Job Description
Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
FinOps Engineer (Hybrid - San Jose, CA)
Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced FinOps Engineer to join our team. This role is central to managing, optimizing, and forecasting our technology spending across multiple platforms, including major cloud providers, monitoring tools (like Datadog), and emerging technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs). The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of financial acumen, cloud engineering expertise, and excellent communication skills to drive cost-conscious decision-making across the organization.
Responsibilities
Financial Management and Optimization
- Monitor, analyze, and report on technology spending across various cost centers, including cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.), Datadog licensing, and usage of LLM APIs/services.
- Develop and maintain detailed monthly financial reports and dashboards for leadership, providing clear insights into spend trends, variances, and optimization opportunities.
- Collaborate with engineering and product teams to implement cost-saving initiatives, such as identifying underutilized resources, negotiating reserved instance commitments, and optimizing service architectures.
- Establish and track key FinOps metrics (e.g., unit cost, utilization rate, efficiency gains) and drive accountability for spending.
- Conduct monthly deep-dive analyses on significant cost drivers, making actionable recommendations for adjustment and optimization.
Tooling, Reporting, and Automation
- Administer and configure FinOps tools and platforms to ensure accurate cost allocation, showback/chargeback mechanisms, and real-time visibility into spending.
- Develop and maintain custom scripts and automation workflows to enforce spending policies and manage resource lifecycles (e.g., auto-shutdown of non-production environments).
- Standardize and streamline reporting processes, leveraging data visualization tools to present complex financial data simply and effectively.
Vendor and Contract Management
- Assist in the evaluation, negotiation, and renewal processes for technology contracts, including cloud enterprise agreements, Datadog licenses, and LLM service subscriptions.
- Work closely with procurement and legal teams to ensure contracts align with business needs and financial objectives, focusing on optimal pricing and usage tiers.
- Monitor vendor performance against contractual agreements and track realization of anticipated savings.
Governance and Education
- Establish and champion FinOps best practices and governance frameworks across engineering and finance teams.
- Develop and deliver training and documentation to educate teams on cost management tools, cloud pricing models, and optimization techniques.
- Act as a central point of contact for all cloud, Datadog, and LLM spending inquiries.
Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience
- 3+ years of experience in a FinOps, Cloud Financial Management, or similar role.
- Deep understanding of major public cloud billing and pricing models (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
- Proven ability to build and maintain comprehensive financial reports and dashboards for executive leadership.
- Experience administering or utilizing cost monitoring and observability tools, with specific knowledge of Datadog usage/licensing preferred.
- Proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Python, Excel) and data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Looker).
- Familiarity with contract negotiation principles and vendor management processes.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical cost data into clear business terms.
Desired Qualifications
- FinOps Certified Practitioner (FOCP) or FinOps Certified Professional certification.
- Experience managing costs related to machine learning, AI, or LLM services (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, or cloud-native LLM services).
- Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation) and their role in cost governance.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Finance, Business, or a related quantitative field.
(This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship)
Please note that this job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and does not include an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications.
At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. We drive a pay-for-performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between 133,400 - 200,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
