Cloud FinOps Analyst

About the Role

The Cloud FinOps Analyst is responsible for monitoring, analysing, and optimising cloud expenditure across the organisation's multi-cloud environment to ensure cost-effective consumption of technology services. Works closely with engineering, architecture, finance, procurement, and business stakeholders to provide cost transparency, financial insights, budgeting support, forecasting, and governance that enable informed decision-making. Takes the lead on identifying cost optimisation opportunities, driving consumption accountability, and implementing FinOps best practices across cloud platforms. Applies specialised knowledge of cloud pricing models, cost management tools, financial reporting, and operational processes to maximise business value while supporting innovation and scalability. Further plays the role of advisor and educator to technology teams, promoting a culture of financial accountability and embedding cost optimisation into day-to-day operations. Produces executive-level reporting, detailed financial analysis, business cases, forecasts, and recommendations that support strategic planning, budgeting, and continuous cost improvement initiatives.

What you'll do

• Lead advanced analysis and reporting on cloud usage, cost trends and key cost drivers across cloud platforms and services.
• Evaluate cloud consumption, spend patterns, anomalies and budget variances using available cloud cost management tools and reporting data.
• Develop cloud cost reports and dashboards that provide stakeholders with clear visibility of cost, usage, allocation and optimisation opportunities.
• Interrogate cloud billing data to identify cost drivers, unused resources, under-utilised services, over-provisioned capacity and material optimisation opportunities.
• Translate cloud cost data into actionable insights and recommendations that guide Cloud, Engineering, Finance and business decision-making.
• Drive cloud cost optimisation and financial governance practices.
• Prioritise and track optimisation actions such as rightsizing, scheduling, storage optimisation, reserved capacity, savings plans and decommissioning of unused resources.
• Govern tagging, cost allocation and showback practices to strengthen financial accountability across teams, products, projects and cost centres.
• Measure optimisation progress and realised savings against agreed targets, budgets and business expectations.
• Lead cloud budgeting, forecasting and stakeholder reporting.
• Advise Finance and Technology stakeholders on cloud budget tracking, forecasting inputs and variance explanations.
• Deliver timely reporting on cloud spend against budget, forecast, project, product or service area requirements.
• Shape insights for cost reviews, governance forums and decision-making discussions.
• Influence cross-functional teams to embed FinOps ways of working.
• Partner with Cloud, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, Procurement and business stakeholders to promote responsible cloud usage and cost accountability.
• Embed FinOps standards, reporting routines, cost management processes and cloud financial governance practices across relevant teams.
• Enhance FinOps reporting, cost allocation, tagging, budgeting and optimisation practices to improve cloud financial management maturity.
• Facilitate FinOps reviews, communities of practice and continuous improvement activities that strengthen cloud cost visibility and accountability.

What you bring

• Diploma / Degree in Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Analytics or related field – (essential).
• +5 years’ experience in cloud cost management, FinOps, financial analysis, business analysis, reporting, data analytics, cloud operations or a related technology finance environment – (essential).
• FinOps Certified Practitioner or equivalent FinOps training – (desirable).
• Cloud fundamentals certification such as AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals or equivalent – (desirable).
• Data analysis or reporting training using Excel, Power BI or similar analytics tools – (advantageous).
• Experience analysing cloud consumption, billing data, budgets, forecasts and cost trends – (essential).
• Experience using cloud cost management tools such as AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, native cloud billing tools or equivalent platforms – (essential).
• Working knowledge of cloud services, pricing constructs, tagging, cost allocation, resource utilisation and optimisation levers – (essential).
• Strong data analysis and reporting capability using Excel, Power BI, SQL or similar tools – (essential).
• Experience working with Technology, Finance, Procurement, Engineering or business stakeholders to support cost visibility and decision-making – (essential).
• Exposure to budgeting, forecasting, chargeback, showback or financial governance processes – (advantageous).
• Experience in a retail, technology or large enterprise environment – (advantageous).
• Ability to develop clear cloud cost dashboards, executive insights and actionable recommendations for technical, finance and senior business stakeholders – (essential).