Cloud Financial Operations Engineer

Position Overview

The FinOps Analyst / FinOps Practitioner serves as a core member of the centralized cloud financial management team, responsible for operationalizing FinOps Foundation best practices across AWS and Azure. This role supports the full FinOps lifecycle (Inform, Optimize, Operate) across AWS and Azure. This role blends cloud financial engineering, financial analysis, and cross-functional enablement to drive visibility, optimization, and accountability for cloud spend.
This role reports to Cloud Engineering leadership, this role acts as a hands-on practitioner executing FinOps capabilities while partnering with Engineering, Cloud Practice, Finance, Product, and Executive Leadership.

FinOps Foundation Alignment

This role is explicitly aligned to FinOps Foundation principles and capabilities, including: - Visibility & Allocation - Optimization & Rate Efficiency - Budgeting, Forecasting, and Anomaly Management - Business Value & Unit Economics - Governance and Cost Accountability

Core ResponsibilitiesCloud Financial Management (AWS & Azure)

·      Analyze, monitor, and report on cloud usage and spend across AWS and Azure environments

·      Develop and maintain standardized cost allocation models using tagging, accounts, subscriptions, and cost centers

·      Produce operational, leadership, and executive-level reporting on cloud spend, trends, and unit economics

·      Own cloud cost forecasting processes and track variance against budgets and financial targets

Optimization & Rate Strategy

·      Identify and drive optimization opportunities including:

o   Rightsizing and workload optimization

o   Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and Azure Reservations

o   Spot usage strategies where applicable

o   Storage tiering and lifecycle optimization

o   Identification and remediation of idle or orphaned resources

·      Partner with cloud architects and engineering teams to prioritize and implement cost optimization initiatives

·      Track realized vs potential savings using FinOps KPIs and maturity metrics

Governance, Budgeting & Controls

·      Define and enforce FinOps governance standards including tagging policies, budget guardrails, and cost allocation rules

·      Implement and manage anomaly detection and alerting for unexpected cost behavior

·      Support audit readiness and financial controls related to cloud spend and governance

·      Maintain oversight of cloud operating budgets across AWS and Azure

Business Value & Enablement

·      Embed business value analysis into cloud demand and architectural decision-making

·      Develop and support showback and chargeback models to reinforce cost ownership

·      Translate cloud financial data into actionable insights for technical and non-technical stakeholders

·      Educate engineering, product, and finance teams on FinOps best practices and cost-aware decision making

Tooling, Reporting & Data Enablement

·      Leverage AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, Azure Cost Management, and Azure Advisor

·      Evaluate and support cost allocation and reporting platforms as needed

·      Collaborate with data and cloud engineering teams to centralize FinOps reporting, including Power BI dashboards

·      Support ETL processes to normalize and aggregate AWS and Azure cost and usage data

Executive & Stakeholder Communication

·      Prepare executive summaries, financial reports, and business reviews related to cloud Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

·      Present cloud financial insights, risks, and optimization progress to senior leadership

·      Develop communication strategies to ensure transparency and alignment across stakeholders

Required Qualifications

·      3+ years of experience in FinOps, cloud financial management, cloud cost optimization, or cloud financial analysis

·      Hands-on experience with AWS and Azure cloud platforms and their billing and pricing models

·      Strong understanding of consumption-based cloud economics and commitment discount models

·      Proven ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, finance, and leadership teams

·      Strong analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications

·      FinOps Foundation Certified Practitioner (or equivalent)

·      Experience in healthcare, fintech, or regulated environments

·      Experience with Power BI or similar financial reporting and visualization tools

·      Familiarity with ETL tools such as AWS Glue or Azure Data Factory

·      Cloud certifications (AWS or Azure) strongly preferred

Key Skills & Competencies

·      Financial analysis, forecasting, and cost modeling

·      Cloud architecture and workload awareness

·      Data analysis, reporting, and visualization

·      Stakeholder communication and executive presence

·      Continuous improvement and FinOps maturity mindset

Success Metrics

·      Accurate and consistent AWS/Azure cost allocation and reporting

·      Measurable cloud cost optimization and efficiency gains

·      Forecast accuracy and budget adherence

·      Increased engineering engagement and cost ownership

·      Adoption and maturity progression of FinOps Foundation practices

Base Salary Range

$105,000.00 - $133,000.00

At Zelis we are committed to providing fair and equitable compensation packages. The base salary range allows us to make an offer that considers multiple individualized factors, including experience, education, qualifications, as well as job-related and industry-related knowledge and skills, etc. Base pay is just one part of our Total Rewards package, which may also include discretionary bonus plans, commissions, or other incentives depending on the role.

Zelis’ full-time associates are eligible for a highly competitive benefits package as well, which demonstrates our commitment to our employees’ health, well-being, and financial protection. The US-based benefits include a 401k plan with employer match, flexible paid time off, holidays, parental leaves, life and disability insurance, and health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.

Equal Employment Opportunity  
Zelis is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 
 
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications for the role. We believe in the value of diverse perspectives and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive workplace for all. 

Accessibility Support 
We are dedicated to ensuring our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require a reasonable accommodation with any part of the application and/or interview process, please email [email protected]. 

  

Disclaimer 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities, duties, and skills from time to time.