Senior Director, Global Head of Infrastructure

Russell Investments is seeking a seasoned infrastructure executive to serve as Senior Director, Global Head of Infrastructure. Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), this role will lead the strategy, engineering, and operation of our global infrastructure platform, including Microsoft Azure cloud environments and international data centers.

This position will drive a multi-year transformation to modernize infrastructure, enhance operational resilience, and align technology capabilities with the needs of our investment, trading, and business functions. The successful candidate will lead a globally distributed team, work in close collaboration with senior leaders across Technology, Risk, Operations, and Applications, and represent infrastructure at the enterprise level.

This is a high-impact role with global visibility and a direct path into long-term strategic technology leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture - Develop and execute a forward-looking, cloud-first infrastructure roadmap that enables business growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Design scalable and secure hybrid infrastructure solutions spanning Microsoft Azure and global data centers.
• Global Leadership and Team Management - Lead a globally distributed team of 50+ infrastructure professionals across regions and functions.
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture across engineering, operations, and service delivery teams.
• Cloud and Platform Engineering - Oversee the firm’s Azure cloud infrastructure, enterprise platforms, and hybrid integrations.
• Drive adoption of automation, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and containerization (Kubernetes, GitLab).
• Service Reliability and Operational Excellence - Ensure the 24x7 reliability, performance, and security of systems supporting global trading, analytics, and enterprise operations.
• Define and enforce SLAs, observability practices, and operational standards to deliver 99.99% uptime.
• Cybersecurity and Regulatory Compliance - Partner with the CISO and enterprise risk leaders to uphold compliance with SOX, FFIEC, GDPR, and global data protection standards.
• Own DR/BCP programs, audit readiness, and control design for infrastructure domains.
• Infrastructure Modernization and Technical Debt Reduction - Lead rationalization of legacy platforms and simplification of the infrastructure footprint.
• Collaborate with application and data teams to ensure alignment on modernization timelines and dependencies.
• Vendor and Financial Management - Manage global infrastructure spend, contract governance, and strategic partnerships with vendors including Microsoft, Equinix, VMware, and Palo Alto.
• Deliver transparent reporting and ensure alignment of vendor SLAs with business outcomes.

Business and Strategic Impact

• This role is instrumental in delivering the infrastructure foundation that powers:
• Real-time trading systems and low-latency market data
• Secure client reporting and digital servicing platforms
• Mission-critical business applications used across global markets
• By modernizing and securing our infrastructure estate, the Global Head of Infrastructure will ensure Russell Investments can scale globally, respond to changing regulatory demands, and deliver exceptional service to our clients and partners.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline; MBA is a plus
• 20+ years of progressive IT experience, with 8+ years in senior global infrastructure leadership roles
• Experience in financial services or other regulated sectors strongly preferred
• Microsoft Azure architecture and hybrid infrastructure operations
• Virtualization (VMware), storage (NetApp, Nutanix), enterprise networking (Cisco, Palo Alto)
• DevOps and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, GitLab, Kubernetes)
• ITSM tools and service delivery frameworks (ServiceNow)
• Deep understanding of cybersecurity, audit controls, and regulatory standards
• Proven track record of leading global teams from an offshore location (preferably India-based)
• Excellent communication, stakeholder influence, and executive presence
• Highly collaborative mindset with experience partnering across business lines, application teams, and risk functions
• Ability to translate business needs into scalable, secure, and reliable infrastructure solutions

Executive Visibility and Growth

• This position is part of the CTO’s global leadership team and will serve as a trusted advisor on technology infrastructure decisions. It offers the opportunity to lead a transformation that directly influences firmwide performance, client outcomes, and enterprise stability.