. Business Development & Client Advisory - Partner with Sales, Client Partners, and Account Leaders to build qualified pipeline and win strategic cloud opportunities. - Lead CXO conversations, executive workshops, cloud assessments, and transformation roadmap discussions. - Own technical strategy for RFPs, RFIs, proposals, and executive presentations. - Serve as a trusted advisor to customers throughout their cloud transformation journey. Delivery Excellence - Provide executive oversight for strategic cloud engagements to ensure successful execution, customer satisfaction, predictable outcomes, and commercial success. - Establish delivery governance, architecture standards, quality frameworks, and operational best practices. - Proactively manage delivery risks and act as the executive escalation point for critical engagements. - Drive continuous improvement through automation, AI, reusable assets, and engineering productivity. Practice Building & Talent Development - Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing organization of cloud architects, consultants, engineers, and technical leaders. - Define competency frameworks, certification roadmaps, learning programs, and career progression paths. - Drive strategic hiring aligned with practice growth plans. - Foster a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. Innovation & Thought Leadership - Drive innovation through AI-native engineering, cloud automation, accelerators, proof-of-concepts, and innovation labs. - Build intellectual property that differentiates the practice in the marketplace. - Publish thought leadership including whitepapers, blogs, reference architectures, and case studies. - Represent the organization at customer events, analyst briefings, partner forums, and industry conferences. Required Qualifications - 18+ years of experience in enterprise technology, cloud consulting, solution architecture, or platform engineering. - Proven track record of building and scaling cloud practices, Centers of Excellence (CoEs), or consulting organizations. - Demonstrated success leading large cloud transformation programs across multiple industries. - Strong expertise in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, with multi-cloud architecture experience preferred. - Deep understanding of: - Cloud-native architecture - Kubernetes & Containers - Microservices - DevSecOps - Platform Engineering - Infrastructure as Code - Cloud Security - FinOps - Observability - Experience leading large strategic deals from qualification through solutioning and delivery. - Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills with experience engaging CXOs and senior business leaders. - Experience managing geographically distributed engineering teams. Preferred Qualifications - Cloud certifications (AWS Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Professional Cloud Architect). - Experience with AI/ML platforms, Generative AI, Agentic AI, or AI-assisted engineering. - Experience with regulated industries such as Banking, Healthcare, Insurance, Retail, or Manufacturing. - Experience building reusable cloud platforms, engineering accelerators, and internal developer platforms. - Exposure to hyperscaler partner programs and joint GTM initiatives. Success Metrics The Successful Candidate Will Be Measured On - Practice revenue growth - Pipeline creation and deal influence - Win rate for strategic cloud opportunities - Gross margin and delivery profitability - Customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS) - Delivery quality and successful green starts - Growth of reusable IP, accelerators, and AI-enabled assets - Talent retention, capability development, and certification growth - Innovation, thought leadership, and market differentiation Skills: Microservices, Kubernetes, Google Cloud, Containers, Azure, Aws, Cloud Security, DevSecOps Experience: 18.00-20.00 Years