Head of Cloud Platform

What does the average day look like?

The railway has seen nearly 200 years of technology and innovation that has transformed how we provide services to passengers and freight customers.

Technology is continuing to transform the railway industry. Imagine an exciting environment where Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) are not just buzzwords but the driving force behind every operation, every decision, and every solution.

As part of the DDaT directorate, you have a unique opportunity to enable our customers and industry partner with modern and transformative technology. From the day-to-day IT operations that keeps a national railway running, to the extensive delivery programmes that our helping to reshape the railway - we are at the forefront of all of it. We operate with a talented and passionate workforce, fostering empowered individuals and teams who understand that technology is not just a tool - it’s the catalyst for progress, especially in an ever-demanding industry where change is a constant.

Who are we looking for?

• Lead the cloud platform strategy, shaping and delivering a cohesive vision aligned to Network Rail’s business priorities and technology roadmap.

• Act as the technical authority for cloud services, providing expert guidance on architecture, design patterns and best practice across cross-functional teams.

• Drive automation at scale, developing and implementing strategies that enable efficient deployment, orchestration and management across multiple cloud platforms.

• Establish and embed cloud governance, ensuring policies, standards and procedures support secure, compliant and high-performing cloud operations.

• Oversee the development of CI/CD pipelines, enabling fast, reliable and consistent delivery of services while improving operational efficiency.

• Champion Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approaches (e.g. ARM, Terraform, Ansible) to standardise and optimise cloud environment management.

• Optimise cloud costs and performance, ensuring effective resource utilisation and delivering value for money across all cloud services.

• Monitor, maintain and enhance platform performance, ensuring applications are scalable, highly available and resilient.

• Strengthen cloud security posture, leading on data protection, identity and access management, and compliance with industry standards.

• Stay ahead of emerging technologies, driving innovation and continuous improvement to advance Network Rail’s cloud capability.

• Proven track record with multiple cloud services, including Azure/AWS DevOps, Azure Active Directory, and Azure/AWS Security Center.
• In-depth knowledge of multiple cloud services, including compute, storage, networking, databases, and security.
• Extensive experience in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and resilient cloud architectures.
• Strong knowledge of cloud computing concepts, cloud services, and cloud security best practices.
• Deep knowledge of various cloud services relevant to automation, such as Azure/AWS Automation, Azure Logic Apps, and Azure Functions.
• Understanding of orchestration and its role in managing complex cloud environments.
• Experience in cloud cost optimisation and resource management.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
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• Strong leadership and organisational skills, with experience of managing cross-functional teams.
• Understands, explains and able to present complex concepts in a simple and meaningful manner.

Desirable

• Azure/AWS Solutions Architect Expert or Azure/AWS DevOps Engineer Expert.
• Experience in migrating on-premises infrastructure to various cloud platforms.
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Azure Resource Manager (ARM), Terraform, and Ansible.
• Strong experience with CI/CD tools like Azure/AWS DevOps, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions.
• Advanced scripting skills in PowerShell, Bash, Python, or other relevant languages for automation scripting.
• Familiarity with monitoring tools and services such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights.
• Knowledge of automated security practices and tools to integrate security into the CI/CD pipeline.

Pulled from the full job description

• Annual leave
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• Company pension
• Paid volunteer time, * We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments
• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered
• Generous annual leave up to 28 days plus statutory days (role dependant), with the option to buy/sell days
• Discounts at selected stations with your Network Rail pass
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% off leisure train tickets for you and your dependents (subject to T&Cs)
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact

Plus more….

About Network Rail…