Cloud Data-Practice lead

Job Overview:

The Practice Lead for Cloud & Data is accountable for defining, scaling, and governing the organization's cloud and data capabilities. This role drives cloud adoption, data platform modernization, and advanced analytics enablement to deliver secure, scalable, and insight-driven solutions that support business growth and digital transformation.

Key Responsibilities:

Practice Strategy & Leadership

● Define and execute the Cloud & Data practice strategy, roadmap, and operating model aligned with enterprise and client priorities.

● Establish cloud and data as foundational platforms enabling digital, AI, and product innovation. ● Drive cloud-first and data-driven principles across application, integration, and analytics domains.

● Act as a thought leader in cloud platforms, data engineering, analytics, and platform economics. Offering & Capability Development

● Build and evolve Cloud & Data service offerings, including: o Cloud strategy, migration, and modernization o Cloud-native platforms and infrastructure-as-code o Data platforms, data engineering, and integration o Analytics, BI, and data science enablement

● Define reference architectures, accelerators, landing zones, and reusable assets.

● Standardize practices for data governance, security, and MLOps enablement.

Delivery Excellence & Governance

● Ensure reliable, secure, and high-quality delivery of cloud and data programs across clients and internal platforms.

● Establish governance, KPIs, and quality standards for cost, performance, availability, and data quality.

● Drive FinOps, platform reliability, and compliance across cloud environments.

● Act as escalation point for complex or at-risk cloud and data initiatives.

Talent & Capability Building

● Build and lead multidisciplinary teams including cloud architects, platform engineers, data engineers, and analytics professionals.

● Define role frameworks, skills taxonomy, learning paths, and certification strategies.

● Grow strong communities of practice across cloud, data, and platform engineering.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

● Partner with CIOs, CTOs, and data leaders to define cloud and data transformation roadmaps. ●Lead cloud and data assessments, platform strategy workshops, and modernization planning. ●Translate business and regulatory requirements into scalable, secure platform solutions. Commercial Growth & Partnerships

● Support sales and pre-sales through solution design, estimates, proposals, and executive presentations.

● Drive practice revenue growth through new offerings, account expansion, and platform-led engagements.

● Build strategic partnerships with hyperscalers, data platform vendors, and technology ecosystem partners.

Job Qualifications:

Required

● 12+ years of experience in cloud, data, or platform engineering, with at least 5 years in senior leadership or practice-building roles.

● Strong hands-on understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and modern data architectures.

● Proven experience leading large-scale cloud migrations, data platform implementations, or analytics transformations.

● Strong stakeholder engagement and executive communication skills.

● Experience operating in enterprise or regulated environments.

Preferred

● Experience with data governance, master data management, and advanced analytics or AI enablement.

● Background in consulting, digital transformation, or technology services organizations. ●Certifications in cloud platforms, data engineering, or architecture frameworks.

● Experience with FinOps and cloud cost optimization practices. Success Measures

● Cloud and data platform adoption and maturity

● Improvements in platform reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency

● Growth in cloud and data services revenue

● Client satisfaction and long-term platform engagements

● Strength and sustainability of cloud and data talent pipeline