Lead - Application Support & Operations (Azure | AI & Automation)
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
We are seeking a senior resource to lead the Application Support and Operations function for enterprise-grade applications hosted on Microsoft Azure. This role will be responsible for ensuring high availability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement through automation and AI-driven practices. The candidate will lead a global support team and act as a key liaison between engineering, vendors (including Microsoft), and business stakeholders. Key Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership
- Lead day-to-day operations of the Application Support & Operations team, ensuring efficient ticket triage, troubleshooting, and resolution
- Manage and mentor a global team (~8 analysts across onshore and offshore)
- Own application uptime, SLA adherence, and operational stability
- Incident & Problem Management
- Act as the escalation point for critical incidents and perform hands-on troubleshooting
- Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and implement preventive measures
- Enforce ITIL best practices across incident, problem, and change management
- Azure & Technical Oversight
- Collaborate with Microsoft and internal engineering teams on Azure performance and reliability
- Monitor application health using logs, metrics, and observability tools
- Ensure stable environments across releases, deployments, and system updates
- Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Coordinate across business, technical teams, and external vendors
- Drive clear communication during incidents, releases, and operational reviews
- Continuous Improvement & Automation
- Drive transformation initiatives including:
- Process automation
- Proactive monitoring
- AI/agentic automation for incident detection/resolution
- Improve documentation, knowledge management, and self-service capabilities
- Reporting & Governance
- Define and report KPIs, trends, and operational insights
- Provide regular updates to leadership on performance and risks
Requirements
Relevant Experience: 10-12+ years, Total experience not exceeding 18 years, * 8+ years in Application Support / Production Operations / Service Management
-
3+ years in a team leadership or management role
-
Experience managing global/offshore teams Technical Skills
-
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure architecture and operations
-
Hands-on experience with:
-
.NET / C#
-
SQL Server
-
IIS / WCF / Windows-based applications
-
Ability to analyze logs, system metrics, and performance issues Tools & Frameworks
-
ServiceNow (ITSM)
-
Application Insights / monitoring tools
-
ITIL processes (incident, problem, change) Soft Skills:
-
Strong communication and stakeholder management
-
Ability to operate in high-pressure, mission-critical environments Preferred Experience
-
Supporting large-scale enterprise applications
-
Experience in regulated / audit-driven environments
-
Exposure to AI-driven operations (AIOps), automation, or agentic workflows Key Differentiator
-
Proven ability to modernize support functions using AI, automation, and proactive operations