Exec Director, Cloud Ops and Infrastructure

Exec Director, Cloud Ops and Infrastructure

Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization built to accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercial insights into outcomes to address modern market realities.

Every day we perform better because of how we work together, as one team, each the best at what we do. We bring a wide range of talented experts together across a wide range of business-critical services that support our business. Every role within Corporate is vital to furthering our vision of Shortening the Distance from Lab to Life®.

Discover what our 29,000 employees, across 110 countries already know.

WORK HERE MATTERS EVERYWHERE

Why Syneos Health

• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to our Total Self culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Our Total Self culture is what unites us globally, and we are dedicated to taking care of our people.
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because when we bring together diversity of thoughts, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives – we’re able to create a place where everyone feels like they belong.

Job Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Strategy & Multicloud Operations

Define and execute a cloud strategy across Azure, AWS, Oracle Cloud and on-prem systems, ensuring interoperability. Oversee cloud infrastructure and services, aligning with AI/ML strategies and adopting emerging technologies.

Infrastructure Management (Servers, Edge & Databases)

Oversee server administration (Windows/Linux), databases (SQL Server, Oracle), and edge deployments. Ensure reliable performance, optimize storage, and support real-time analytics use cases.

Platform Engineering & Developer Enablement

Collaborate with engineering to develop an internal developer portal and self-service provisioning. Champion automation (IaC, CI/CD) and embed SRE/DevOps practices to drive developer productivity.

FinOps and Cost Optimization

Lead FinOps initiatives, ensuring cost transparency and accountability. Optimize compute, storage, and network costs, forecast budgets, and implement cost-saving measures.

Security, Compliance & Identity Collaboration

Work with Security teams on IAM, zero-trust, and compliance (GxP, HIPAA, GDPR). Integrate security into cloud ops, ensure audit readiness, and partner on incident/problem management.

Vendor Management & External Partnerships

Own relationships with cloud providers (Azure, Oracle, AWS) and MSPs. Negotiate contracts, ensure SLA adherence, and continuously evaluate third-party solutions for operational excellence.

User Experience, Performance & Problem Management

Champion end-user experience, ensuring high performance and reliability. Implement observability and strong problem management processes to drive continuous improvement.

Leadership & Collaboration

Lead a global team across NA, APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and build capability in Hyderabad. Foster high-performance culture, attract and develop talent, and collaborate across Engineering, Security, Data/AI, and Finance. Communicate cloud strategy progress to executives.

Qualifications and Experience

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; Master’s preferred.
- 15+ years of IT infrastructure/operations experience, with 5+ years in senior leadership.
- Strong expertise in multicloud environments (Azure, AWS, Oracle Cloud).
- Experience in life sciences, pharma, or regulated industries preferred.
- Hands-on experience with servers (Windows/Linux), databases (SQL/Oracle), containers, and Kubernetes.
- Cloud certifications a plus.
- Proven ability to lead global teams, manage budgets, and deliver large-scale transformations.
- Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
- Thought leader in cloud/edge computing with a forward-looking mindset.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive. The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above. Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract. Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees. The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.

Summary

The Executive Director – Cloud and Edge Computing will provide visionary leadership for the enterprise’s cloud infrastructure and edge computing strategy. This executive is responsible for ensuring scalable, reliable, and secure operations across a hybrid and multicloud environment (Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AWS). Reporting to the SVP of Core Technology, the role will align cloud infrastructure initiatives with the company’s life sciences business objectives and future AI strategy. This includes optimizing cloud capabilities for emerging AI/ML workloads and ensuring the organization’s cloud and edge platforms are ready to support advanced analytics and AI-driven innovation in a regulated industry. Based in Morrisville, NC or Bridgewater, NJ, the Executive Director will lead a global team spanning North America, APAC, EMEA, and LATAM. A key focus is building out a capability center in Hyderabad, India, to leverage global talent and follow-the-sun operations. As a peer to the AI and Engineering capability leadership, this role carries similar leadership expectations – driving innovation, fostering a high-performance culture, and delivering platforms that empower the business. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise in cloud/edge technologies with strategic foresight and a strong emphasis on user experience, performance, and operational excellence.