Cloud Platform Lead | London | Hybrid (3 days in the office) |Permanent Build the cloud platform that others depend on. We’re partnered with a high‑performing, London‑based Insurer operating at scale in a highly regulated environment. The organisation is investing heavily in its cloud capability and is now hiring a Cloud Platform Engineering Lead to take full ownership of its cloud platform and shape how cloud is delivered across the business. This is a true platform engineering leadership role — not just keeping the lights on, but designing, evolving and running a secure, scalable cloud platform treated as a product. Why this role stands out Real ownership – end‑to‑end responsibility for the cloud platform Hands‑on leadership – stay technical while setting standards and direction Engineering‑led culture – platform as a product, not a utility Modern cloud estate – Azure‑first (with some AWS), IaC, CI/CD, automation Strategic visibility – work closely with Architecture, Security and senior IT leadership Influence without bureaucracy – small internal team, clear decision‑making You’ll act as the technical authority for cloud, owning standards, guardrails and outcomes, while steering a trusted cloud services partner to deliver high‑quality BAU and project work. What you’ll be doing Owning the cloud platform architecture (Azure‑first, AWS exposure) Designing and evolving shared platform services: Landing zones Networking & identity Security controls & guardrails Observability, backup & DR Treating cloud as a product with roadmaps, standards and continuous improvement Remaining hands‑on with: Terraform & Infrastructure‑as‑Code CI/CD pipelines and automation Reusable modules and engineering patterns Embedding security‑by‑design (NIST, ISO, GDPR principles) Acting as a senior escalation point for incidents and outages Leading FinOps practices – cost control, optimisation and transparency Managing and directing a UK‑based cloud services partner from a position of strong technical ownership What we’re looking for 8 years’ experience designing and operating cloud platforms (Azure essential) Strong background in platform engineering , not just infrastructure operations Proven expertise with Terraform and lifecycle management of IaC Deep understanding of: Cloud security, networking and identity CI/CD and DevOps practices Containers and modern deployment patterns High availability, backup and disaster recovery Cloud cost optimisation / FinOps Experience working in regulated or security‑sensitive environments Confident communicator able to influence engineers, architects, partners and stakeholders  Experience in insurance or financial services is helpful but not essential — strong cloud engineering capability and leadership matter most. You’ll be part of a lean, senior team , working alongside the Architecture Team (EA and Domain), with additional 3rd Party partner support. This gives you space to focus on quality, standards and strategic improvements , not firefighting. If you’re looking for a hands‑on cloud leadership role where your decisions genuinely shape the platform and the engineering culture, this is one worth exploring. Confidential discussions welcome.