Cloud Operations Manager - Azure | Inside IR35 | 12-Month Contract

Cloud Operations Manager - Azure | Inside IR35 | 12-Month Contract

Location: Hybrid - Must be within commutable distance of Derby
Clearance: Active SC Clearance Required (UK Nationals only - no dual nationals)

Start Date: Jan 5th

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Cloud Operations Manager to lead and support a team of Azure Consultants and Azure Support Engineers within a large, complex cloud environment. This 12-month, inside-IR35 engagement will be responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring governance compliance, and maintaining cloud service performance across a significant Azure estate.

You will manage operational workflows across Incident, Request, and Change processes while ensuring strong communication, stakeholder alignment, and adherence to SLAs. You will also represent the Cloud Operations function to internal teams and stakeholders, ensuring high standards of professionalism and service delivery.

Key Responsibilities Incident Management

• Monitor ServiceNow incident queues and assign tickets to team members.

• Track progress and ensure incidents are resolved within SLA timelines.

• Maintain strong Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR) performance.

• Handle escalations from users and stakeholders effectively.

• Manage and oversee the 24/7 on-call rota to ensure full coverage.

Request Fulfilment

• Monitor ServiceNow request queues and coordinate fulfilment activities.

• Assign tasks appropriately and ensure timely completion of service requests.

• Collaborate with other technical teams when cross-functional support is required.

• Meet and maintain Mean Time to Fulfil (MTTF) targets.

• Manage requestor escalations professionally.

Change Management

• Approve and coordinate change implementation plans for the cloud operations team.

• Ensure changes are executed on schedule and communicated clearly.

• Oversee accurate and timely reporting on all change activities.

• Maintain strong change discipline and ensure adherence to governance frameworks.

Security & Governance

• Maintain cloud security posture, ensuring Azure secure scores remain above 80%.

• Drive remediation activity where required.

• Ensure all subscriptions comply with cloud governance and organisational standards.

• Maintain oversight of compliance and operational hygiene across the environment.

Essential Requirements

• Active SC Clearance and UK National status (no dual nationals).

• Strong experience in cloud operations management, ideally within Azure environments.

• Solid understanding of Public Cloud, cloud governance, and operational frameworks.

• Experience with ServiceNow and ITIL-based processes.

• Ability to manage escalations, maintain SLAs, and drive team performance.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

• Must be able to attend Derby when required to meet leadership and team members.

Contract Details

• Inside IR35

• 12-Month Contract

• Hybrid model - remote with travel to Derby as needed

• Opportunity to lead across a high-impact cloud operations function