Principal Analyst, Public Cloud

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +8 more states.

📋 Description

• Oversee Forrester’s public cloud platform research in collaboration with various research teams, including sales, product, and customer success.

• Cultivate an understanding of the requirements of technology executives, cloud leaders, architects, infrastructure and operations leaders, platform teams, and application development leaders.

• Execute primary research via interviews, surveys, vendor briefings, and market analysis.

• Evaluate major and emerging public cloud providers and interpret market trends into implications for enterprise clients and technology vendors.

• Assist clients in navigating trade-offs related to cost, performance, resilience, security, data sovereignty, portability, skills, operating models, ecosystems, and vendor concentration.

• Generate around eight to twelve actionable research projects annually, which may include reports, tools, webinars, videos, blogs, podcasts, infographics, and other intellectual property.

• Spearhead Forrester Wave™ and Landscape research in the public cloud and related markets.

• Create decision frameworks, maturity models, best practices, and practical guidance for cloud initiatives.

• Provide consulting support to clients through inquiries, guidance, advisory, and consulting engagements.

• Present at Forrester-sponsored and industry events, delivering webinars, workshops, and executive presentations.

• Build a notable industry presence through speaking engagements, thought leadership, relationships with senior technology leaders, cloud providers, ecosystem partners, and journalists, along with vendor briefings and press inquiries.

• Aid in business development and discussions with prospects.

• Promote collaboration across teams, mentorship, intellectual rigor, integrity, and impact on clients.

⛳️ Requirements

• BA/BS degree or equivalent professional experience.

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in senior practitioner, cloud architect, platform or infrastructure leader, consultant, technology strategist, vendor executive, or research analyst roles focusing on public cloud or closely related areas.

• Extensive knowledge of the public cloud market, encompassing hyperscale and alternative, sovereign, industry, and specialized cloud providers.

• Proven experience in cloud strategy, architecture, platform selection, migration, modernization, cloud-native development, or cloud operations within complex enterprise environments.

• Strong working knowledge of infrastructure as a service; containers and Kubernetes; serverless and application platform services; data and AI platform services; hybrid and multicloud management; cloud networking, storage, compute, security, resilience, observability, and automation.

• Insight into organizational and operating-model changes necessary for achieving cloud success.

• Capacity to assess technology platforms and markets from both technical and business perspectives.

• Proven ability to advise senior management and C-level clients.

• Exceptional client-facing communication, listening, interviewing, critical thinking, collaboration, analytical, writing, editing, and presentation skills.

• Ability to simplify complex ideas into clear, compelling concepts and to hold well-supported positions.

• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.

• Preferred: experience in advising or executing cloud programs for large enterprises, regulated industries, or global organizations.

• Preferred: practical or leadership experience with major public cloud platforms and cloud architecture frameworks.

• Preferred: experience in conducting comparative market evaluations, vendor selection, product strategy, consulting engagements, or executive-level thought leadership.

• Preferred: established connections among enterprise cloud leaders, cloud providers, service partners, or industry media.

🏝️ Benefits

• Exposure to industry experts and leading business figures within Fortune 1000 companies.

• Access to research that shapes global leaders on a daily basis.

• Opportunities for world-class learning and development.

• Unlimited cappuccino available.

• The chance to enjoy playing guitars in our Cambridge headquarters’ lobby and take piano lessons on Fridays.

• Onsite massage services.

• Competitive foosball and ping-pong competitions.

• A high-quality fitness center and new pickleball courts.

• Zagster bike-sharing and rental program.

• A comprehensive benefits package.

• Opportunity to work in a LEED Gold- and LEED Platinum-certified building.