Director of Cloud Engineering
Location: Chicago or Dallas
Position Type: Full-time
Key Focus:
We are seeking a hands-on Director of Cloud Engineering who combines leadership with deep technical expertise in Kubernetes and Kafka. This role requires experience in managing hybrid Kubernetes multi-cluster environments, network/service mesh configurations, and Confluent Kafka implementations. You will play a pivotal role in designing, scaling, and optimizing our cloud infrastructure (primarily on AWS), ensuring the platform is secure, scalable, and high-performing.
Candidate Questions:
How strong is your experience with hybrid Kubernetes multi-cluster environments?
Do you have experience setting up network mesh or service mesh?
What is your experience with Confluent Kafka?
How extensive is your Kubernetes and Kafka implementation footprint? Have you tuned these systems for optimization?
Job Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Development: Lead and mentor engineers and managers to foster a high-performing culture, ensuring team growth and effective project execution.
Cloud Platform Delivery: Collaborate with technical teams to build a scalable, reliable, and secure AWS-based cloud infrastructure using industry-leading practices.
Drive Cloud Projects: Oversee and deliver results on cloud infrastructure projects, removing roadblocks and accelerating team velocity.
Technical Leadership: Act as a key decision-maker on complex cloud designs and implementations, delving into technical details when necessary.
Foster Collaboration: Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to drive business outcomes, technology advancements, and cultural change.
Strategic Vision: Guide cloud strategy, focusing on Kubernetes orchestration, Kafka deployment, and best practices in cloud automation and security.
Qualifications:
Leadership:
5+ years of experience leading engineering teams, with an emphasis on talent development and building strong team cultures.
Proven leadership skills with a focus on inclusivity, diversity, and cross-functional collaboration.
Cloud Expertise:
10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering with large-scale cloud computing solutions, primarily on AWS.
Deep knowledge of AWS services including platform services, core services, and cloud networking principles (firewalls, VPCs, secure gateways, etc.).
Extensive hands-on experience with Kubernetes (container orchestration, management) and Kafka (especially Confluent Kafka) in hybrid environments.
Cloud Operations & Automation:
Solid understanding of cloud security, compliance, and controls within AWS environments.
Strong background in automation principles, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps practices.
Technical Skills:
Basic understanding of Linux and other operating systems.
Knowledge of Agile/Lean methodologies for project delivery and continual improvement.
Hands-on experience in cloud architecture design and performance tuning of cloud platforms.
Preferred Qualifications:
Ability to navigate and lead in ambiguous environments and decentralized teams.
Expertise in advanced security segmentation, automation, and modern cloud architecture design.
Prior experience in financial services or a similar fast-paced industry.
AWS Solution Architect Associate certification (Required), AWS Solution Architect Professional certification (Preferred).
Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in a related field with 6+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 3+ years of relevant experience.