Cloud Engineering is no longer just focused on uptime and server management.
Today's Cloud Engineers are playing a far more strategic role in scaling businesses, supporting DevOps, and even enabling AI. Here are the biggest shifts we're seeing in what clients want, and how you can stay ahead of the curve in 2025.
From Ops to Strategy: Engineers as Partners in Growth
Gone are the days where Cloud Engineers sat solely behind the scenes. More and more businesses are looking for professionals who can contribute to broader architectural decisions, work closely with product and development teams, and offer proactive solutions to scalability, reliability, and cost.
The takeaway: If you’re used to being handed a checklist, now’s the time to level up—learn to speak the language of the business, and you’ll stand out fast.
Tooling Mastery is a Must
It’s no surprise that cloud hiring managers still want experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP—but increasingly, they’re digging deeper into tooling knowledge. Infrastructure as Code is now standard, and hiring managers are specifically calling out tools like:
Terraform
Docker & Kubernetes
Ansible
CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions or CircleCI
If you’ve worked on production-ready infrastructure with these tools, make sure it’s front and centre on your CV and LinkedIn profile.
AI-Ready Infrastructure is the Future
As more companies invest in AI and machine learning, they’re leaning on Cloud Engineers to build environments that can support heavy data workloads. Experience with GPU scaling, container orchestration, and data pipeline integration is becoming highly desirable—especially in mid-to-enterprise level businesses.
Tip: If you haven’t yet worked on AI/ML infrastructure, look into open-source projects or self-guided labs that give you exposure.
Certs Still Matter. But They’re Not the Whole Picture
AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Administrator, and Google Cloud certs are still valuable—especially for junior to mid-level engineers. But we’re increasingly seeing hiring managers prioritise real-world project experience over just certificates.
What helps: Side projects, GitHub portfolios, and examples of your infrastructure decisions in action (with metrics like uptime, speed, or cost savings) are a great way to set yourself apart.
Soft Skills & a Scalability Mindset
Hiring managers consistently tell us they want Cloud Engineers who can:
Communicate clearly with cross-functional teams
Solve problems proactively, not reactively
Think about cost optimisation and performance at scale
Contribute ideas during sprint planning or architecture reviews
The best engineers today aren’t just keeping the lights on—they’re helping businesses grow smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Whether you're actively looking for a new role or just want to stay sharp, now’s the time to invest in new skills, collaborate more, and position yourself as someone who can deliver value across the business. If you're looking for your next opportunity and want to know how your experience stacks up in the current market, please reach out! Marketing@primis-talent.com