Business Context and Main Purpose of the Role-

• Cloud is a critical enabler of Unilever’s digital future. It not only changes how we store and access data but, will also fundamentally improve how our business operates. Cloud enables innovation and delivery at cost effective scale and a pace by removing barriers and providing foundations for digital business transformation.
• The Cloud Platform Services (CPS) team, part of the UniOps function, has a vision to accelerate cloud adoption to drive a future fit model for innovation and growth across Unilever.
• As a Cloud Operations Manager, you’ll be the interlock between our Cloud Service Managers and our external suppliers and the CSP’s. You’ll need a deep understanding of our operations, while being constantly on the lookout for continuous improvement opportunities. Moreover, upon identifying positive process change for our business, you’ll play a pivotal role in implementing any solutions and changes iteratively improving service for our Product & Platform Teams.
• You will have a ‘customer-first’ mentality and work collaboratively with the Cloud Service Managers to instil proactive data-driven decisions using detailed data analysis and reporting. You will drive positive customer outcomes by being ‘one step ahead’ with outcomes that drive down technical debt, improve operational efficiency and quality and constantly wow the customer.
• You’ll have an impact on both our efficiency and the level of service we provide to our service consumers. As the Cloud Operations Manager, you’ll be constantly looking to exceed productivity goals, while developing and maintaining a reliable and resilient operations team.
• Day-to-day, you will ensure site practices are fully compliant with legislation and policy. You’ll achieve this through monitoring, accountability, auditing and reviewing all practices that fall under your remit. You’ll be expected to rise to the challenge of participating in initiatives across Cloud Platform Services’ Cloud Operations team.
• The Cloud Operations Manager will be responsible for deriving maximum value from our selected suppliers and the CSP’s we have chosen to partner with.
• Reporting to the Cloud Operations Lead, the Cloud Operations Manager will be responsible for the operational
• effectiveness of ongoing Cloud Operations . You will be responsible for the overall service and identify opportunities across the operations spectrum to drive operational and service excellence.
• Finally, you’ll manage and drive staffing plans, schedules, quality initiatives, performance levels and process change initiatives as they impact upon your team’s scope of influence.
• Additional responsibilities include working with Business Platforms, PEM teams and collaborating with best practice bodies such as the Cloud Centre of Excellence, to evolve how Cloud Operations can help solve business needs.
• You will be an experienced digital leader with a ‘customer-first’ mentality. You will have a firm grasp of cloud concepts and know the challenges that moving to cloud introduces to ITSM, as well as displaying solid experience in being able to successfully navigate these challenges. You have extensive experience in supplier & vendor management, service outsourcing and have demonstrable experience in obtaining successful outcomes with outsourced teams. You are a practitioner in prestige leadership and empower your team to take accountability and ownership. You foster a
• collaborative culture across your team and encourage opinions, ideas and self-direction with a view to driving service excellence through exemplary teamwork and good working practices.
  

Main Accountabilities

• Work closely with the Cloud Operations Lead to drive operational excellence and outstanding service delivery.
• Develop reporting and data analysis techniques in collaboration with the CSM’s to identify recommendations to service consumers. Track recommendations, their implementation and outcomes.
• Monitor and ensure KPIs, SLAs SLO’s and OLA’s are met. Strive to identify ways in which to constantly improve and support improvement initiatives.
• Constantly focus on business value, embrace automation & innovation and support a ‘fail fast’ culture.
• Directly manage CSM’s, and define and manage team member objectives.
• Provide strong direction and communication to the Cloud Operations team.
• Create objectives and accountabilities for the Cloud Operations team members.
• Act as the ‘voice of the customer and as a point of escalation for operational issues.
• Manage the operational service provided to the business by Cloud Platform Services Cloud Operations.
• Act as a point of escalation for the business into Cloud Operations and onto third-party suppliers and CSP’s to drive resolution and improvement opportunities where applicable.
• Measure and actively drive opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and build Cloud Operation’s and CPS’s reputation.
• In partnership with OEC, improve the integration of ITSM processes, in order to ensure optimal, quality service is delivered to service consumers.
• Engage in operational discussions with the Product & Platform Teams in conjunction with Platform Engagement Managers (PEM’s) and CSM’s where appropriate.
• Play an active role in the event of an IT issue/outage to ensure customer communication is proactive and business impact is assessed and managed appropriately.
• In-line with the Technology strategy, collaborate with CSM’s, SRE’s and the Cloud Operations Lead to identify opportunities to improve support models and service.
• Works collaboratively with the Cloud Operations Lead to forecast resources and skills needed for upcoming engagements.
  

Key Skills And Relevant Experience

• Proven experience in managing technology teams with the ability to manage, motivate and influence work behaviors to success.
• Proven experience in delivering complex services and building customer relationships, ideally in a matrix environment as part of a product-centric model.
• Advanced organizational planning, time management, resource, and change management skills across multiple functional groups and departments.
• Advanced delegation skills involve prioritizing and reprioritizing of technical resources of various sizes and complexity.
• Strong interpersonal, communication (verbal and written), and presentation skills applicable to a wide audience including senior and executive management.
• Innovative and solutions-oriented in new technologies, security, and cloud solutions.
• Understanding of: o Cloud Architecture concepts on GCP and Azure
• Designing, building, and operating global IT infrastructures o Provisioning, operating, and managing Cloud environments o Infrastructure as code and DevOps methodologies
• Cloud Operations, including data assurance, monitoring, alerting and notification o Applying modern ITSM frameworks
  

Experience

• 3+ years’ managing technical teams (operations) following a matrix model.
• 3+ years’ experience of managing a cloud operations team.
• 5+ year’s experience of external supplier management
• Experience of working within a product-centric model.
• Ability to independently create proposals, documentation and presentations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential. Experience in communicating across many crossfunctional areas, including external partners and customers.
• Strong understanding of cloud platform concepts.
• Practical experience in applying Agile and DevOps methodologies to operations.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Certification requirements
• ITIL v4
• GCP - Foundational Google Digital Leader
• Azure - AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
• Project or Resource Management qualification
  

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience of applying agile / lean enterprise frameworks to service management.
• Certification requirements:
• SAFe5