Manager, Technical Support – OpenStack and Kubernetes

Manager, Technical Support – OpenStack and KubernetesJob SummaryProvides leadership and direction for the delivery of pre and post-sales services and support to clients and customers. Manages all facets of customer retention (CRM) including participating in the resolution of customer concerns and defining and developing a customer contact strategy. Analyzes operational processes, escalation procedures and performs training needs assessments for identifying opportunities for service delivery improvements and value add to the organization. Reviews SLA claims. Develops and manages service with speed and accuracy and all client/customer service delivery issues are resolved. Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the function. Responsible for adhering to company security policies and procedures and any other relevant policies and standards as directed Career Summary·       Manages professional employees and/or team leads·       Has accountability for the performance and results of a team within own area of specialty ·       Adapts functional area plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges ·       Decisions and problem solving are guided by processes, procedures and functional area plan; receives guidance from senior management ·       Provides technical guidance to employees, colleagues and/or customers Critical CompetenciesBusiness Insight: Utilizes knowledge of practices and approaches for managing the function as a viable business entity * Utilizes knowledge of the organization’s business model and operations to drive projects and analyses that support the organization’s mission * Applies advanced understanding of the policies, practices, trends and information that impact the organization and its customers to anticipate and plan for each step of a complex project * Demonstrates understanding of the financial impact of decisions/solutions to drive projects and analyses that support the organization’s mission Systems Thinking: Takes a whole systems approach to analyze business issues and implements holistic solutions, ensuring that linkages between structure, people, process and technology are made * Facilitates collaboration with different stakeholders with varied perspectives to develop effective solutions to issues * Strives for optimum organizational efficiency by applying systems thinking across boundaries and making recommendations about policies/ processes * Takes a whole systems approach to analyze issues and implements holistic solutions by ensuring that linkages between structure, people, process and technology are madeInnovation: Solves problems and improves current product stack through innovative thinking and rigorous adherence to development and engineering practices.* Collaborates with organizational stakeholders to identify and prioritize deliverables, and coordinates the application of resources to achieve organizational goals* Follows standard development practices (design patterns, testing, code reviews, and structured code delivery), along with strict adherence to change control practices.* Embraces at-scale engineering practices, utilizing infrastructure-as-code methodologies in all production environment, collaborating with teammates to align with standardized tooling and practices within the organization. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Manages team members in the delivery of technical activities that support customers
• Accountable for the performance and results of an OpenStack and Kubernetes support team
• Work with sales and solutions architects to understand client requirements to design optimal cloud solution
• Develop and implement processes for ongoing service delivery, management, and support of OpenStack and Kubernetes solutions
• Adapts functional area plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges across varied work types
• Provides technical guidance to employees, colleagues and/or customers regarding systems monitoring, operations and company systems malfunctions
• Accountable for meeting response requirements related to service level agreements
• Collaborates across teams to ensure speed, expertise and consistency of customer outcomes through collaborative coverage, work handoff and creative allocation of resources to solve complex customer issues or deliver on projects
• Drive the development and engagement of employees through professional development programs, tasks of increasing complexity, projects, and engagements
• Provides expertise and representation of service delivery for OpenStack and Kubernetes products in higher level meetings, as well as with customers 
• Leads crisis responses; executes an operational remediation plan for a team, shift or across shifts
• Ensures design support scalability, quality, performance, security, maintainability and architectural integrity, and ensures solutions are delivered in alignment with the OpenStack and Kubernetes product strategies and goals 
• Focuses on continuous improvement to the operation, technical standards, process and the customer experience
• Own/drive/lead projects at the department/functional level across teams and shifts to enhance or ensure consistency, quality, speed of service and architectural integrity
• Participate in transformative projects at the functional level
• Change Management:  Identifies and requests changes that impact the company globally; understands the change management process, Risk Priority Number (RPN) scoring, and risk mitigation for each change; plans, briefs and implements the change
• Problem Management: serves as champion, scribe, or facilitator in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) where systems, tools, process or people did not achieve desired outcomes
• Oversees developers who contribute to both Rackspace-specific applications and tooling, as well as contributes to open-source initiatives which benefit the community and Rackspace.
• Practice strong collaboration with other development and engineering managers within the organization to align resource assignment and prioritize product deliverables in sync with the department and the company as a whole.

Person SpecificationKnowledgeStrong knowledge of the principles of customer service management and delivery Expert knowledge in the methods and principles of finding resolution to customer concerns and developing a customer contact strategySpecialist knowledge in support of Rackspace standardsGood understanding of OpenStack and KubernetesApplies understanding of the business and how own area integrates with others to achieve functional area objectives Expert knowledge in analyzing operational processes, escalation procedures and performing training needs assessments for identifying opportunities for service delivery improvements. Expert knowledge in developing customer service department proceduresModerate experience in a development or engineering role, or significant experience managing developers and/or devops engineers. SkillsAbility to communicate effectively across levels verbally, in writing, and in presentationsExceptional people skills with the ability to engage and motivate subordinates and peersStrong collaboration skills with leadership peers in the department. EducationRequired bachelor's degree in business or technology related field.  ExperienceRequired 7 - 9 years of relevant work experience of progressive responsibility involving customer service Experience indirectly leading teams or guiding less experienced resources Demonstrated ownership in some leadership tasks or progressive development through leadership training is desired. Experience as an individual contributor in a development, testing, or engineering role, or management of one or more of those roles.About Rackspace TechnologyWe are the multicloud solutions experts. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent. Join us on our mission to embrace technology, empower customers and deliver the future.  More on Rackspace TechnologyThough we’re all different, Rackers thrive through our connection to a central goal: to be a valued member of a winning team on an inspiring mission. We bring our whole selves to work every day. And we embrace the notion that unique perspectives fuel innovation and enable us to best serve our customers and communities around the globe. We welcome you to apply today and want you to know that we are committed to offering equal employment opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender reassignment or identity or expression, genetic information, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, military or veteran status, nationality, ethnic or national origin, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any legally protected characteristic. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.