Cloud Strategy Director

AlixPartners; Southfield (MI); Hybrid; USD 230,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision & dental

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Hybrid work model

Job summary

AlixPartners is seeking a Cloud Strategy Director to define and drive the firm’s cloud and platform strategy, with a strong emphasis on AI-enabled platforms and GitOps delivery. Based in Southfield, MI, this role leads cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, secure enterprise platforms and governance across Azure, AWS, and GCP.

The successful candidate will bring 7+ years in cloud architecture with 5+ years in strategy or senior leadership, deep Azure experience, and proven ability to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Systems or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive cloud/ platform experience, with 5+ in strategy/senior leadership.
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure with working knowledge of AWS/GCP.
• Proven leadership in AI/ML and LLM platform strategy.
• Strong GitHub-based delivery, GitOps, and IaC (Terraform).
• Experience with governance, FinOps, security, and compliance at scale.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise cloud and platform strategy (Azure primary; multi-cloud).
• Lead AI/ML/LLM platform strategy with governance and lifecycle management.
• Establish GitOps as standard operating model; ensure IaC, CI/CD across teams.
• Guide container platforms and cloud-native architectures; support modernization.
• Drive governance, risk, security, compliance, and platform standardization.
• Engage executives with clear reporting on value realization, costs, and risk.

Skills

Cloud strategy

Azure expert

Executive leadership

GitHub/GitOps

Terraform/IaC

CI/CD practices

FinOps & cost management

Security/compliance

Strategic communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Information Systems

Tools

GitHub

Terraform

ARM/Bicep

Job description

At AlixPartners, we solve the most complex and critical challenges by moving quickly from analysis to action when it really matters; creating value that has a lasting impact on companies, their people, and the communities they serve. By understanding, respecting, and honoring the needs of our employees, clients, and communities, AlixPartners actively promotes an inclusive environment. We strongly believe in the value that diversity brings to our experiences and are committed to the perpetual enhancements of initiatives, policies, and practices. We hold ourselves accountable by providing space for authenticity, growth, and equity for everyone.

Location: Southfield, MI (hybrid)

About The Role

In this senior leadership role on AlixPartners' Corporate Services team, you will define, evolve, and drive execution of the firm's cloud and platform strategy, with a strong emphasis on AI-enabled platforms, GitHub-centric delivery models, GitOps operating principles, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), and containerized cloud-native architectures.

This role is a key member of the CCSI (Cloud, Client Services, and Innovation) leadership team and partners closely with Cloud Platform Delivery & Operations, Cloud Architecture & Automation, Security, and Business stakeholders to ensure that strategy translates into scalable, secure, and operable platforms across the enterprise.

The CCSI Cloud Strategy Director is a full-time role Southfield, MI and reports to the Head of Engineering. Paid relocation is not available for this position.

What You’ll Do

AI, Platform & Cloud Strategy Leadership

• Lead, define and own the enterprise cloud and platform strategy, including vision, multi-year roadmaps, guiding principles, and success metrics across Azure, AWS, and GCP, with Azure as the primary platform.
• Lead strategy for AI, machine learning, and large language model (LLM) platforms, ensuring scalable, secure, and responsible adoption of Azure-native AI services.
• Establish strategic direction for AI platform enablement, including governance, lifecycle management, cost controls, and integration into enterprise workflows.
• Align AI and cloud strategy with business growth, operational excellence, security, and innovation objectives.

GitHub, GitOps & Infrastructure as Code Strategy

• Define and champion GitHub as the system of record for infrastructure, platform, and configuration changes across the enterprise.
• Establish GitOps as the standard operating model for cloud and platform delivery, embedding pull-request-driven change management, traceability, and auditability.
• Set strategic standards for Infrastructure as Code, with Terraform as the primary tool, supported by ARM, Bicep, and policy-as-code practices.
• Partner with delivery and architecture leaders to ensure IaC, CI/CD, and GitOps practices are consistently applied across teams and environments.

Containers & Cloud-Native Platform Direction

• Define strategy for container platforms and cloud-native architectures, including orchestration, lifecycle management, and integration into CI/CD and GitOps pipelines.
• Guide modernization initiatives toward microservices, containerized workloads, and platform-based delivery models.
• Verify container and cloud-native strategies align with reliability, security, compliance, and operational support requirements.

Governance, Value Realization & Executive Engagement

• Establish governance frameworks covering FinOps, risk management, security, compliance, resiliency, and platform standardization.
• Align cloud and AI strategy with regulatory and compliance requirements (SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA, etc.).
• Drive executive-level reporting on cloud and AI value realization, including cost transparency, risk posture, platform maturity, and performance.
• Lead build-vs-buy decisions, platform consolidation efforts, modernization initiatives, and technical debt reduction.
• Influence and mentor architecture, engineering, and operations leaders without direct line authority, with an emphasis on strategic alignment across execution teams.
• Establish and manage relationships with strategic cloud, AI, and platform vendors and partners.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with executive leadership on strategy, trade-offs, risks, and outcomes.

Additional responsibilities as identified. This description is not designed to encompass a comprehensive listing of required activities, duties, or responsibilities.

What You’ll Bring

• A Bachelor or Master's Degree in Information Systems or a related field; relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in cloud architecture, platform engineering, or cloud-enabled enterprise technology roles, with at least 5 years in a strategy or senior leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated experience defining and executing enterprise-scale cloud and platform strategies in complex, regulated environments.
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure, with strong working knowledge of AWS and/or GCP.
• Proven leadership guiding AI / ML and LLM platform strategy, including governance, responsible AI considerations, and operational readiness.
• Strong understanding of GitHub-based delivery models, GitOps operating principles, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), and CI/CD platforms.
• Strategic understanding of container platforms and cloud-native architectures, including their impact on operations, security, and cost.
• Experience leading cloud governance, FinOps, security, compliance, and platform standardization initiatives.
• Ability to influence outcomes across multiple teams through vision, executive presence, and clear communication.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to balance technical depth, operational realities, and business outcomes.
• Experience operating in large, production-oriented service environments supporting mission-critical systems.
• Demonstrated ownership of risk management, governance, and compliance within a function.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and sustain high-performing leadership teams, including succession planning.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to deliver clear, compelling, executive-level messaging.
• Commitment to leading by example in driving collaboration, inclusion, and professionalism, fostering productive working relationships.
• Core working hours are generally 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Monday - Friday; willingness to work outside of normal U.S. business hours, and as unique projects/needs arise.
• Ability to work full time in an office and remote environment; physically able to sit/stand at a computer and work in front of a computer screen for significant portions of the workday.
• Must become familiar with, and promote and abide by, our Core Values as defined by the AlixPartners'Code of Conduct and foster an inclusive environment with people at all levels of an organization

The firm offers a comprehensive benefits program including health, vision, dental, disability, 401K, tuition reimbursement, identity theft protection, and mental wellness support. Employees will also receive a generous paid leave policy including vacation/personal time starting at 7.34 hours per pay period, sick time up to 80 hours annually, parental leave, and twelve holidays.

AlixPartners has embraced a hybrid work model to provide flexibility and support our employees' work-life integration. Our hybrid model combines a mix of in-person at an AlixPartners office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with remote working options on Monday and Friday.

AlixPartners is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or disability. AlixPartners is a proud Gold Level award-winning Veteran Friendly Employer.