Manager, Cloud Platform Services & FinOps

Purpose of the Role

Lead the Platform Services & FinOps function responsible for the operational governance, service performance, financial management, and continuous improvement of the Serco Europe cloud platform.

The role is accountable for ensuring that cloud services are delivered effectively, meet agreed service levels, remain financially sustainable, and evolve in line with business and technology objectives.

Acting as the bridge between Architecture, Engineering teams, Managed Service Providers, and business stakeholders, this role translates strategic technology decisions into operational processes, service governance, and measurable outcomes.

The role acts as the primary operational owner of the cloud platform, ensuring effective collaboration between Architecture, Engineering, Operations, and third-party providers to deliver agreed service outcomes.

The role also serves as the primary operational escalation point for Serco Europe ICT stakeholders responsible for providing support across all Serco Europe sectors, ensuring that platform-related issues, service requests, and architectural escalations are appropriately triaged, assigned, and managed through to resolution. The role owns the coordination of internal teams and external providers to ensure timely and effective service outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

FinOps & Cost Governance

• Own the financial governance of the Serco Europe cloud platform.
• Drive cost transparency, optimisation and accountability across Azure, Microsoft 365 and associated cloud services.
• Lead cloud consumption analysis, forecasting, budgeting and cost reporting activities.
• Establish and maintain chargeback and showback models where appropriate.
• Support business cases, investment decisions and budget planning through financial and consumption insights.
• Monitor and optimise emerging consumption areas including AI, data and platform services.
• Promote a cost-aware culture across technology teams and stakeholders.

Platform Governance & Operating Model

• Define and maintain the operating model for the Serco Europe cloud platform.
• Establish governance processes, operational controls and service management practices.
• Ensure alignment between architecture decisions, operational execution and business objectives.
• Drive standardisation, operational maturity and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure operational documentation, governance artefacts and service procedures remain current and effective.

Service Management & Operational Performance

• Own the operational performance of platform services.
• Define and monitor SLAs, OLAs, KPIs and service performance metrics.
• Coordinate operational readiness, service transition and operational acceptance activities.
• Lead service reviews and improvement plans with internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate major operational issues, escalations and service improvement initiatives.
• Ensure platform services meet reliability, availability and performance expectations.
• Own the operational coordination of platform-related incidents, escalations and service requests raised by Serco Europe ICT teams.
• Ensure appropriate technical ownership is assigned and that progress, risks and outcomes are communicated effectively to stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Coordination

• Lead, develop and coordinate the Platform Services & FinOps function.
• Manage and coordinate the activities of the Platform Solution Architect, Cloud Platform Engineer, Modern Workplace & Identity Systems Engineer, and Automation & Operations Engineer.
• Prioritise work, assign responsibilities and ensure effective execution across the internal platform team.
• Coordinate activities delivered by external Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and specialist partners in accordance with the Serco Europe RACI Matrix.
• Ensure ownership, accountability and clear hand-offs between internal teams, architecture functions and third-party providers.
• Support capability development, mentoring and professional growth across the platform function.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder & Supplier Management

• Act as the primary operational point of coordination between Architecture, Platform Engineering, Managed Service Providers, service partners and business stakeholders.
• Govern service delivery across internal teams and external providers to ensure responsibilities are executed in line with the Serco Europe RACI Matrix.
• Facilitate governance forums, service reviews, operational steering meetings and supplier performance reviews.
• Manage relationships with key technology suppliers and service partners.
• Ensure stakeholder expectations are understood, managed and communicated effectively.
• Provide regular reporting on service performance, operational risks, costs and improvement initiatives.
• Act as the primary engagement point for Serco Europe ICT teams regarding platform-related operational matters, escalations and service improvement requests.
• Ensure requests and escalations are appropriately assessed, prioritised, assigned and tracked to resolution through the relevant internal teams or external service providers.
• Maintain strong working relationships with ICT stakeholders across all Serco Europe sectors and functions, ensuring transparency, communication and service alignment.

Innovation & Automation

• Promote the adoption of automation and AI-enabled operational practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service quality and operational effectiveness.
• Support the evolution of the cloud platform through continuous improvement and innovation initiatives.

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience leading technical, platform or service management teams in a cloud-based environment in large corporation.
• Experience managing and coordinating both internal technical teams and third-party service providers within a structured governance framework.
• Strong background in operational governance, service management and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience managing operational performance through KPIs, SLAs and continuous improvement frameworks.
• Proven FinOps experience including cost optimisation, forecasting, budgeting and reporting.
• Demonstrated people leadership and team coordination experience.
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into operational processes and measurable outcomes.
• Experience working across multiple stakeholders, suppliers and delivery teams.
• Strong communication, planning and organisational skills.
• Education: degree in Computer Science or similar.
• Language: Good English language skills (Mandatory)

Nice to Have

• Experience with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 environments.
• Experience working with Enterprise Architecture and Solution Architecture teams.
• Familiarity with cloud governance frameworks, operating models and service transition practices.
• Experience supporting large-scale cloud transformation programmes.
• Understanding of AI-enabled services, automation and emerging cloud technologies.
• Experience operating in multinational and multi-country environments.

Success Measures

• Ensure cloud platform services consistently meet agreed service levels and business expectations.
• Establish effective FinOps practices and improve cost visibility across the cloud estate.
• Improve operational governance, standardisation and service maturity.
• Build a high-performing Platform Services Function.
• Strengthen collaboration between Architecture, Engineering, Operations and business stakeholders.
• Enable the sustainable growth and evolution of the Serco Europe cloud platform.
• Ensure effective coordination and accountability across internal platform teams and external Managed Service Providers.
• Establish a clear operational ownership model aligned with the Serco Europe RACI framework, ensuring responsibilities are executed consistently and efficiently.
• Establish a trusted and effective engagement model between the Platform Services function and Serco Europe ICT teams.
• Improve responsiveness and resolution effectiveness for platform-related escalations and service requests.