Director of Platform

The Director of Platform at Vizrt is responsible for driving the technical vision, mentoring a high-performing DevOps/Platform team, and architecting scalable cloud infrastructure primarily on AWS. This includes implementing CI/CD, observability, and developer experience solutions, ensuring operational excellence, and enhancing security and compliance across our systems.

Candidates for the Director of Platform role at Vizrt should possess 10+ years in senior engineering or technical leadership roles, with deep expertise in AWS services and experience with infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or CDK. Strong programming capabilities in languages such as Python and JavaScript are also essential.

The Director of Platform plays a pivotal role in Vizrt's cloud transformation by leading the transition from on-premises systems to cloud and SaaS solutions. By designing robust platform services and enabling automation, this leader ensures that product teams can deliver solutions efficiently and remain aligned with customer needs.

Success as the Director of Platform at Vizrt hinges on strong leadership, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of modern DevOps and SRE principles. The ability to manage complex projects, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive platform roadmaps is essential to excel in this role.

The recruitment process for the Director of Platform position at Vizrt involves several stages, including recruiter screening, team interviews, a technical discussion, and a final interview. Each step is designed to assess both technical capabilities and cultural fit within the team.

When leading a high-performing DevOps team, I focus on fostering an inclusive environment where collaboration and innovation thrive. I emphasize the importance of ongoing communication, mentorship, and setting clear objectives that align with the overall business goals.

Prioritizing tasks in cloud infrastructure projects involves evaluating the impact on business outcomes, customer needs, and technical dependencies. I prefer to use project management frameworks to align priorities efficiently and communicate them clearly to the team.

I have extensive experience with AWS services, including EC2, ECS, RDS, and S3. I am well-versed in crafting secure, scalable, and efficient environments using these services, and I actively stay updated with AWS best practices and new feature releases.

Ensuring security and compliance in cloud systems requires a proactive approach. I collaborate closely with security teams to implement best practices, conduct regular assessments, and integrate security into the development process to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure adherence to industry standards.

I advocate for infrastructure-as-code as a vital practice that promotes automation and consistency. My approach involves using tools like Terraform or CloudFormation to manage infrastructure, which facilitates quick deployment, version control, and enhanced collaboration across teams.

I measure the success of platform operations through key performance indicators such as uptime, incident response times, and deployment velocity. Regular monitoring and reporting help provide insights into performance and areas for improvement.

One common challenge in cloud transformation is resistance to change within teams. To address this, I focused on effective communication and provided training and resources to demonstrate the benefits of cloud solutions, ultimately fostering a culture of acceptance and adaptation.

Cost optimization in cloud architecture involves ongoing analysis and adjustments. I regularly review resource usage, implement autoscaling, and use reserved instances where appropriate. I also engage teams to adopt cost-aware practices that foster resource efficiency.

Developer experience is crucial in platform architecture. A seamless and user-friendly developer experience enhances productivity and morale, which is why I prioritize creating intuitive CI/CD pipelines and offering practical tools and resources that facilitate smooth development workflows.

I believe in a people-first leadership style that emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and empowerment. This approach fosters trust and encourages team members to take ownership of their work, leading to highly engaged teams and successful project outcomes.