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Cost Optimization Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Cesna Recruitment

Cost Financial Analyst

Reston, VA · On-site

... Support cost optimization initiatives including plant efficiency, yield improvement, and sourcing decisions · Lead the annual operating plan and forecasting for Operations, SG&A and capital ...

Aquinas Consulting

Senior Systems Engineer

Bethesda, MD

$111K - $153K/yr

In this role, you will lead cloud cost optimization and FinOps initiatives by developing automation, governance, and reporting solutions across multi-cloud environments and emerging AI/GenAI ...

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Cost Optimization information

What does an optimization specialist do?

An optimization specialist analyzes business processes, systems, or resources to improve efficiency and reduce costs. They use data analysis, modeling tools, and industry best practices to identify areas for improvement and implement strategies that enhance performance and profitability.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Cost Optimization position, and why are they important?

To thrive in Cost Optimization, you need strong analytical skills, business acumen, and a background in finance, operations, or supply chain management. Familiarity with data analysis tools such as Excel, SQL, ERP systems, and certifications like Six Sigma or Lean Management are often valuable. Attention to detail, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities help professionals stand out in this role. These skills are crucial for identifying savings opportunities, collaborating with stakeholders, and implementing sustainable cost-saving initiatives.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Cost Optimization professional?

A Cost Optimization professional typically spends their day analyzing spending patterns, evaluating operational processes, and identifying areas for efficiency improvement across departments. They collaborate closely with teams in finance, procurement, and operations to implement cost-saving strategies and monitor progress. The role often includes preparing reports, presenting findings to management, and ensuring cost reduction initiatives align with company goals. This dynamic position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the organization's financial performance while working in a collaborative, results-driven environment.

What is a Cost Optimization job?

A Cost Optimization job focuses on analyzing and improving a company's spending to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. Professionals in this role assess business operations, procurement, and financial strategies to identify cost-saving opportunities. They work closely with various departments to implement best practices, streamline processes, and negotiate better terms with suppliers. The goal is to ensure that resources are allocated effectively while maintaining quality and performance.

What jobs in the US pay 300,000 a year?

In the field of cost optimization, senior roles such as Director of Cost Management, Financial Director, or Chief Financial Officer often have salaries reaching or exceeding $300,000 annually, especially with extensive experience and certifications like CPA or CFA. These positions typically require strong analytical skills, strategic planning, and leadership in managing large budgets or financial operations.

What degree do you need to be a cost analyst?

A cost analyst typically needs a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field. Some employers prefer candidates with a master's degree or professional certifications like the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst (CCE/A). Strong analytical skills and proficiency with spreadsheets and data analysis tools are also important.

What is the work of cost optimization?

Cost optimization involves analyzing and reducing expenses to improve financial efficiency within an organization. Professionals in this field identify cost-saving opportunities, optimize resource allocation, and implement strategies to maximize value while maintaining quality. Skills in data analysis, financial modeling, and familiarity with cost management tools are often essential.
What are the most commonly searched types of Cost Optimization jobs in Washington? The most popular types of Cost Optimization jobs in Washington are:
What are popular job titles related to Cost Optimization jobs in Washington? For Cost Optimization jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities in Washington are hiring for Cost Optimization jobs? Cities in Washington with the most Cost Optimization job openings:
Cost Optimization jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cost Optimization job openings in Washington as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution.
Lead AWS FinOps + CloudOps Engineer - Cost Optimization

Lead AWS FinOps + CloudOps Engineer - Cost Optimization

System One

Reston, VA • On-site

Other

Posted 2 days ago

Job description

Lead AWS CloudOps / FinOps Engineer (Cost Optimization)

? Location: Remote (U.S.) | Hybrid option available in Reston, VA for local candidates
? Contract Length: 9 Months (Strong possibility of extension based on project needs)
? Employment Type: Contract

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Lead AWS CloudOps / FinOps Engineer to join a major cloud transformation initiative supporting enterprise-scale AWS environments. This is a high-impact leadership role focused on cloud financial management, cost optimization, operational excellence, automation, and cloud engineering best practices.

