Lead Infrastructure Architect (JR100684)

Description

At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We’re proud that our core values of PASSION, CARE, IMAGINATION, and TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our exhibitions and conferences.

If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business then we want to hear from you.

The Opportunity:

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Chief Information Officer’s (CIO’s) group as the Lead Infrastructure Architect.

Reporting to the Lead Architect you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the core IT infrastructure that supports our business operations. You will work closely with stakeholders across the organisation to understand their needs and develop cost-effective, scalable, and secure solutions. This is a challenging and rewarding opportunity for a skilled professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Architecture and Design:

• Design, implement, and maintain secure on-premises, cloud-based, and hybrid IT infrastructure solutions with a preference for cloud only solutions.
• Analyse business and technical requirements to identify the most appropriate infrastructure solutions.
• Develop and document infrastructure/network architecture diagrams and specifications.
• Ensure high availability, security, scalability, and performance of the IT infrastructure.
• Stay up to date on the latest technologies and trends in IT infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure/network standards and best practices.
• Document all design decisions and changes made to the infrastructure/network.
• Develop DR plans and solutions.

 Implementation and Deployment:

• Manage and track project budgets and timelines.
• Work collaboratively with IT teams and MSPs to implement and deploy designed solutions, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption.
• Develop and document deployment plans, test procedures, and user training materials.
• Troubleshoot and resolve any technical issues related to the deployment process.

 Support and Optimisation:

• Monitor and analyse the performance of the infrastructure environment and tools.
• Identify opportunities for optimisation and recommend improvements to enhance platform performance and our end user productivity.
• Provide ongoing support to technical stakeholders and support troubleshooting technical issues.
• Employ data analytics in performance monitoring and optimisation decisions.

 Communication and Collaboration:

• Effectively communicate complex technical concepts to business stakeholders and non-technical users.
• Collaborate closely with various teams including IT, MSPs, and business units to ensure alignment and adoption of new technologies.
• Stay informed about organisational goals and objectives and translate them into actionable workspace solutions.
• Collaborate with cyber security teams to ensure compliance with security standards and requirements.
• Enable a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning within the team.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours:

• Extensive experience in IT infrastructure design and implementation is essential.
• A degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field would be desirable.
• Proven experience with network design, including routing, switching, security protocols and technologies (Cisco & Meraki, VMware Velocloud).
• Strong experience of cloud computing concepts and technologies (AWS & Azure).
• Strong experience of Identity & Access solutions (MS AD, EntraID, third party SSO solutions) and architecting secure conditional access solutions/policies.
• Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g., VMware vSphere).
• Experience with cloud networking concepts and technologies.
• Strong understanding of security best practices and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong documentation and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Passion for innovation and keeping up with the latest technology trends.
• Experience with project management methodologies.
• Experience with scripting and automation tools.
• Adaptability, leadership, and emotional intelligence.

About Clarion Events

Clarion Events is one of the world’s leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. (https://clarionevents.com/welcome)

Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Clarion is private equity backed and owned by Blackstone. Blackstone is one of the world’s leading global investment funds, investing capital for the long term in order to build successful, resilient businesses. (https://www.blackstone.com/)

Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.

Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
• Celebration day off (e.g. birthday, Diwali, Eid, etc)
• Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
• Helping Our World (HOW) Days – one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
• Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – a 24/7, 365-day confidential helpline
• Subsidised Café
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free on-site gym and shower facilities
• Free eyesight tests
• Free flu vaccination – offered on site once a year for all employees