What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cloud FinOps Specialist, Grade N28 position at Montgomery County Government?
About The Position
Please note: The salary range above represents the earning potential for this position. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $94,837.00 to $150,450.00, based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Who We Are
The mission of the Department of Technology & Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) is to use information technology to:
Who We Are Looking For
We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytically driven Cloud FinOps Specialist to lead and mature the County’s cloud financial management (FinOps) capabilities. This role will design and operationalize scalable show-back (Informational reporting only) and charge-back (Actual billing based on usage) models, enhance cloud cost transparency, and drive continuous optimization of Azure spending across Montgomery County.
Core Responsibilities
What You'll Be Doing
Cloud Financial Management & Governance
Minimum Qualifications
Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience in the information technology field in areas such as cloud financial management, FinOps, IT financial management, or technology cost governance.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted. For applicants possessing very hard-to-find skills that are a critical need to the department/agency, training and certification may be accepted in lieu of full degree requirements.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field from an accredited college or university.
Medical Protocol: This position requires completion of a pre-employment Medical History Form to assess your ability to perform the essential duties of the role safely.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Individuals appointed to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months and, if promoted to a position in this class, will be required to serve a probationary period of six (6) months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.
Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences
All Applicants will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for minimum qualifications. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be rated “Qualified,” placed on the Referred List, and may be considered for an interview. Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following:
The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.
Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.
MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .
All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.
This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.
If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.
Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.
Please note: The salary range above represents the earning potential for this position. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $94,837.00 to $150,450.00, based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Who We Are
The mission of the Department of Technology & Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) is to use information technology to:
- Enable our employees to provide quality services to our citizens and businesses
- Deliver information and services to citizens at work, at home, and in the community
- Increase the productivity of government and citizens.
Who We Are Looking For
We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytically driven Cloud FinOps Specialist to lead and mature the County’s cloud financial management (FinOps) capabilities. This role will design and operationalize scalable show-back (Informational reporting only) and charge-back (Actual billing based on usage) models, enhance cloud cost transparency, and drive continuous optimization of Azure spending across Montgomery County.
Core Responsibilities
What You'll Be Doing
Cloud Financial Management & Governance
- Monitor, analyze, and forecast Azure cloud spending across all County programs and departments
- Build and maintain enterprise-wide back and chargeback models aligned with County financial policies
- Ensure Azure resources are correctly tagged, categorized, and mapped to cost centers, departments, and funding sources
- Define, document, and enforce FinOps standards, cost allocation methodologies, and governance processes
- Identify, quantify, and recommend cost-optimization opportunities (rightsizing, reserved instances, savings plans, lifecycle management, etc.)
- Collaborate with TEBS technical teams to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency
- Track consumption trends and proactively flag anomalies, budget risks, and optimization opportunities
- Develop and present executive-level dashboards, reports, and briefings on cloud spending, trends, forecasts, and optimization progress
- Translate technical cloud usage into clear financial insights to support leadership decision-making
- Support annual budgeting, reforecasting, and variance analysis for cloud services
- Partner with Procurement and Fiscal teams on Azure and enterprise IT purchases, renewals, and vendor engagement
- Assist with contract analysis, licensing optimization, and long-term cloud financial planning
- Serve as a trusted advisor to County departments on responsible cloud usage and cost management
Minimum Qualifications
Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience in the information technology field in areas such as cloud financial management, FinOps, IT financial management, or technology cost governance.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted. For applicants possessing very hard-to-find skills that are a critical need to the department/agency, training and certification may be accepted in lieu of full degree requirements.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field from an accredited college or university.
Medical Protocol: This position requires completion of a pre-employment Medical History Form to assess your ability to perform the essential duties of the role safely.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Individuals appointed to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months and, if promoted to a position in this class, will be required to serve a probationary period of six (6) months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.
Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences
All Applicants will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for minimum qualifications. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be rated “Qualified,” placed on the Referred List, and may be considered for an interview. Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following:
- Demonstrated hands-on experience managing and analyzing Azure cloud costs in a complex enterprise or public-sector environment
- Strong understanding of cloud billing structures, pricing models, and consumption-based services
- Experience developing, implementing, or operating enterprise-level showback and/or chargeback models
- Advanced analytical skills with the ability to transform financial and usage data into clear, actionable insights
- Proficiency with cloud cost-management and reporting tools (e.g., Azure Cost Management, Power BI, or similar platforms)
- Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical teams, fiscal staff, and executive leadership
- FinOps Certified Practitioner (FOCP) or equivalent FinOps certification
- Experience working in government, public-sector, or large regulated environments
- Familiarity with multi-cloud cost-management principles and practices
- Experience supporting enterprise budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.
Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.
MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .
All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.
This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.
If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.
Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.
Salary : $94,837 - $150,450