Global IT Director - Cloud Operations (Hybrid - Dallas or Houston TX)

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

The Director of Cloud Operations is a senior leadership role responsible for the overall health, performance, and strategy of the organization's cloud infrastructure across platforms such as AWS and Azure. This leader is responsible for operational excellence, guaranteeing the reliability, security, and scalability of all cloud services while aligning cloud strategies with core business objectives.  The role requires a blend of technical expertise and strong leadership skills to guide teams through complex challenges and foster a culture of transformation / continuous improvement and innovation. 

This position will offer flexibility for hybrid work schedules to include both in-office presence and telecommute/virtual work, to be based in either Houston or Dallas, TX.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Strategic Planning & Governance: Maintain a comprehensive cloud operations strategy and governance framework, aligning cloud solutions with business goals and industry best practices (will require collaboration with Data and AI teams) 
• Operational Excellence & Reliability: Oversee daily operational functions, ensuring high availability, performance, and reliability of all production systems and adherence to defined SLAs. This includes leading incident/problem management and escalation protocols in the cloud space 
• Infrastructure Management: Lead the design, deployment, and maintenance of robust, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform and CloudFormation. 
• Security & Compliance: Strengthen and enforce security policies and procedures across cloud environments. Ensure compliance with all relevant industry regulations and security standards (e.g., SOC 2, GDPR). 
• Cost Optimization & Financial Management: Lead cloud cost optimization initiatives, including budgeting, forecasting, and detailed spend analysis (FinOps) across all cloud platforms.  This includes all the internal charge backs to the business line, regional and corporate project teams. 
• Automation & Process Improvement: Drive automation initiatives across the cloud lifecycle to enhance efficiency and streamline operational processes. 
• Team Leadership & Development: Mentor and develop a high-performing team of cloud while sustaining the partnership with our MSP – Infosys. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with architecture, engineering, security, and product teams to enable efficient CI/CD pipelines and integrate cloud operations during product transitions. 

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field plus at least 12 years of experience in Cloud or operational infrastructure environments, or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education, including at least 4 years of leadership experience
• At least 5 years of experience in complex, multi-cloud (AWS, Azure) infrastructures. 
• Deep understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and cloud-native technologies (e.g. Kubernetes, Docker). 
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (experience with Terraform specifically is highly preferred). 
• Understanding of current and developing AI technologies available in the cloud 
• Strong knowledge of networking (VPCs, DNS, firewalls, load balancers), security practices, and monitoring tools (cloud native and enterprise-wide) 
• Experience with DevOps, SRE, and Agile methodologies. 
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and scale global teams, with exceptional communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. 
• Strong vendor m