Director, Cloud FinOps

Your New Role: 

The Cloud FinOps Lead will report into the T&O Office of CIO organization and will be responsible for the successful oversight and management of the Cloud FinOps team. The team is responsible for planning and managing the global Warner Brother Discovery cloud consumption and spend, cloud financial and accounting tracking, advisory services, cost modeling and strategic analysis, executive and financial reporting, data management and show back, contract negotiation analysis, cost/resource governance, anomaly tracking, and architecture optimization.

Your Role Accountabilities: 

The Cloud FinOps lead will be a critical leader in T&O and will work directly with cloud clients, leadership, and vendors. Key responsibilities include:

• Set and deliver the strategic roadmap and ongoing oversight for the WBD Cloud FinOps
• Ensure that cloud consumption is monitored and managed across the global multi cloud environment (AWS, GCP, and Azure) for maximum resource efficiency – (significant volume of accounts, individual projects and annual spend)
• Manage and balance the cloud consumption Commitment portfolio to ensure highest possible coverage and utilization while maintaining a flexible and agile cloud environment (RIs, Savings Plans,..etc) – advise on ways to re-purpose freed up capacity
• Drive the cloud optimization targets in terms of budget savings and cost avoidances
• Analyze cloud services and deployed resources to inform contractual negotiations relating service discounts and commitment levels
• Manage vendor relationships on key strategic accounts to ensure proper oversight, partnership, resource readiness, and support
• Deliver improved consumption showback/ accountability by driving the Cloud CMDB maturity through partnering with engineering teams to mature tagging adoption and compliance, design overlays to generate insightful reports
• Oversee the Cloud Cost optimization team to further transform and standardize the cost optimization value and best practices
• Drive the maturity and progression of Cloud based Metrics to tie complex consumption patterns to products changes
• Evaluate data patterns/outliers and derive insightful knowledge that can inform strategic and operational decisions
• Build relationships and lead integrated collaborations with other functional teams on cloud related initiatives
• Partner with vendors on creating innovation opportunities through proof of concepts and pilot initiatives
• Act as the main point of contact to all cloud stakeholders, liaison between business and technical stakeholders on an ongoing basis to provide transparency on the cloud spend and cost impacts based on their unique needs
• Act as subject matter expert in advising on new and different cloud services and resources
• Participate and lead business case development and cost modeling exercises
• Oversee projects relating pulling cost data from new vendors (via API queries/Python)

Qualifications & Experiences: 

• Advanced understanding of cloud platforms, cost mechanics, consoles, and services (AWS, Google, Azure) to include- Cost Explorer, Cost and Usage Reports, Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, Sustained Use Discounts/Committed and other cloud cost mechanics
• Ability to comprehend complex architectural diagrams to advise on cloud resource setup and consumption triggers
• Ability to work with Technology and Finance based models and concepts
• Knowledge of CMDB and Data visualization tools such as CloudAware and PowerBI
• Technical acumen in data management workflows and components (Data lake, BigQuery)
• Knowledge of Media streaming delivery workflow and services
• Strong analytical skills, data driven with ability to develop insight through creative organic solutions
• Experience in managing vendors on large high profile strategic accounts
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build and maintain strong partnerships at all organizational levels
• Self-driven and able to work across diverse technical and non-technical teams (Accounting, Finance, Engineers, Executives, Vendors)
• Leader and a team player with transformation mindset – able to lead and drive through influence and partnership
• Background in cloud governance related function is a must, FinOps certification is highly desired
• Strong organizational, task, and project management skills
• Consistent exercise of independent judgment and discretion in matters of significance
• Enthusiastic learner and advocate of early technology adoption
• Ability to operate successfully in a lean, agile, and fast-paced organization
• BS degree in Computer Science or Business; MS preferred
• Experience in consulting or a client facing role is a plus
• +10 years of work experience at a large-scale global media company is highly preferred
• Geographical presence near Silver Spring, Maryland or Knoxville, TN is preferred