Director, Cloud Operations

Nasco - Albany, NY

Full-time - Senior

Remote - Albany, NY

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

About the position

The Director of Cloud Operations at NASCO is responsible for driving technical excellence and innovation in cloud services, particularly focusing on AWS. This role involves managing and optimizing cloud-based systems to ensure they operate smoothly, securely, and efficiently. The Director will lead a dynamic cloud services team, design and implement cutting-edge cloud solutions, and directly influence NASCO's digital transformation journey. This position requires hands-on leadership and collaboration to exceed customer expectations and set benchmarks for excellence in cloud services.

Responsibilities

• Builds and mentors the Cloud Operations team to drive delivery excellence and ensure high-quality outcomes
• Cultivates strong internal relationships and serves as an advocate and subject matter expert, sharing insights, implications and alternatives to drive cloud innovation
• Interprets customer requirements and guides the execution of client engagements, translating needs into actionable technical solutions
• Identifies and mitigates program risks, implementing remediation plans to ensure project success
• Deploys highly available, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure with a focus on AWS, adhering to best practices and industry standards
• Implements networking solutions using AWS services
• Defines and implements infrastructure migration strategies and techniques to migrate workloads into AWS cloud environments
• Designs and develops automation frameworks to support continuous delivery and integration processes, optimizing efficiency and reliability
• Acts as the primary point of contact between internal customers and the MSP executing cloud services, ensuring alignment on execution strategies, timelines, and deliverables
• Contributes to organizational growth by driving AWS cloud strategy, fostering innovation, and leading initiatives that support the organization's digital transformation journey
• Leads, influences and manages a team of resources to include conducting talent acquisition activities, coaching and/or mentoring, and identifying training requirements for associates
• Conducts performance management activities, including performance reviews, goals, development and continuous feedback
• Determines the appropriate staffing mix of contractors and associates to maintain steady work and stay within budget
• Creates, manages, and administers an annual departmental budget which may include billable hours and percentage targets
• Defines department strategic objectives and drives business outcomes in alignment to the organizational strategy

Requirements

• Expert knowledge of AWS cloud services and infrastructure, including but not limited to EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, VPC, IAM, CloudFormation, and Route 53
• Ability to apply cloud architecture principles, including scalability, high availability, data retention, disaster recovery, and security best practices
• Skill in AWS cost management and optimization strategies
• Ability to work within compliance frameworks and regulations relevant to cloud environments (eg,HITRUST, HIPAA, SOC 2)
• Skilled in performance tuning and optimization of AWS services for cost, reliability, and performance
• Ability to troubleshoot complex AWS infrastructure issues and provide timely resolutions
• Ability to lead technical discussions and influence decision-making processes related to cloud architecture and solutions
• Strong project management skills with a focus on delivering projects on time and within budget
• Proficient in automation tools and Scripting languages for infrastructure provisioning and configuration management (eg, Terraform, CloudFormation, PowerShell, Python)
• Ability to cultivate internal relationships, share insights, and drive innovation
• Proficient in cloud networking concepts
• 5 years' experience in people management, fostering professional growth and leading teams to success in a senior management capacity
• 8 years of experience in AWS cloud strategy, operations, and infrastructure, with a focus on innovation, technical leadership, digital transformation and cloud migrations
• 8 years of experience in strategic planning, processes improvement, or IT leadership
• 8 years of experience in process improvement, customer and vendor relationship management, and resource optimization
• 8 years of experience in networking technologies, implementing AWS networking solutions using automation tools and scripts

Nice-to-haves

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional)
• ITIL Certification
• AWS Training
• Cloud Security Training relevant to AWS environment

Benefits

• Choice of Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans
• Telehealthcare - for Medical and Behavioral visits
• Generous PTO with buy/sell options
• 9 Company holidays, a floating day off, and a day off for volunteering
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness program - earn insurance discounts or credit towards health-related items
• 401K Plan with employer matching contributions
• Company-funded spending/reimbursement accounts to help with out-of-pocket medical expenses
• Bonus and Recognition programs
• Tuition Assistance
• Consultation with financial planner
• Basic Life & AD&D Insurance, Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance provided, and Supplemental Term Life Insurance is available
• Group Discount programs -mobile, technology services, etc., to help you save money
• E-Learning - Comprehensive and current library of E-learning and performance support assets, available on demand and at no cost