FinOps Lead

FinOps Weekly; Perth; Hybrid; AUD 148,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

17% superannuation

Flexible work-from-home arrangements

Salary packaging

Health and wellbeing services

Discounts for retail

Job summary

Curtin University is seeking a FinOps leader to drive cloud financial management within its Digital, Technology & Solutions, Platforms team. The role focuses on reducing cloud costs, improving governance, and embedding financial discipline across cloud investments.

Based in Curtin University, you will lead a FinOps function, build cross‑unit capabilities, and shape the university’s cloud maturity while promoting cost transparency and accountability across stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience in FinOps, cloud financial management, or cloud cost optimisation in a complex enterprise environment.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and cost optimisation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication to influence diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the FinOps team and build capability across the university.
• Develop strategies to reduce cloud cost and improve value from cloud investments.
• Provide visibility into cloud spend across compute, storage, apps, and services.
• Design cost allocation models, tagging standards, and chargeback/showback frameworks.
• Analyse spend trends and identify optimisation opportunities for executives.
• Collaborate with technology and business leaders to promote efficient cloud use and responsible finance practices.
• Drive education, engagement and continuous improvement in cloud financial literacy, reporting, tools and monitoring.

Skills

FinOps

Cloud cost optimisation

Financial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Tools

AWS

Azure

Job description

About the Role

This is a full-time, continuing (permanent) role with Job Reference1608782. Based in Curtin University’s Digital, Technology & Solutions, Platforms team, the position is responsible for leading cloud financial operations and helping shape the university’s cloud financial management capability. You will support the value, governance, transparency, and accountability of Curtin’s cloud investments. The role brings together FinOps leadership, cloud expertise, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership to support the university’s digital strategy and cloud maturity journey. The position also plays a key part in building a cost‑conscious culture across the university and embedding financial discipline into the way digital platforms and services are designed, built, and operated.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the FinOps team, while building FinOps capability across the university.
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce cloud cost and improve the value delivered from cloud investment.
• Provide visibility into cloud spend across compute, storage, applications, and broader cloud services.
• Design and enforce cost allocation models, tagging standards, and chargeback/showback frameworks.
• Analyse spend trends and identify optimisation opportunities for executive stakeholders.
• Work with technology and business leaders to support efficient cloud use and responsible financial practices.
• Lead education, engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen cloud financial literacy, reporting, tools, and monitoring.

Required Skills

• Experience in FinOps, cloud financial management, technology finance, or cloud cost optimisation in a complex enterprise environment.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and cost optimisation.
• Working knowledge of AWS and/or Microsoft Azure, including billing, consumption, and optimisation principles.
• Experience with chargeback/showback models, cloud spend reporting, and cost governance frameworks.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Proven leadership experience, including leading teams, driving strategic initiatives, and building collaborative relationships.
• A proactive, strategic mindset with the ability to identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to complete a National Police Clearance and satisfy background, integrity, and reference checks.

Cloud Platforms & Technologies

Cloud Providers

• AWS
• Microsoft Azure

Cloud / Platform Domains

• Cloud infrastructure
• Automation
• Data
• Integration
• Foundational digital services
• Compute
• Storage
• Applications
• Cloud billing
• Cloud consumption
• Cloud optimisation
• Cloud financial management tools
• Reporting platforms
• Cost monitoring capabilities

FinOps Responsibilities

• Improve cloud cost visibility and financial accountability.
• Develop and manage cost allocation, tagging, and chargeback/showback frameworks.
• Analyse cloud spend trends and recommend optimisation actions.
• Support financially sustainable cloud consumption.
• Promote cloud financial literacy and FinOps practices across the university.
• Mature reporting platforms and cost monitoring capabilities.
• Partner with stakeholders to encourage efficient cloud use and responsible financial decision‑making.

Benefits

• Full‑time, continuing (permanent) employment.
• Remuneration of $148,452– $162,785 plus 17% superannuation.
• Generous leave entitlements, including additional leave.
• Work‑life balance options, including potential flexible work‑from‑home arrangements.
• Salary packaging.
• Health and wellbeing services.
• Discounts for retail and travel.
• Access to Bentley campus facilities including an art gallery, gym, childcare, medical centre, bus station, accessible parking, and food options, including a supermarket.

Why You Might Be Interested

This role offers the chance to lead FinOps capability within a large university environment and influence cloud financial strategy across the organisation. It combines leadership, stakeholder engagement, and cloud financial management in a position with visible operational impact. You will help improve cost transparency, drive efficiency, and support a more financially accountable approach to cloud use. The role also includes permanent employment, superannuation, leave entitlements, and flexible work options.