VP, Principal I, Cloud Platform Sub-lead (JRI-6190)

The Japan Research Institute (JRI) Limited is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Group. SMBC Group is a Tokyo-based bank holding company that is ranked among the largest 25 banks globally by assets under management. JRI provides comprehensive, highly value-added information services through the coordinated application of its 3 functions. i.e. information systems, consulting and think-tank. As a system integrator, JRI offers services in IT strategy planning, implementation and outsourcing to a broad range of industries and activities. JRI Singapore currently supports the overall IT functions of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Asia Pacific Region.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, build, and ongoing management of the cloud platform service, with a primary focus on Azure and cloud-native services, ensuring robust, scalable, and secure PaaS offerings.
• Architect, implement, and maintain cloud platform services, driving modernization and continuous improvement to meet evolving business and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee the DevOps and automation platform, including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and integration of best practices to accelerate delivery, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Manage and optimize the hybrid container platform, leveraging technologies such as Red Hat OpenShift to support diverse application workloads.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, architecture blueprints, operational procedures, and runbooks for all aspects of the cloud platform.
• Champion cloud platform security, compliance, and cost optimization across all platform services, ensuring alignment with industry regulations and internal policies.
• Collaborate with architects, application teams, external vendors, and offshore partners to ensure strategic alignment and seamless delivery of cloud platform capabilities.
• Mentor and inspire a high-performing team of cloud architects and engineers, fostering a collaborative, growth-focused environment.
• Develop and oversee customer identity and access management strategies and solutions, ensuring secure, compliant, and seamless access for users across cloud platform services.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience with cloud platforms, with deep expertise in Azure (preferred), or AWS/GCP, including extensive use of cloud-native services.
• Expert-level experience designing, building, and maintaining complex CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or Jenkins.
• Strong proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with tools like Terraform, ARM templates, CloudFormation, or similar.
• Proven production experience with container orchestration, including OCP/AKS, covering cluster management and service mesh.
• Advanced scripting and automation skills in Python, Bash or PowerShell for infrastructure and tooling automation.
• Demonstrated experience implementing comprehensive observability solutions, including monitoring, logging, and tracing with tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, Datadog, or Application Insights.
• Solid understanding of cloud security best practices, secrets management, and compliance frameworks relevant to financial institutions.
• Strong grasp of cloud networking concepts, including VPNs, load balancers, API gateways, and DNS.
• Hands-on experience with Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solutions, specifically implementing and managing Ping Identity platforms.
• Excellent people management skills, including recruitment, performance appraisal, mentoring, and team motivation.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder engagement skills across regions and departments.
• Ability to build trust and collaborate effectively with diverse teams and external partners.
• Excellent problem-solving skills in cloud environments, with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues and optimize performance.
• Certifications in TOGAF and Cloud Architecture (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect) are highly desirable.