Head of Cloud Engineering

CloserStill Media | London | Hybrid

WHO WE ARE:

At CloserStill, we strive to deliver the best. We’re on a mission to be the most dynamic B2B events and communities business in every market we serve, bringing people together to learn, connect and grow.

Operating across five regions, we power over 200 market-leading events, publications and brands across Business Technologies, Healthcare, Learning, HR & Education, and Future Transport & Infrastructure.

But what truly sets us apart is our people.

Our teams are diverse, driven, and united by a shared commitment to excellence. Rooted in our core values of ownership, empathy, teamwork, integrity, and determination, we empower every employee to grow, shape their own path and make a meaningful impact.

Joining CloserStill means being part of something bigger - not just building events, but creating opportunities, connections, and lasting value for the communities we serve.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

A technical leader who's built modern data platforms and integration systems at scale. Someone who's equally comfortable designing cloud architecture and rolling up their sleeves to solve hard problems. You've led engineering teams, championed DevOps practices, and have deep Azure experience. Bonus points if you've enabled third-party developer ecosystems or worked in media/events/SaaS.

Must-haves:

• Senior engineering leadership experience (Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager level)

• Proven track record building data platforms for analytics and AI/ML

• Deep Microsoft Azure expertise

• Hands-on experience with Databricks, APIs, and integration platforms

• Strong understanding of MLOps and productionizing machine learning

• Experience leading and scaling engineering teams

Tech stack: Azure, Databricks, Python, PySpark, SQL, JavaScript, Node, Bash

THE ROLE:

You'll own the technical vision and delivery of our core platforms:

Build world-class platforms

• Architect cloud-native data and AI systems that support analytics, ML workloads, and real-time operations

• Create API-first integration layers for internal teams and external partners

• Implement MLOps best practices for model deployment and lifecycle management

Lead exceptional teams

• Build, mentor, and scale high-performing engineering teams

• Set standards for code quality, security, and performance

• Drive DevOps and CI/CD culture for fast, reliable delivery

Drive business impact

• Translate business needs into technical solutions

• Partner with product, data, and operations leaders

• Own the engineering roadmap and align resources to the outcome

Platform & Architecture Leadership

• Define and own the technical vision and roadmap for CloserStill's core data, AI, and integration platforms

• Architect scalable, secure, and resilient cloud-native solutions using Microsoft Azure

• Lead development of a unified data platform supporting business intelligence, analytics, AI/ML workloads, and real-time operational use cases

• Design and evolve an API-first integration platform enabling internal teams and external partners to build and integrate services efficiently

Data, AI & MLOps

• Lead implementation and optimisation of data pipelines for data engineering, analytics, and machine learning

• Implement best practices for MLOps, including model deployment, monitoring, versioning, and lifecycle management

• Partner closely with data science and analytics teams to ensure platforms enable experimentation and production-grade AI

Engineering Leadership & Delivery

• Build, lead, and mentor high-performing engineering teams across data platform and integration domains

• Set engineering standards for code quality, security, reliability, and performance

• Champion DevOps and CI/CD practices to ensure fast, safe, and repeatable delivery

• Balance strategic architecture work with hands-on technical leadership where required

• Define and own the engineering roadmap and align to resource needs

• Work with: Azure, Databricks, Bash, JavaScript, Node, Python, PySpark, SQL

Integration & Ecosystem Enablement

• Own the strategy and delivery of integration services, including public and private APIs, event-driven and asynchronous integrations, and authentication/authorisation models

• Enable third-party vendors, partners, and developers to integrate seamlessly into CloserStill's ecosystem

• Ensure strong governance, observability, and documentation across all integration services

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with senior stakeholders across technology, product, data, and operations to align engineering outcomes with business objectives

• Translate business needs into scalable technical solutions

• Contribute to broader technology strategy and investment decisions

• Align the roadmap to business outcome delivery

ABOUT YOU:

Essential Experience:

• Proven experience in a senior engineering leadership role (Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager, or similar)

• Strong background in building data platforms for analytics and operational use cases

• Deep experience with Microsoft Azure cloud services

• Hands-on experience designing and building APIs and integration platforms

• Experience working with Databricks for data engineering and analytics

• Strong understanding of MLOps practices and productionizing machine learning models

• Experience leading and scaling engineering teams in a modern, agile environment

Desirable Experience:

• Experience enabling third-party developer ecosystems or platform-as-a-product models

• Familiarity with event-driven architectures and streaming technologies

• Background in media, events, SaaS, or data-driven businesses

• Strong understanding of security, identity, and access management in cloud platforms

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with a strong bias toward execution

• Comfortable operating at both architectural and hands-on levels

• Excellent communicator, able to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders and provide clear, concise project updates

• Passionate about data, AI, and building platforms that unlock business value

• Natural leader who develops teams and fosters a culture of engineering excellence

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this position.

CloserStill Media reserves the right to request a DBS or credit check should the role require it.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

CloserStill Media embrace diversity in all its forms and are committed to continuing to develop a diverse and inclusive environment that encourages collaboration and innovation.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment based on merit without attention to age, ethnicity, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status or disability status.

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, don't hesitate to get in touch with our HR team at [email protected] .