Director - Cloud Operations

In 2012, Lambda started with a crew of AI engineers publishing research at top machine-learning conferences. We began as an AI company built by AI engineers. That hasn't changed. Today, we're on a mission to be the world's top AI computing platform. We equip engineers with the tools to deploy AI that is fast, secure, affordable, and built to scale. Whether they need powerhouse GPU hardware on-site or the flexibility of cloud-based solutions, we've got the horsepower to make it happen. Lambda’s AI Cloud has been adopted by the world’s leading companies and research institutions including Anyscale, Rakuten, The AI Institute, and multiple enterprises with over a trillion dollars of market capitalization. Our goal is to make computation as effortless and ubiquitous as electricity.

If you'd like to build the world's best deep learning cloud, join us. 

*Note: This position requires presence in our San Francisco/San Jose office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.

We’re looking for a Cloud Operations Director that has experience supporting large-scale logical operations of computing, storage and networking systems. 

As a leader of this pillar within the Engineering organization, you will be responsible for the teams that configure and maintain our fleet and the teams that operate our cloud service. You will define ambitious SLOs and drive towards them in close collaboration with partners across the company (e.g. DC operations, supply chain, observability, tooling development). 

You must possess the ability to work in a “freedom & responsibility” environment with strong context, but minimum guidance. Passion for AI, and experience working at or closely with Cloud Service Providers are major pluses.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and grow a multi-region, global cloud systems team to 50+ and beyond.

• Drive operational excellence - Ensure that 

  • Lambda’s cloud services meet the industry’s highest reliability standards. 

  • Lambda’s fleet operates most cost-effectively.

  • The department responds to and resolves escalated customer issues quickly and thoroughly. 

  • Lambda configures and maintains systems effectively and efficiently.

• Identify key metrics to measure reliability and efficiency, drive their implementation within the team and with cross-functional partners, then use the data to relentlessly drive continuous improvement. 

• Spearhead the development of new functions and processes to enhance operational effectiveness.

• Manage communication of progress and status with internal stakeholders and customer groups across different locations and time zones.

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of processes and ensure project visibility throughout the deployment.

• Interview, mentor, and coach new team members to foster their professional growth and development. 

About You

• 15+ years of experience in technical systems (HPC, networking, storage)

• 5+ years experience in managing the operation of large scale environments 

• Experience setting strategy, multi-year execution roadmap & metrics for SRE

• Experience in service management processes (ex: Incident Management, Change Management, Alert Management)

• Experience defining, monitoring & tracking SLOs for infrastructure and services.

• Experience with managing geographically distributed teams

• Experience managing multiple managers across a wide spectrum of functions

• Knowledgeable in distributed systems and redundancy / high-availability and performance optimizations

• Familiar with security and risk mitigation for a cloud-based environment

• Familiar with compliance regimes (SOC2, ISO etc.).

• Familiarity with using analytics to forecast and optimize operations teams to ensure appropriate resource allocation

• Ability to work well under deadlines and structured project plans, but also comfortable with high-frequency change.

Nice to Have 

• Experience in the AI, machine learning or computer hardware industry

• Bachelor’s degree in EE, CS, Physics, Mathematics, or equivalent work experience

• Expertise in cloud security protocols and vulnerability assessment to protect data and maintain secure infrastructure

Salary Range Information 

Based on market data and other factors, the annual salary range for this position is $320,000-$450,000. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.

About Lambda

• Founded in 2012, ~350 employees (2024) and growing fast

• We offer generous cash & equity compensation

• Our investors include Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, US Innovative Technology, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, Crescent Cove.

• We are experiencing extremely high demand for our systems, with quarter over quarter, year over year profitability

• Our research papers have been accepted into top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG

• Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents

• Commuter/Work from home stipends for select roles

• 401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)

• Flexible Paid Time Off Plan that we all actually use

A Final Note:

You do not need to match all of the listed expectations to apply for this position. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lambda is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.