Job Description
The Cloud FinOps Architect is the technical engine of the MSI FinOps team, bridging the gap between high-level financial targets and engineering execution. Unlike traditional financial roles, this position requires a deep engineering background to provide architectural and code-level optimization insights. You will work directly with our FinOps Champions to identify and implement technical changes that drive our $\sim$$15M annual savings goal. You will also oversee the technical “how” of governance through scripting and automation, ensuring cost-efficiency is baked into the Motorola Solutions software development lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities & Time Distribution
Technical Optimization & Advisory (40%)
- Conduct deep-dive architectural reviews of high-spend services to identify inefficiencies.
- Provide specific code-level and infrastructure recommendations, such as refactoring for serverless, right-sizing containerized environments, and optimizing storage tiering logic.
- Advise engineering teams on cost-efficient design patterns during the initial design phase to prevent “technical debt” in the cloud bill.
FinOps Champions Program Engagement (30%)
- Act as the primary technical partner for the cross-MSI network of FinOps Champions.
- Translate high-level savings targets into actionable technical backlogs for engineering squads.
- Provide the “technical proof” and benchmarks needed for teams to adopt and prioritize optimization recommendations.
Governance Automation & Scripting (20%)
- Oversee and develop scripts (e.g., Python, Bash) and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) for automated governance.
- Build and maintain technical “guardrails” that prevent cost leaks before they occur.
- Automate the detection and remediation of orphaned resources, unoptimized snapshots, or inefficient architectural patterns.
Executive Technical Reporting (10%)
- Translate complex technical optimization successes into business value metrics for Senior Leadership.
- Provide technical feasibility assessments for long-term cloud financial commitments and strategic procurement decisions.
Basic Requirements
- Technical Background: 5+ years of experience in Software Engineering, Cloud Architecture, or DevOps.
- Cloud Depth: Expert-level understanding of AWS, Azure, or GCP services and how architectural choices (e.g., Microservices vs. Monolith, SQL vs. NoSQL) impact billing.
- Coding & Scripting: Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go) and hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation).
- Analytical Skills: Ability to parse complex billing data and correlate it with application performance and architectural bottlenecks.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
Desired Qualifications & Attributes
- Professional Certification: Professional-level Cloud Architect certification (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect Professional).
- Modern Infrastructure Expertise: Deep knowledge of Kubernetes (K8s) cost management, pod right-sizing, and cluster optimization.
- FinOps Leadership: FinOps Certified Practitioner (FOCP) with experience scaling technical governance across large, decentralized engineering organizations.
- Strategic Influence: The ability to challenge engineering “status quo” with data-driven architectural alternatives that save money without sacrificing performance or reliability.
- The “Bridge”: An innate ability to explain a $100k “code fix” to a developer and a 10% “margin improvement” to a CFO in the same conversation.