Job Description
Role Summary
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
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.
Travel Requirements
None
Relocation Provided
None
Position Type
Experienced
Referral Payment Plan
Yes
EEO Statement
Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.
We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team.
…