Principal Analyst, Public Cloud

At Forrester, we’re trusted to work on trailblazing, mission critical problems that business and technology leaders face today. That’s why we’re always looking to empower talented individuals to perform at their best every single day. We’re proud of our community of smart people and vibrant voices who come together to do what’s right by our clients and each other. Our success is driven by curiosity, courage and customer obsession.

The confidence and drive to be bold n us and build an extraordinary future.

About This Role:

Forrester Research is seeking a Principal Analyst to lead research on public cloud platforms and the strategies, architectures, operating models, and market dynamics shaping enterprise cloud adoption. This role serves technology executives and leaders responsible for cloud strategy, architecture, infrastructure, operations, and application platforms, helping them use public cloud to deliver stronger business outcomes while managing cost, complexity, risk, resilience, and organizational change.

The Principal Analyst will examine the rapidly evolving public cloud market, including hyperscale and alternative cloud platforms; multicloud and hybrid cloud strategies; cloud-native infrastructure and application services; containers and Kubernetes; serverless computing; AI infrastructure and platform services; cloud operations; governance; and application migration and modernization. The ideal candidate combines strategic perspective with credible technical and delivery experience and can translate complex market and technology shifts into clear, provocative, and actionable guidance for senior leaders.

Job Description:

The Principal Analyst works as part of a high-performing team with a strong emphasis on collaboration in all aspects of the role. The Principal Analyst is expected to:

Lead Forrester’s public cloud platform research, working across research teams and with sales, product, and customer success to build a cohesive portfolio that helps clients make better technology and business decisions.

Develop a deep understanding of what technology executives, cloud leaders, architects, infrastructure and operations leaders, platform teams, and application development leaders require to succeed with public cloud.

Conduct primary research through interviews, surveys, vendor briefings, and market analysis on public cloud strategy, platform selection, workload placement, multicloud and hybrid cloud, cloud-native development, AI infrastructure and services, sovereign cloud, cloud operations, governance, migration, and modernization.

Analyze the strategies, capabilities, differentiation, and market position of major and emerging public cloud providers and translate market developments into implications for enterprise customers and technology vendors.

Help clients navigate strategic and technical trade-offs involving cost, performance, resilience, security, data sovereignty, portability, skills, operating models, ecosystem choices, and vendor concentration.

Create approximately eight to 12 high-quality, actionable, analytically deep, and fact-based research projects per year, including written reports, tools, webinars, videos, blogs, podcasts, infographics, and other intellectual property.

Drive and lead key Forrester Wave and Landscape research in public cloud and adjacent markets.

Develop decision frameworks, maturity models, best practices, and practical guidance that help clients define cloud strategy, select platforms and partners, modernize applications, govern cloud use, and improve the value delivered by cloud investments.

Consult with clients to apply Forrester’s research in the context of their business and technology environments through inquiry, guidance, advisory, and consulting…