Sr Prin Cloud Engineer

Consumers Energy•Jackson, MI

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Principal Cloud Engineer is a top-tier technical leader responsible for defining and executing the enterprise cloud strategy across CMS Energy. This role provides architectural vision, influences long-term technology roadmaps, and ensures the organization’s cloud platform scales effectively to meet evolving business needs. Operating at the intersection of technology and business, the Senior Principal Cloud Engineer collaborates with executives, engineering leaders, and security stakeholders to drive cloud transformation initiatives. This role guides the organization’s adoption of modern cloud paradigms—including platform engineering, large-scale automation, zero-trust security, and cloud-native application models—while serving as a coach, mentor, and advocate for engineering excellence.

Requirements

Enterprise Architecture Leadership: Proven track record of designing and evolving infrastructure for complex, distributed systems at scale.
Cloud Vision & Strategy: Ability to define a long-term vision for cloud operations, including automation, security, compliance, and resilience.
Organizational Influence: Trusted advisor to C-level stakeholders and mentor to senior technical staff.
Cloud Platform Engineering: Deep understanding of scalable, self-service platforms and modern developer experience (DevEx) principles.
Innovation Leadership: Ability to stay ahead of industry shifts and prototype and validate forward-looking solutions (e.g., AIOps, cloud-native data architectures).
Policy & Risk Management: Strong familiarity with risk trade-offs in highly regulated or complex environments, particularly in areas such as data sovereignty, cost governance, and business continuity.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and ten (10+) years of experience in cloud architecture, DevOps, infrastructure automation, or technical leadership [OR] Associate’s degree and twelve (12+) years of experience in cloud architecture, DevOps, infrastructure automation, or technical leadership [OR] High School Diploma/GED and fourteen (14+) years of experience in cloud architecture, DevOps, infrastructure automation, or technical leadership.

Responsibilities

Represent the organization externally through speaking engagements, publications, and participation in cloud architecture communities.
Provide thought leadership in platform architecture, cloud-native design, and emerging technologies (e.g., AI workloads, edge computing).
Lead major transformations, such as legacy system decomposition, multi-cloud adoption, and enterprise-wide platform re-architecture.
Establish technical direction for cloud infrastructure and platform engineering teams, aligning design standards, tooling, and security practices.
Mentor across the organization, including Principal Engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, technical depth, and cross-team collaboration.
Define and evolve enterprise cloud strategy in alignment with business goals, industry trends, and regulatory requirements.
Influence executive leadership and board-level stakeholders on strategic technology investments, trade-offs, and transformation risks.
Own cloud vendor and partner relationships, including evaluating new services, optimizing contracts, and ensuring alignment with architectural principles.
Drive enterprise AI and automation strategy by establishing scalable foundations (tools, patterns, and guardrails) and aligning initiatives to measurable business outcomes.
Ensure AI and automation solutions operate within governance expectations, including security, compliance, and architectural standards, while supporting structured intake, prioritization, and delivery models.
Lead execution of high-priority AI and automation initiatives by guiding solution delivery from intake through implementation, ensuring outcomes are achieved efficiently, consistently, and aligned with defined value targets.
Perform other duties as assigned.