Since Aspen was founded in 2002, we have become a leading, diversified specialty insurance and reinsurance company. We respond thoughtfully and creatively to find the best outcomes for our clients and business partners through carefully-tailored solutions.
We believe the way we work is just as important as the work we do, and we are guided by our core values of respect, honesty, trust and professionalism.
Aspen is a great place to develop your career offering an exciting and challenging environment where achievement is rewarded.
The role:
The Head of Cloud will play a critical role in managing and overseeing all elements of Aspen’s cloud operations, with a specific focus on Azure. This position will sit on the IT Leadership Team, providing strategic leadership to manage and optimize all cloud operations. This will include all Aspen Cloud delivery activity, setting up the Cloud Target Operating Model, cloud expenditure, ensuring cost-efficiency, value generation for the organization and compliance with legal, regulatory and best practice standards within the Cloud world. As such, the successful candidate will have a strong blend of relevant and demonstrable Cloud experience, financial acumen, and strategic IT leadership experience.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategy and Planning
* Be the recognised Cloud Expert / Leader in Aspen – responsible for all elements of Cloud provision within the group.
* Lead the development and implementation of strategies for all cloud services, focusing on delivery, the Target Operating Model, and financial / cost management including budgeting, and forecasting within the Azure environment.
* Revise and implement a new Cloud Target Operating Model for Aspen – one that is secure, efficient, and effective.
* Input to and translate Aspen’s vision and IT strategy into operational cloud deliverables and provides tactical leadership and support to managers to achieve positive results for the business in line with strategy.
* Drives business performance through others facilitating effective planning, control and support mechanisms to ensure delivery of the business plan in line with market and shareholder expectations.
* Partner closely with the Chief Information Officer, executive teams, function owners, and third parties to oversee and influence cloud financial operations, as the key interface to our IT operating roadmap to optimize the value technology can bring to the business internally and externally.
Policy, Process and Procedures
* Establish and enforce cloud policies and best practices to govern cloud delivery, support, on-going security elements, and expenditures on all applications hosted in the cloud, and promote efficient resource usage across the enterprise.
* Identify opportunities for cost savings and implement measures to optimize cloud spending without compromising security, performance or scalability.
* Applies specific expertise to manage processes and workflow within the team, and is responsible for ensuring accuracy, efficiency, good practice and adherence to prescribed standards.
* As a senior technical expert, is responsible for executing high value/highly complex transactions (making decisions within authority limits) to ensure that they are appropriately completed and that related records and systems are properly maintained.
* Interprets, and helps to cascade organisation goals and regulatory/legislative requirements; and is responsible for monitoring functional activity, and application of Policy and Procedures, to ensure that compliance, effectiveness and risk management is optimised.
Environmental Awareness/Customer Focus
* Ensure all Cloud Environments are secure and are available at all times for the organisation to exploit.
* Work closely with IT, Finance, and business areas to align cloud financial operations with organizational goals and ensure transparency in cloud cost reporting.
* Manage relationships with cloud service providers, negotiate contracts, and ensure compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and pricing models.
* Educate and train internal teams on wider cloud management principles, tools, and techniques to foster a delivery and service culture of cost-consciousness and accountability.
* Identify and mitigate financial risks associated with cloud investments and usage, ensuring robust governance and control mechanisms are in place.
* Acts as a senior point of escalation and technical lead to resolve important issues for the function, making appropriate decisions and promoting improved understanding of functional needs and standards.
* Networks internally and externally to promote the interests of Aspen and learn from best practice.
* Collaborates with and supports colleagues in the preparation of presentations and supporting documentation for external release.
* As a senior representative of the IT function, supports and contributes to Aspen wide initiatives, in order to enhance business and employee engagement within the entity.
Technical Performance
* Acts as a technical lead in the design, implementation and maintenance of a cloud infrastructure that meets business objectives (both Change and BAU initiatives); and defines, develops and maintains the overall Architecture Governance Framework to support Aspens infrastructure services.
* Develop comprehensive financial reports and dashboards that provide insights into cloud spending patterns, trends, and variances to support data-driven decision-making.
* Works as part of the senior IT management team to coordinate strategies across IT and facilitate successful operation of IT delivery.
* Oversees the review and analysis of IT performance for the function, providing creative insights, assessing implications and enabling a full understanding of risks and opportunities.
* Makes (high value / highly complex) decisions in relation to the IT infrastructure; and considers all risks to ensure appropriate progress toward business plan objectives.
* Promotes security best practices and is responsible for risk management activities to ensure business continuity, and meet compliance, regulatory and legislative requirements.
* Acts as a senior point of escalation within the function, including the handling of interruptions to IT services and responses to security breaches, ensuring any exposures are immediately resolved, appropriate action taken and key learning points captured.
* Is responsible for the operational control environment, leading the re-engineering and automation of preventative controls and monitoring activities, in line with regulatory and statutory requirements.
* Evaluates and monitors IT skills/security awareness across the organisation and designs initiatives which meet business needs and are in line with best practice, legal and regulatory requirements.
* Assists with the delivery and management of the overall IT Quality and Compliance Management Framework to ensure that all work within the function complies with industry and client quality standards.
People Management
* Manages and supports specific operational team(s) within own function / department or specialism to ensure that people, resources and processes are aligned with business needs and fit for purpose.
* Establish clear accountabilities and authority levels with third party vendors and build a strong culture of accountability and performance to ensure delivery of goals.
Skills & Experience:
* Significant experience working with all Azure cloud services, including cost management tools and platforms such as Azure Cost Management + Billing.
* Significant experience of working as part of a senior management team within a multi-national insurance environment.
* Experience of successfully developing and delivering change and transformation strategy.
* Significant experience managing large third-party vendors/external suppliers.
* Experience of project managing multiple/complex projects.
* Is experienced at managing relationships with internal business customers at a senior level.
* Experience of working with large third-party vendors/external suppliers.
* Is experienced in resolving highly complex/high value/high impact IT queries.
* Experience of supporting applications in an application packaging or virtual application environment.
* Degree level education (or equivalent) and relevance of degree subject to role is essential (e.g. Computer Science or equivalent).
* Has gained professional or technical qualifications or certification that are specific to area of responsibility.
* Significant experience in the insurance / financial services industry.
* Ability to analyze complex financial data, identify trends, and recommend actionable insights for cost optimization.
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead people, process and technology transformation.
* Technical acumen (in all Cloud Technologies) with an ability to understand how the technical infrastructure supports the business.
* Entrepreneurial and creative skills with an ability to develop innovative approaches to existing processes and operations.
* Financial management skills.
* Able to identify the financial impacts of IT proposals/options.
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
* Strong customer orientation and can build and maintain effective relationships with customers at all levels.
* Organisational and people management skills.
* Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
* Able to collaborate effectively within a team.
* Ability to negotiate and influence both directly and indirectly in complex and challenging situations.
* Programme management skills and can manage multiple, complex projects whilst meeting deadlines.
At Aspen we know that having a diverse and inclusive workforce is good for our people, good for our business and good for the environments in which we operate. We therefore welcome applications from people which allows us to draw on diverse cultures, perspectives, skills and experiences.
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