Monitors and analyzes engineering spend across cloud, AI/ML, data platforms, and SaaS, identifying trends, anomalies, and optimization opportunities.
Builds and maintains forecasts for engineering spend, partnering with Finance and engineering leaders to understand drivers, assumptions, and risks.
Partners with engineering, product, and TPMs to incorporate cost considerations into roadmaps, architectural decisions, and execution plans.
Leads cost optimization initiatives, such as rightsizing, commitment strategies, and workload efficiency improvements, in collaboration with engineering owners.
Creates and maintains dashboards and reporting that make spend understandable and actionable for both engineers and executives.
Implements FinOps practices and processes, including showback/chargeback models, unit economics, and cost ownership frameworks.
Partners on tooling and automation, working with data and engineering teams to improve cost visibility, forecasting accuracy, and operational efficiency.
Drives alignment and behavior change, helping teams balance cost, performance, reliability, and velocity through data-driven decision making.

Requirements

6–10+ years of relevant experience working at the intersection of engineering, infrastructure, data, or finance in a cloud-native or SaaS environment.
Proven experience partnering closely with engineering teams to influence decisions involving cloud infrastructure, data platforms, AI/ML workloads, or SaaS spend.
Working understanding of modern cloud-native architectures, including core components such as compute, storage, networking, data pipelines, and managed services—enough to engage credibly with engineers on design, tradeoffs, and cost drivers.
Strong foundation in cost analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and variance management, with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights.
Comfort working directly with data, including writing SQL (or effectively using AI-assisted tools to do so) to explore datasets, validate assumptions, and answer ad hoc questions.
Experience building clear, high-quality dashboards and BI artifacts that are not only accurate, but intuitive and delightful for engineers and leaders to use.
Demonstrated success driving adoption and behavior change—embedding cost awareness into day-to-day engineering workflows, not just producing reports.
Experience owning and delivering cross-functional programs end-to-end, often without direct authority or a dedicated team.
Familiarity with FinOps principles and practices (e.g., shared ownership, showback/chargeback, unit economics, optimization strategies).
Strong communication skills, with the ability to tailor complex technical and financial concepts for engineering, finance, and executive audiences.

Benefits

Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard skills

cost analysisforecastingbudgetingvariance managementSQLcloud-native architecturesdata pipelinesdashboardsBI artifactsFinOps practices

Soft skills

communication skillsinfluencing decisionsdriving adoptionbehavior changecollaborationdata-driven decision makingtranslating data into insightspartneringleading initiativesengaging with engineers