Cloud FinOps Manager

University of New South Wales; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Working Options

Additional 3 days of leave over Xmas

Discounts and entitlements

Job summary

UNSW IT is seeking a Cloud FinOps Manager to lead cloud budgeting, consumption and financial sustainability. Hybrid role with 2–3 days in the Kensington NSW office.

You will drive cost efficiencies across UNSW’s Hybrid Cloud environments, build standards and advisory services, and partner with executives and IT teams to deliver measurable financial outcomes. The role reports to the Head of Technology Delivery and requires strong experience in cloud cost management, budgeting, and stakeholder

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Computer Technology or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of cloud costs and cost management tools.
• Experience leading large-scale cloud financial operations with cost efficiencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead cloud financial operations and cost governance initiatives.
• Monitor and analyse cloud spend with data-driven insights.
• Develop metrics, dashboards (Power BI) and forecasts.
• Drive rightsizing, reserved instances and waste elimination.
• Engage senior leaders and collaborate with developers, faculties and owners.

Skills

Cloud cost management

Power BI

AWS/Azure

Vendor negotiation

Budgeting & forecasting

Stakeholder management

ITIL knowledge

Education

Tertiary qualification in Computer Technology

Tools

Power BI

Apptio Cloudability

Datadog

Flexera

AWS Cost Explorer

Azure Cost Management

Job description

University of New South Wales – Kensington NSW

Employment Type: full time continuing role as a Cloud Financial Operations ( FinOps) Manager, UNSW IT

Attractive salary package available

Location: Kensington campus in NSW (Hybrid Flexible Working) 2-3 days in the office

About UNSW:

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. We’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community; a community doing extraordinary things. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. It’s the reason we’re one of the top 50 universities in the world and a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place.

The Cloud Financial Operations (FinOps) Manager will play a critical role managing and optimising UNSW's Cloud budgeting, consumption, and overall financial sustainability.

This senior role ensures cost optimisation and drives a proactive cost management culture for all cloud services, maximising value from cloud investments. This position offers a unique opportunity to build and shape the FinOps function at UNSW. The Cloud FinOps Manager will collaborate with leaders across UNSW IT, finance and technology teams to ensure the efficient utilisation and management of UNSW’s Hybrid Cloud environments. By setting standards, guidelines, procedures and advisory services to manage and monitor cloud spend, this role enables seamless business operations and customer satisfaction. This position is ideal for someone with a financial and accounting mindset coupled with a strong technical interest. The role reports to the Head of Technology Delivery.

Specific accountabilities for this role include:

• Strategic Leadership: Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction in cloud financial operations, ensuring alignment of FinOps initiatives with UNSW's overarching IT strategy and spearheading efforts to achieve substantial financial spend reductions across all environments.
• Monitor Cloud Spending: Continuously oversee and analyse cloud spending and resource utilisation, leading efforts to identify trends and inefficiencies. Drive optimisation opportunities by ensuring precise data analysis and maintaining high levels of accuracy and timeliness.
• Cost Optimisation: Develop and implement strategies to ensure the efficient use of cloud services by creating metrics and actionable measures. Lead initiatives such as rightsizing resources, leveraging reserved instances, and eliminating waste, actively ensuring optimisation practices are adopted across all UNSW teams.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Take responsibility for engaging with senior executives and work closely with in-house developers, faculties, research departments, and application owners to communicate and drive the implementation of cost management best practices.
• Cost Monitoring Tools: Responsible for leading cross-team collaboration to implement and enhance cost monitoring tools, ensuring clear visibility into cloud spending and driving financial accountability.
• Reporting: Develop, maintain and continuously improve automated financial performance reporting and Power BI dashboards, including cloud cost visibility, forecasting, variance analysis and optimisation tracking. Ensure reporting is accurate, timely, scalable and supported by reliable data models and repeatable processes, delivering actionable financial and strategic advice.
• Documentation and Training: Maintain comprehensive documentation of processes and provide training to promote cross-functional collaboration and skill development.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay updated with industry trends and best practices, proactively identifying and leading cost optimisation improvements.
• Vendor Management: Manage vendor relationships and negotiate multi-million dollar contracts to ensure the best terms and conditions for our cloud services.
• Developer Experience: Ensure that cost efficiency is considered as part of the end-to-end developer journey. Regularly gathering feedback from development teams to identify and address pain points and measure the impact of improvements.
• Strategic Advice: Provide strategic advice and guidance to the business to promote cost optimisation strategies and effectiveness, promoting continuous improvement initiatives relating to cloud spend.
• Compliance and Governance: Ensure compliance with UNSW’s financial policies and procedures, including cloud cost visibility (allocation, tagging) to allow showback/chargeback mechanisms, cost actuals management, and developing quarterly forecasts.
• Align with and actively demonstrate the Code of Conduct and Values
• Ensure hazards and risks psychosocial and physical are identified and controlled for tasks, projects, and activities that pose a health and safety risk within your area of responsibility.

Who you are:

• Tertiary qualification in Computer Technology (or equivalent), with demonstrated success in an IT environment and managing multiple complex projects in a large and diverse organisation.
• Strong understanding of cloud costs and proficiency in using cloud cost management tools (e.g. AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management).
• Extensive experience in leading and implementing large-scale financial operations within cloud environments, driving significant cost efficiencies.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to identify cost optimisation opportunities.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills to promote cost-awareness and implement cost-saving measures.
• Demonstrated experience creating and maintaining budgets, forecasts, and financial reports related to cloud usage and expenses.
• Strong hands‑on capability using Microsoft Power BI, including data modelling, Power Query and DAX, to design, build, automate, maintain and continuously improve executive and operational reporting and dashboards using multiple data sources.
• Excellent knowledge of cloud pricing models and vendor negotiation strategies.
• A continuous learning mindset to stay updated with industry trends and best practices.
• Hands‑on experience with major cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure) and strong technical troubleshooting skills.
• Familiarity with ITIL or other IT service management frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing cross‑functional practices for cloud financial management and cost optimisation.
• Demonstrated ability to drive a culture of proactive cost management.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate at a senior level.
• Proven ability collaborating with executive leaders to set business priorities that drive cloud cost governance and optimise cloud economics.
• Experience with tools such as Apptio’s Cloudability, Datadog and Flexera.
• Advanced written and verbal communications skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate at a senior level.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
• Knowledge of health & safety (psychosocial and physical) responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.

Benefits and Culture

• Flexible Working Options (work from home, flexible hours etc)
• Additional 3 days of leave over Christmas period
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness)

For further details on the benefits, please visit https://www.jobs.unsw.edu.au/lifestyle-benefits

Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role; valid Australian working rights are required on application.

Pre-Employment Checks

As part of our recruitment process candidates may be required to undergo pre-employment screening, which may include reference checks, qualification verification, right-to-work verification, and criminal history screening where relevant to the role.

Applications close: Tuesday 10th of November at 11.30pm

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.