Our client, a leading organisation in the UAE, is seeking an experienced Cloud & Infrastructure Manager to lead its cloud and enterprise infrastructure function. This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced IT professional to drive cloud transformation, manage hybrid infrastructure, and ensure the organisation's technology environment remains secure, resilient, scalable, and cost-effective.

The successful candidate will oversee the day-to-day management of cloud platforms and on-premise infrastructure while leading initiatives that support digital transformation, business continuity, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud & Infrastructure Management

• Manage and optimise the organisation's hybrid cloud environment across Microsoft Azure and AWS.
• Lead cloud migration initiatives, ensuring the seamless transition of on-premise workloads to cloud platforms with minimal business disruption.
• Administer and optimise Azure services including Virtual Machines, Azure SQL Database, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Active Directory, Azure Monitor, Azure Blob Storage, Azure ExpressRoute, and Azure DevOps.
• Develop and implement cloud cost optimisation strategies, ensuring efficient utilisation of cloud resources while maintaining performance and scalability.
• Manage cloud governance, provisioning, monitoring, capacity planning, and lifecycle management.

Infrastructure Operations

• Oversee enterprise infrastructure including servers, storage, networking, virtualisation platforms, and data centre operations.
• Ensure high availability, performance, security, and reliability across both cloud-based and on-premise environments.
• Manage infrastructure monitoring, patch management, capacity planning, vulnerability remediation, and system maintenance.
• Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity solutions using cloud-native technologies.
• Drive continuous improvements to infrastructure performance through automation and operational best practices.

Security & Technology Governance

• Implement and maintain cloud security controls, identity and access management, encryption, and governance frameworks.
• Work closely with Cybersecurity teams to ensure compliance with organisational security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Develop Infrastructure-as-Code solutions using tools such as Terraform, ARM/Bicep, or similar automation technologies.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI-powered cloud services and automation to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure monitoring.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Cloud & Infrastructure team, promoting technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, technology vendors, and cloud service providers including Microsoft and AWS.
• Prepare operational reports, infrastructure roadmaps, and strategic recommendations for senior leadership.
• Support the organisation's long-term technology strategy by delivering resilient, secure, and future-ready infrastructure services.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline (Master's degree preferred).
• Minimum 9 years' experience in cloud infrastructure, enterprise infrastructure, or IT operations, including experience in a leadership or management role.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure, with working knowledge of AWS cloud services.
• Proven experience managing hybrid cloud environments and enterprise-scale infrastructure.
• Strong technical knowledge of Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure SQL Database, Azure Active Directory, Azure Monitor, Azure DevOps, Azure ExpressRoute, networking, and virtualisation.
• Experience delivering cloud migration, infrastructure modernisation, and digital transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, governance, disaster recovery, business continuity, and Infrastructure-as-Code using Terraform or similar tools.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working within large enterprise organisations in sectors such as utilities, energy, telecommunications, banking, government, or other highly regulated industries.
• Microsoft Azure and/or AWS certifications are highly desirable.
• Experience with AI-enabled cloud services, infrastructure automation, and ITIL best practices is advantageous.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation undertaking significant cloud transformation and digital modernisation initiatives while leading a critical infrastructure function.

REF: FL V-197987