You will partner with Platform Engineering, Finance, Product, Architecture, and Application teams to drive cloud cost transparency, governance, forecasting, reporting, and optimization while ensuring scalable, secure, and resilient AWS infrastructure.

This role is ideal for a hands-on cloud engineering leader who enjoys combining deep AWS expertise with FinOps strategy to deliver measurable business value.

What You''ll DoAWS Cloud Operations & Engineering
  • Design, implement, and support enterprise AWS cloud solutions and operational frameworks.
  • Manage and optimize AWS services including EC2, EKS, S3, Lambda, IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, ELB, Direct Connect, and related services.
  • Lead infrastructure automation initiatives using Terraform, Ansible, Python, CloudFormation, or similar technologies.
  • Support system administration, patching, upgrades, disaster recovery planning, and capacity management.
  • Drive reliability, scalability, security, and operational efficiency across cloud environments.
FinOps & Cost Optimization
  • Build and maintain cloud cost reporting, dashboards, forecasting models, and executive summaries.
  • Analyze cloud spending trends, usage patterns, budget variances, and optimization opportunities.
  • Identify and eliminate waste, including:
    • Idle resources
    • Oversized instances
    • Orphaned storage
    • Unattached IPs
    • Unused commitments
    • Inefficient storage tiers
  • Implement and support tagging standards, allocation models, cost accountability, and governance policies.
  • Partner with engineering teams to improve cost visibility and financial accountability.
  • Support showback/chargeback models across business units.
  • Utilize tools such as:
    • AWS Cost Explorer
    • Cost & Usage Reports (CUR)
    • AWS Budgets
    • Cost Anomaly Detection
    • Apptio Cloudability (or equivalent)
Leadership & Transformation
  • Lead cloud modernization and transformation initiatives.
  • Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence across teams.
  • Communicate architectural decisions, trade-offs, and cloud financial insights to both technical and business stakeholders.
  • Champion Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles and cloud-native best practices.
  • Provide strategic recommendations balancing cost, performance, reliability, and scalability.
Required QualificationsExperience
  • 10+ years of overall IT experience.
  • 5+ years of hands-on AWS cloud engineering experience.
  • 2+ years of FinOps, cloud cost optimization, or cloud financial management experience.
  • Proven experience leading cloud transformation and modernization initiatives.
  • Strong systems engineering, operations, and cloud infrastructure background.
Technical Skills
  • Deep expertise with AWS services, including:
    • EC2
    • S3
    • EBS/EFS
    • IAM
    • Lambda
    • VPC
    • CloudWatch
    • CloudTrail
    • EKS
    • Networking and Direct Connect
  • Strong Infrastructure-as-Code experience using:
    • Terraform
    • AWS CloudFormation
    • Ansible
  • Strong scripting/programming skills in Python.
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
  • Knowledge of Git, Jenkins, Bitbucket, Artifactory, Nexus, ArgoCD, Jira, Maven, Bamboo, or similar tools.
  • Strong reporting and analytics experience using:
    • Power BI
    • Excel
    • SQL
    • AWS QuickSight
FinOps Expertise
  • Experience with Apptio Cloudability or similar cloud cost management platforms.
  • Strong understanding of:
    • Cloud cost allocation
    • Chargeback/showback models
    • Budget forecasting
    • Cost governance
    • Cost anomaly detection
    • Resource rightsizing
    • Savings Plans
    • Reserved Instances
    • Autoscaling
    • Storage lifecycle optimization
  • Knowledge of FinOps best practices and FOCUS (FinOps Open Cost & Usage Specification) preferred.
Education
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
  • Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, or other AWS certifications.
  • FinOps Certified Practitioner certification.
  • Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, EKS, ECS, or containerized environments.
  • Exposure to AI/ML solutions and AWS-native AI services.
  • Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
  • Knowledge of enterprise observability tools such as Datadog, New Relic, AppDynamics, Jaeger, or similar platforms.
If you are a hands-on AWS CloudOps leader with strong FinOps expertise and a passion for driving cloud efficiency and business value, we''d love to hear from you.

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