Manager of Cloud Optimization Research

CloudZero is the leading cloud cost intelligence platform that empowers businesses to optimize cloud spending and align it with their business goals. We are seeking a Manager of Cloud Optimization Research to lead a team of subject matter experts focused on discovering and automating cloud cost optimization insights. In this player/coach role, you will guide your team and deep dive into cloud architecture and the code, building scalable algorithms and processes that help customers optimize their cloud environments. 

This role demands both hands-on technical expertise and strong leadership skills, as you will be at the intersection of cloud architecture, cost efficiency, and customer collaboration. You'll also collaborate with our cutting-edge data science team to integrate ML and AI into the optimization process, driving greater automation and insight for customers. If you're passionate about building well-architected, cost-effective cloud systems and love solving complex cloud challenges, this is the perfect opportunity to grow and thrive.

Why This Role Matters:

• Lead Innovation in Cloud Efficiency: Be at the forefront of cloud cost optimization by driving research and development of innovative strategies that empower businesses to operate more effectively in the cloud.
• Solve High-Stakes Challenges: Tackle the complex and evolving problems of cloud resource management, helping companies reduce costs while maintaining scalability, performance, and security.
• Shape Industry Standards: Collaborate with top experts to create and implement best practices that set new benchmarks for cloud cost governance and architectural excellence across leading platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Deliver Transformative Impact: Partner with customers to develop data-driven, scalable solutions that enhance their business outcomes, ensuring that every dollar invested in cloud infrastructure fuels growth and innovation.
• Integrate Cutting-Edge Technology: Drive the convergence of cloud optimization and AI by collaborating with data science teams to embed machine learning models that deliver automated insights and recommendations at scale.
• Lead a High-Impact Team: Inspire and guide a team of cloud optimization experts, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, technical excellence, and customer success.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and mentor a team of cloud optimization experts to deliver innovative solutions that discover and automate cloud cost and performance optimization.
• Act as a player/coach by contributing directly to code development, infrastructure automation, and technical design while driving your team’s success.
• Collaborate with customers to understand their cloud usage patterns, business objectives, and pain points related to cloud costs and scalability.
• Design and implement algorithms and tools that analyze cloud usage (AWS, Azure, GCP) to surface optimization opportunities and deliver data-driven recommendations.
• Coordinate optimization research across core cloud platforms as well as services such as Snowflake, Databricks, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI and data infrastructure services.
• Ensure cloud solutions adhere to best practices for reliability, performance, security, and cost efficiency.
• Engage directly with customers, conducting technical briefings, deep-dive optimization discussions, and collaborative solution sessions.
• Work closely with our data science team to integrate ML and AI into the cost optimization process, developing models and strategies that drive automated insights and recommendations.
• Collaborate with our data science team to develop models for cloud cost forecasting, allocation, and governance tailored to the unique needs of our customers.
• Stay current with emerging trends, pricing updates, and best practices across cloud platforms to maintain a competitive edge.

• Proven experience leading technical teams, with a track record of delivering cloud-based solutions and optimizations.
• Strong hands-on experience with AWS (knowledge of Azure and GCP is a plus), including deep familiarity with pricing models and cloud-native services.
• Solid background in Cloud, DevOps, or Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), with expertise in building well-architected, scalable, and cost-effective systems.
• Proficiency in infrastructure automation and development, with experience in tools and languages such as Python, Terraform, or similar.
• Strong data analysis skills, including experience with SQL, cloud monitoring tools, and cost management platforms.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex cloud architecture and cost optimization strategies to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Prior experience in a client-facing role, with a passion for delivering value-driven solutions and exceptional customer experiences.
• A "Get Stuff Done" mindset, thriving in fast-paced, collaborative environments where innovation and execution are key.
• Passion for continuous learning and staying ahead of cloud technology advancements.

Why You:
You are driven by the challenge of optimizing cloud environments, solving complex infrastructure problems, and delivering value through scalable, data-driven solutions. Your blend of technical expertise and leadership will shape CloudZero's cloud cost optimization strategies, empowering customers to achieve greater efficiency and business alignment. This is your opportunity to lead innovation in a fast-growing field, define industry best practices, and make a lasting impact on how businesses manage their cloud investments.

About CloudZero:

Cloud cost management is one of the biggest challenges organizations face today. As cloud adoption accelerates, so do the complexities and associated costs - and macroeconomic conditions only increase pressure to prove cloud efficiency. That’s why we built CloudZero: a SaaS platform at the intersection of next-generation cloud cost management and FinOps. CloudZero ingests billing and usage data from all cloud, SaaS, and PaaS providers, organizes it in real-time according to our customers’ business structures, lets customers view it at any level of time or resource granularity, and ultimately empowers them to make more informed business decisions.

Since our founding in 2016, our mission has been to make efficient innovation a reality for every cloud-driven organization. At CloudZero, we believe every engineering decision is a buying decision, yet the cost conversation often bypasses the engineers who drive those determinations. To solve this, we’ve built a dynamic, single-page application that answers the complex, data-heavy questions every cloud-based organization needs to ask if they want to grow their company profitably.

To date, we’ve raised over from leading venture capital firms nationwide. We’re solving problems of massive scale, business importance, and complexity in a space that needs it more than ever. We’re growing rapidly and would love for you to be a part of it.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We cannot sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an Employment Visa at this time.

CloudZero offers competitive compensation and benefits, including:

• Comprehensive Health Care, Dental, and Vision Plans
• CloudZero Equity
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Parental Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• PTO