Cloud Operations Owner (AWS)
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Cloud Operations Owner (AWS) where you will have the chance to shape the future cloud operations of DS Smith, leading the operational performance, governance, and continuous improvement of our AWS cloud services. This is a highly visible role at the heart of our technology organisation, where you'll act as the operational owner for AWS services, partnering with internal teams and strategic service providers to deliver secure, reliable, and high-performing cloud platforms that support our business across Europe.
What you'll be doing
As our Cloud Operations Owner, you'll be responsible for ensuring our AWS services operate effectively, efficiently, and securely while driving continuous improvement across the cloud estate.
Key responsibilities include:
Acting as the primary operational contact and escalation point for AWS services.
Leading major incident management and driving timely resolution with internal and external partners.
Monitoring and managing service performance against SLAs, KPIs, and operational targets.
Driving continual service improvement initiatives and operational excellence programmes.
Managing governance across incident, change, release, and transition processes.
Conducting root cause analysis and implementing preventative measures.
Overseeing AWS infrastructure operations across compute, storage, networking, and security services.
Ensuring compliance with security, audit, and regulatory requirements.
Working closely with Cloud, DevOps, Engineering, and Security teams to support business priorities and digital transformation initiatives.
What we're looking for
We're seeking a cloud operations professional who combines strong technical knowledge with exceptional service management and stakeholder engagement skills.
You'll bring:
Experience managing AWS cloud operations within enterprise or managed service environments.
Strong knowledge of AWS technologies including EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, IAM, and CloudWatch.
Experience working within ITIL-based service management frameworks.
Proven vendor and partner management capability.
Strong incident, problem, and change management experience.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure automation.
An understanding of cloud security, compliance, and FinOps principles.
AWS certifications and relevant cloud qualifications would be advantageous.
Why join us?
At DS Smith, together with International Paper, we're redefining packaging for a changing world. With more than 60,000 colleagues worldwide, we're a leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, creating innovative products that help our customers reduce waste, improve efficiency, and accelerate their sustainability ambitions. We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive, contribute, and succeed. If you're excited by the opportunity to make an impact in a global organisation undergoing significant transformation, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help us shape the future of cloud operations at DS Smith. 🚀
#LI-CP
Skills Required
- Experience managing AWS cloud operations in enterprise or managed service environments
- Strong knowledge of AWS EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, IAM, and CloudWatch
- Experience working within ITIL-based service management frameworks
- Proven vendor and partner management capability
- Strong incident, problem, and change management experience
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure automation
- Understanding of cloud security, compliance, and FinOps principles
- AWS certifications and relevant cloud qualifications
DS Smith Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about DS Smith and has not been reviewed or approved by DS Smith.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered okay to good across many roles, with some plants indicating competitive or above‑market hourly rates for operators and similar positions. This supports a broadly fair perception of base pay even as experiences vary by site.
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Healthcare Strength — U.S. offerings include day‑one medical/vision and dental, employer HSA contributions, and 100% company‑paid life and short/long‑term disability, alongside an EAP. Some role descriptions also highlight mental‑health and fertility options.
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Retirement Support — Packages commonly reference a 401(k) with company match and, in some locations, pension eligibility or company‑funded retirement contributions. This positions retirement benefits as a meaningful component of total rewards.
DS Smith Insights
What We Do
DS Smith provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services with a commitment to sustainability and a circular economy. Our core purpose is to Redefine Packaging for a Changing World, and our expert teams work closely with like-minded partners to incorporate renewable resources for products that minimize our environmental impact, reduce complexity and increase profitability through supply chain optimization
