Deliery and Operations Lead

Job Title : Delivery & Operations Lead Data Platforms & Reliability Engineering Role Overview : We are seeking an experienced Delivery & Operations Lead to drive large-scale Data Engineering, Cloud Transformation, and Reliability Engineering initiatives. This leadership role combines strategic delivery management with operational excellence, ensuring successful execution of enterprise programs while maintaining highly available, secure, and scalable cloud platforms. The ideal candidate will lead cross-functional teams across Delivery, Application Reliability Engineering, DevOps, Azure Cloud Operations, PMO, and Engineering while partnering with business stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes in complex enterprise environments. Key Responsibilities Delivery Leadership : • Lead large-scale Data Engineering and Cloud Transformation programs. • Manage multimillion-dollar delivery portfolios with ownership of scope, quality, timelines, budgets, and customer satisfaction. • Drive successful delivery across multiple concurrent programs and strategic initiatives. • Lead Engineering Managers, Delivery Managers, PMO teams, and technical leads. • Ensure governance, financial management, resource planning, and delivery excellence across programs. Operations & Reliability Engineering • Lead Application Reliability Engineering (Tier-2 Support), DevOps, and Azure Cloud Operations teams. • Ensure high availability, reliability, scalability, and performance of enterprise applications and cloud infrastructure. • Drive operational maturity through automation, proactive monitoring, and continuous improvement. • Lead Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management following ITIL best practices. • Own Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Post Incident Reviews (PIR), and corrective action tracking. Cloud & Platform Leadership • Oversee Azure Cloud administration, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD pipelines, and enterprise platform operations. • Lead cloud modernization, migration, and infrastructure optimization initiatives. • Drive automation using Infrastructure as Code and DevOps best practices. • Ensure platform security, governance, compliance, and cost optimization. Data & Analytics Leadership: Provide strategic leadership across modern data platforms, including: • Databricks • Azure Data Platform • Data Engineering • Data Warehousing • Lakehouse Architecture • Cloud Data Transformation • Data Governance • AI/ML Data Platforms Partner closely with architects and engineering teams to deliver scalable data solutions aligned with business objectives. Governance & Process Excellence • Implement governance frameworks across Delivery and Operations. • Standardize delivery methodologies and operational processes. • Ensure compliance with ITIL, ISO, CMMI, security, audit, and regulatory requirements. • Present technical assessments and change requests to Change Advisory Boards (CAB). • Monitor and report KPIs including delivery health, MTTR, uptime, deployment frequency, SLA adherence, and operational efficiency. Stakeholder Management • Act as the primary interface between business stakeholders, engineering teams, and operations. • Build strong relationships with senior leadership and executive stakeholders. • Drive strategic planning, decision-making, and customer satisfaction. • Communicate program status, risks, financials, and operational performance effectively. People Leadership • Lead and mentor cross-functional teams across Delivery, Engineering, DevOps, Cloud Operations, Reliability Engineering, and PMO. • Build high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning. • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. • Drive employee engagement, retention, and organizational development. Required Skills & Experience Leadership • 15+ years of IT experience with strong Delivery and Operations leadership. • Experience managing large offshore/global delivery organizations. • Proven leadership of portfolios comprising 200+ resources. • Strong commercial, financial, and operational management capabilities. • Excellent stakeholder and executive communication skills. Technical Expertise:- Strong experience in several of the following: • Databricks • Data Engineering • Azure Data Platform • Azure Cloud • Data Warehousing • Lakehouse Architecture • Cloud Data Transformation • Modern Data Platforms • DevOps • CI/CD • Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, Bicep) • Azure DevOps • PowerShell • Python • Application Reliability Engineering • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) • AI/ML Data Platforms • Data Governance Governance & Frameworks • ITIL (Mandatory) • CMMI (Preferred) • ISO Standards • Change Management • Release Management • Incident & Problem Management • Risk & Compliance Management Preferred Industry Experience • Banking • Financial Services • Insurance • Wealth Management • Capital Markets • Large Enterprise Digital Transformation Programs Experience working within highly regulated environments will be highly preferred. Preferred Certifications • ITIL Certification (Mandatory) • Microsoft Azure Certifications • Azure DevOps Certifications • Cloud Infrastructure Certifications • Databricks Certifications (Preferred) Leadership Attributes • Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities. • Customer-focused and commercially driven. • Strong ownership mindset with a bias for action. • Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills. • Ability to influence senior executives and technical leadership. • Comfortable managing large-scale, complex transformation programs. • Strong collaborator with exceptional communication and organizational leadership skills. • Passionate about automation, innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.