Cloud Finance Lead

FinOps Weekly; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Discretionary bonus program

Job summary

Northern Trust seeks a Cloud Finance Lead to direct financial planning, cost governance, and forecasting for our cloud portfolio. You will partner with Technology, Cloud Engineering, Procurement, and BU CFOs to drive disciplined spending and support cloud migrations and modernization.

The role requires 10–15+ years in FP&A or tech finance, strong cloud economics knowledge, and the ability to translate technical patterns into financial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or related field.
• 10-15+ years of experience in FP&A, Technology Finance, or related financial leadership roles.
• CPA, CFA, MBA, or FinOps Certification.
• Strong understanding of cloud economics (Azure, AWS, Snowflake, etc.) or a willingness to rapidly learn.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex technical concepts into financial outcomes.
• Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
• Experience interacting with senior leaders and influencing cross‑functional decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly/quarterly cloud forecasting, variance analysis, and long‑range planning across multiple cloud providers.
• Maintain and enhance cloud cost models, demand forecasting methodologies, and productivity assumptions.
• Partner with Technology Finance and CIO organizations to align cloud demand with enterprise budget constraints and strategic priorities.
• Translate complex cloud usage patterns into clear financial impacts for non‑technical stakeholders.
• Build and maintain frameworks for cloud cost governance, including spend controls, tagging hygiene, and savings accountability.
• Identify cost‑optimization opportunities such as reserved instances, rightsizing, storage optimization, and platform consolidation.
• Work with FinOps, Cloud Engineering, and Infrastructure teams to operationalize optimization recommendations.
• Ensure expense governance aligns with architectural policies and funding protocols.
• Evaluate cloud migration proposals and prepare financial business cases including cost‑to‑migrate, run‑rate cloud expense versus on‑prem costs, TCO benefits, contract and licensing implications.
• Model sensitivities, risks, and capital/expense impacts associated with large‑scale cloud initiatives.
• Partner with Procurement on cloud‑related vendor negotiations and renewals.
• Create executive‑level reporting on cloud KPIs, consumption trends, efficiency metrics, and spend drivers.
• Develop and maintain dashboards to support transparency across CIO organizations and Steering Committees.
• Monitor and report progress relative to cloud productivity targets and demand reduction initiatives.
• Partner with Cloud Engineering, Architecture, Security, and Product teams to understand upcoming migrations, platform requirements, and financial implications.
• Act as the finance representative in cross‑functional cloud governance forums.
• Provide guidance to BU partners on cloud forecasting, cost drivers, and financial accountability.

Skills

Cloud economics

Financial modeling

Forecasting

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or related field

CPA, CFA, MBA, or FinOps Certification

Tools

Apptio/Cloudability/Flexera

Job description

About Northern Trust
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.
Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The
Cloud Finance Lead
is a strategic finance leader responsible for driving financial planning, cost governance, forecasting accuracy, and analytical insight across the organization’s cloud portfolio (Azure, AWS, Snowflake, and related platforms). This role partners closely with Technology, Cloud Engineering, Procurement, and Business Unit CFO teams to ensure financial discipline, improve cost transparency, and support investment decisions across cloud consumption, migrations, and modernization initiatives.
The Cloud Finance Lead will oversee cloud financial frameworks, enable cloud‑cost optimization, guide budgeting processes, and provide timely insights to senior leadership to support decision‑making in a rapidly expanding and evolving cloud environment.
Key Responsibilities
Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis
Lead monthly/quarterly cloud forecasting, variance analysis, and long‑range planning across multiple cloud providers.
Maintain and enhance cloud cost models, demand forecasting methodologies, and productivity assumptions.
Partner with Technology Finance and CIO organizations to align cloud demand with enterprise budget constraints and strategic priorities.
Translate complex cloud usage patterns into clear financial impacts for non‑technical stakeholders.
Cost Governance & Optimization
Build and maintain frameworks for cloud cost governance, including spend controls, tagging hygiene, and savings accountability.
Identify cost‑optimization opportunities such as reserved instances, rightsizing, storage optimization, and platform consolidation.
Work with FinOps, Cloud Engineering, and Infrastructure teams to operationalize optimization recommendations.
Ensure expense governance aligns with architectural policies and funding protocols.
Investment & Business Case Support
Evaluate cloud migration proposals and prepare financial business cases including:
cost‑to‑migrate
run‑rate cloud expense versus on‑prem costs
TCO benefits
contract and licensing implications
Model sensitivities, risks, and capital/expense impacts associated with large‑scale cloud initiatives.
Partner with Procurement on cloud‑related vendor negotiations and renewals.
Financial Reporting & Insights
Create executive‑level reporting on cloud KPIs, consumption trends, efficiency metrics, and spend drivers.
Develop and maintain dashboards to support transparency across CIO organizations and Steering Committees.
Monitor and report progress relative to cloud productivity targets and demand reduction initiatives.
Cross‑Functional Leadership
Partner with Cloud Engineering, Architecture, Security, and Product teams to understand upcoming migrations, platform requirements, and financial implications.
Act as the finance representative in cross‑functional cloud governance forums.
Provide guidance to BU partners on cloud forecasting, cost drivers, and financial accountability.
Success Measures
Forecast accuracy across cloud consumption and productivity targets.
Improved financial transparency and cost discipline within cloud spending.
Timely, high‑quality insights enabling leadership decision‑making.
Effectiveness of cloud cost optimization efforts and governance processes.
Strength of cross‑functional relationships and trust in the cloud finance function.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or related field.
10-15+ years of experience in FP&A, Technology Finance, or related financial leadership roles.
CPA, CFA, MBA, or FinOps Certification.
Strong understanding of cloud economics (Azure, AWS, Snowflake, etc.) or a willingness to rapidly learn.
Demonstrated ability to interpret complex technical concepts into financial outcomes.
Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
Experience interacting with senior leaders and influencing cross‑functional decision-making.
Preferred
Knowledge of FinOps principles and cloud governance frameworks.
Experience with cloud reporting tools (e.g., Apptio/Cloudability/Flexera, native CSP cost management tools).
Prior work supporting cloud migrations, modernization initiatives, or technology portfolios.
Working Model:
Hybrid ()
We have a balanced hybrid working model to ensure you get the flexibility you need, and the successful candidate will spend their time between working in the office and working from home.
Salary Range
$114,700 – 194,900 USD
Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Working With Us
As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.
Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.
We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater
Reasonable accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [emailprotected] .
We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.
Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.
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