Manager, Cloud Platform Engineering at AF Group in Los Angeles, California

Job Description:

Highly technical Cloud Platform Engineering Manager to lead a dynamic team responsible for the design, implementation, and optimization of cloud infrastructure solutions across both AWS and Azure environments. As a leader in this role, you will manage a team of cloud architects and engineers who are tasked with delivering cloud solutions that solve complex business problems. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (including Data & Analytics, DevOps, Integration, and Development teams) to enable them to deploy scalable cloud-based solutions and modernize legacy on-prem applications.


The ideal candidate will have broad expertise in AWS and Azure cloud services, with a strong ability to assess and determine the most appropriate platform (AWS or Azure) based on business, security, and performance requirements. You will oversee the technical delivery of cloud solutions, ensuring high availability, security, cost optimization, and alignment with business goals. This position also involves feedback and continuous improvement of cloud architecture, working with Cloud Assurance teams to address issues and enhance the overall solution design.



RESPONSIBILITIES/TASKS:




Team Leadership & Management:

• Lead and manage a high-performing team of cloud architects and engineers responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of AWS and Azure cloud solutions.
• Assign tasks, set priorities, and guide the implementation team to meet project deadlines and deliverables.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and technical excellence within the team.
• Develop career growth paths for team members and provide mentorship in cloud technologies, architecture, and best practices.

Cloud Solution Design & Architecture:

• Work with cloud architects to design and implement scalable, secure, and cost-effective cloud infrastructures across both AWS and Azure based on business and technical requirements.
• Make decisions on whether to implement solutions on AWS or Azure based on business requirements, security standards, cost optimization, and high availability needs.
• Ensure that solutions adhere to best practices for cloud design, such as high availability, fault tolerance, auto-scaling, and disaster recovery.
• Collaborate with other engineering teams to architect hybrid cloud solutions and design systems that integrate seamlessly with on-premises infrastructure and legacy applications

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with DevOps, Data & Analytics, Integration, and Development teams to deploy cloud solutions and ensure that their requirements and best practices are incorporated into the architecture.
• Guide teams in the adoption of cloud technologies and modern development practices (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, containerization, microservices) to modernize legacy systems and accelerate application delivery.
• Work closely with cloud assurance teams to gather feedback on deployed solutions and work with architects to continuously improve cloud designs and infrastructure.

Cloud Platform Decision-Making:

• Assess business requirements, security needs, and technical specifications to determine whether to implement solutions on AWS or Azure.
• Ensure that the chosen platform aligns with the organization's long-term cloud strategy, scalability, and security policies.
• Consider factors such as cost optimization, resource availability, data sovereignty, and performance when making decisions about cloud platform selection.

Cloud Operations & Continuous Improvement:

• Ensure that cloud solutions are monitored for performance, cost efficiency, and availability, working closely with operations teams to ensure that SLAs and performance targets are met.
• Implement cloud monitoring solutions (e.g., AWS CloudWatch, Azure Monitor) to track system health, performance, and usage metrics.
• Address feedback from operational and cloud assurance teams to improve existing architectures and proactively solve issues related to scalability, performance, and security.

Cloud Security & Compliance:

• Partner with security teams to design and implement secure cloud architectures, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and internal security standards.
• Oversee the use of cloud-native security features (e.g., AWS IAM, Azure RBAC) and ensure proper access controls and encryption are in place for sensitive workloads.

Virtualization & Legacy Systems Integration:

• Leverage your experience with VMware and ESXi to assist in the integration of on-premises virtualized environments with cloud infrastructure, ensuring smooth hybrid cloud operations.
• Lead efforts to modernize legacy on-prem applications, leveraging cloud-native services such as containerization, microservices, and serverless computing to modernize and migrate workloads to AWS or Azure.

DIRECTION EXERCISED:



Directly supervises exempt and non-exempt staff in accordance with company policies and applicable Federal and State Laws. Responsibilities include but are not limited to effectively interviewing, hiring, terminating, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and counseling employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems; supporting and encouraging the engagement process.


This position description identifies the responsibilities and tasks typically associated with the performance of the position. Other relevant essential functions may be required.



EDUCATION:



Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, engineering or related field. A master's in computer science, MBA, or other advanced degree is desirable. Relevant combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of degree. Continuous learning, as defined by the Company's learning philosophy, is required. Certification or progress toward certification is highly preferred and encouraged.



EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, engineering or related field. 10 years of relevant experience in IT with at least 5+ years of experience in Cloud Computing, and at least 3 years of experience in managing people.
• Experience with hybrid cloud architectures and multi-cloud environments.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Amazon EKS.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automation tools, and infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager templates).

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES (SKA):

• 7+ years of experience in cloud technologies, with deep expertise in both AWS and Azure cloud platforms.
• 3+ years of experience in managing and operating virtualization environments such as VMware and ESXi.
• 7+ years of experience working with Windows and Linux operating systems, with a strong understanding of system administration and configuration management.
• Proven track record of leading cloud architecture and engineering teams through successful cloud implementations and migrations.
• Extensive knowledge of AWS and Azure services, including compute (EC2, VMs), storage (S3, Blob Storage), networking (VPC, Virtual Network), identity and access management (IAM, RBAC), serverless (Lambda, Azure Functions), and PaaS offerings (RDS, Azure SQL, etc.).
• Strong understanding of cloud security best practices, including IAM, data encryption, and network security.
• Experience with designing highly available, fault-tolerant, and scalable cloud architectures.
• Ability to assess technical and business requirements and make informed decisions on whether solutions should be implemented on AWS or Azure.
• Proven leadership skills in managing and mentoring technical teams, setting goals, and overseeing the successful delivery of cloud infrastructure solutions.
• Strong communication skills to interact with both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, including senior management and business leaders.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams (e.g., DevOps, Data & Analytics, Development, Security, etc.) to ensure the smooth deployment and integration of cloud solutions.
• Ability to work with cloud assurance teams to address issues and improve existing architectures.
• Experience managing project timelines and delegating tasks effectively within an engineering team.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and project management tools such as Jira, Trello, or Azure DevOps.

WORKING CONDITIONS:



Work is performed in an office setting with no unusual hazards.


The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum education, experience, skills, knowledge and ability levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description.



Pay Range



Actual compensation decision relies on the consideration of internal equity, candidate's skills and professional experience, geographic location, market and other potential factors. It is not standard practice for an offer to be at or near the top of the range, and therefore a reasonable estimate for this role is between $116,200 and $194,600


We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity is valued and we will not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form. Candidates for the position stated above are hired on an \"at will\" basis. Nothing herein is intended to create a contract. Apply Now