Head of Cloud Engineering (12m FTC)

Role Title: Head of Cloud Engineering (12m FTC) Location: Remote, UKAbout Brightsolid Brightsolid is a leading provider of hybrid cloud and managed services, delivering secure, sovereign, AI-ready infrastructure platforms across the UK. Our next-generation cloud platform is built on an open, extensible architecture using Canonical’s OpenStack, enabling scalable, resilient, and multi-tenant cloud services for modern workloads including virtual machines, containers, bare metal and AI platforms.  Role Overview The Head of Cloud Engineering is responsible for the end-to-end ownership of Brightsolid's technology platforms, spanning cloud infrastructure, network services, datacentre environments, and enterprise tooling.This includes accountability not only for core infrastructure but also for critical enterprise platforms and SaaS services that underpin both internal operations and customer service delivery.Key ResponsibilitiesPlatform & Engineering LeadershipOwn the architecture, engineering, and lifecycle of Brightsolid's cloud platforms and services.Lead Cloud Engineering and Network teams ensuring delivery of high-quality, scalable, secure infrastructureDrive engineering excellence through automation, standardisation, and modern operating modelsCloud Platform OwnershipMaintain full accountability for multi-tenant cloud platforms, both internal and customer-facingLead the transition from legacy environments to open-source platforms (Ubuntu, OpenStack, Kubernetes)Ensure platforms meet defined SLAs, resilience, compliance, and security requirementsNetwork & Datacentre InfrastructureLead network engineering and datacentre strategy across all Brightsolid facilitiesEnsure high-availability, resilient, and high-performance connectivity and infrastructureOwn disaster recovery, capacity planning, and infrastructure lifecycle managementEnterprise Tooling, SaaS & Platform Ownership Own the strategy, architecture, and operation of all engineering and business-critical tooling across the groupProvide full lifecycle ownership of key enterprise platforms, including:ITSM and Service Management platforms (e.g. ServiceNow or equivalent)CRM and customer engagement platforms (e.g. Salesforce or equivalent)Monitoring, observability, and alerting platformsAutomation, CI/CD, and DevOps toolingIdentity, access management, and security toolingTake accountability for the selection, integration, optimisation, and governance of SaaS, PaaS, and third-party services, ensuring:Strong integration with core platform architectureHigh availability, performance, and user experienceCompliance with security and data sovereignty requirementsClear ownership, cost control, and lifecycle managementDefine and enforce standards for tooling rationalisation, reducing duplication and driving platform consistency across the organisationLead the transition from fragmented tools towards a cohesive, platform-led operating model, where tooling is:API-drivenAutomated-firstIntegrated into engineering workflows and service deliveryPartner with Product, Operations, Security, and Commercial teams to ensure tooling aligns with service delivery, customer experience, and revenue outcomes Open-Source & Platform TransformationDrive the adoption of open-source ecosystems, with a focus on Canonical, Ubuntu, OpenStack, and cloud-native toolingReduce dependency on proprietary platforms (e.g. VMware) in favour of sovereign alternativesDeliver platforms that are AI-ready, scalable, and aligned to modern workload demandsVendor & Partner ManagementOwn strategic vendor relationships across:Cloud and infrastructure platformsSaaS/PaaS providersHardware and datacentre vendorsEnsure alignment between vendor strategy and Brightsolid's open-source and sovereign platform directionManage commercial performance, cost optimisation, and innovation from partnersCollaboration & Customer EngagementWork cross-functionally with Product, Sales, and Customer Success teams to support solution development and deliverySupport pre-sales engagements, technical strategy discussions, and complex customer solutions Leadership & CultureBuild and lead high-performing Cloud Engineering and Network teamsDefine and manage KPIs across platform availability, performance, cost, and customer outcomesFoster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvementRequirementsRequirementsEssential Skills and ExperienceProven experience leading, mentoring and developing high-performing engineering teams, including direct people leadership, performance management, team structure and succession planning.Strong experience building a culture of automation, accountability, operational discipline and continuous improvement.Experience working within a service provider or managed service environment delivering high-availability services in a 24x7 operational context.Strong understanding of multi-datacentre architecture, service provider internet services, WAN connectivity, cloud infrastructure and operational su