Director, Cloud & Integrations Engineer

Director, Cloud & Integrations EngineerLocation: Flexible within the U.S.Type: Full-timeRole OverviewRelay Graduate School of Education is seeking a senior, strategic Director, Cloud & Integrations Engineer to lead the evolution of our cloud platform, enterprise integrations, and API-first architecture.As a director-level engineer, you will own the vision and execution of Relay’s cloud, integration, and API ecosystem across our cloud infrastructure, while helping the organization responsibly adopt AI-driven capabilities that improve scalability, reliability, and user experience for students, faculty, and staff. You will balance hands-on technical leadership with architectural decision-making, mentorship, and cross-functional partnerships.This role is ideal for a senior technologist who thrives at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, APIs, integrations, data, and applied AI, and who is motivated by mission-driven impact.Key ResponsibilitiesCloud Architecture & Platform Leadership Own the end-to-end architecture, reliability, security, and scalability of Relay’s cloud environments (IaaS and PaaS).Set cloud standards, reference architectures, and best practices, ensuring alignment with security, compliance, and cost-optimization goals.Lead complex cloud migrations, upgrades, and modernization initiatives with minimal disruption to mission-critical systems.Partner with Technology leadership to define the multi-year cloud and integration roadmap.API & Integration Strategy Establish and lead an API-first, integration-driven architecture, enabling scalable, reusable, and well-governed services across the enterprise.Design, build, and oversee APIs and event-driven integrations connecting SaaS platforms, core business systems, data platforms, and internal applications.Own API lifecycle management, including versioning, security, monitoring, documentation, and developer experience.Serve as the senior technical authorityfor integration capabilities (e.g., workflow orchestration, messaging/event-driven and API management), guiding design decisions and resolving complex integration challenges.AI-Driven Enablement & AutomationPartner with data, product, and business teams to integrate AI-driven capabilities into cloud and integration solutions (e.g., intelligent workflows, automation, and API-enabled AI services).Leverage AI and automation to improve operational efficiency, observability, incident response, and infrastructure management.Evaluate emerging AI and cloud-native services, translating them into practical, secure, and responsible use cases for Relay.Engineering Execution & Governance Lead the design and implementation of secure, resilient cloud solutions, APIs, and data pipelines using modern engineering practices.Ensure strong DevOps practices, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, monitoring, and logging.Provide hands-on technical guidance and code/architecture reviews for complex initiatives.Partner closely with Product, Data, Security, and Project Management to plan, prioritize, and deliver cloud and integration initiatives.Translate business needs into scalable technical solutions, clearly communicating tradeoffs and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Create and maintain high-quality technical documentation, standards, and operating procedures.People & Partner LeadershipLead, mentor, and develop engineers and/or technical consultants, fostering a culture of learning, ownership, and inclusion.Manage partner and service-provider relationships, contracts, and budgets related to cloud and integration capabilities.Actively contribute to Relay’s diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments through both technical and people leadership.Required Qualifications5+ years of progressive experience in cloud engineering, platform engineering, or integrations, with significant ownership of architecture and design decisions.Deep hands-on experience with modern cloud platforms, including production IaaS and PaaS workloads.Strong experience designing and operating APIs and integrations at scale, including REST-based services, event-driven architectures, and API management platforms.Proven experience with integration technologies such as workflow orchestration, messaging/event-driven services, and API management.Strong background in data and integration patterns using SQL, REST APIs, JSON, XML, and modern programming languages (e.g., C#, Python, or similar).Experience implementing DevOps practices using Git, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code tools.Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional technical initiatives from concept through delivery.Experience incorporating AI or ML-powered services into cloud platforms or integration workflows.Preferred Qualifications (See below as well as the application questions for more preferred qualifications)Familiarity with cloud security, identity and access management, and secrets management at enterprise scale.Experience with obse