About Northern Trust:
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.
Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The Cloud Finance Lead is a strategic finance leader responsible for driving financial planning, cost governance, forecasting accuracy, and analytical insight across the organization’s cloud portfolio (Azure, AWS, Snowflake, and related platforms). This role partners closely with Technology, Cloud Engineering, Procurement, and Business Unit CFO teams to ensure financial discipline, improve cost transparency, and support investment decisions across cloud consumption, migrations, and modernization initiatives.
The Cloud Finance Lead will oversee cloud financial frameworks, enable cloud‑cost optimization, guide budgeting processes, and provide timely insights to senior leadership to support decision‑making in a rapidly expanding and evolving cloud environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis
- Lead monthly/quarterly cloud forecasting, variance analysis, and long‑range planning across multiple cloud providers.
- Maintain and enhance cloud cost models, demand forecasting methodologies, and productivity assumptions.
- Partner with Technology Finance and CIO organizations to align cloud demand with enterprise budget constraints and strategic priorities.
- Translate complex cloud usage patterns into clear financial impacts for non‑technical stakeholders.
Cost Governance & Optimization
- Build and maintain frameworks for cloud cost governance, including spend controls, tagging hygiene, and savings accountability.
- Identify cost‑optimization opportunities such as reserved instances, rightsizing, storage optimization, and platform consolidation.
- Work with FinOps, Cloud Engineering, and Infrastructure teams to operationalize optimization recommendations.
- Ensure expense governance aligns with architectural policies and funding protocols.
Investment & Business Case Support
- Evaluate cloud migration proposals and prepare financial business cases including:
- cost‑to‑migrate
- run‑rate cloud expense versus on‑prem costs
- TCO benefits
- contract and licensing implications
- Model sensitivities, risks, and capital/expense impacts associated with large‑scale cloud initiatives.
- Partner with Procurement on cloud‑related vendor negotiations and renewals.
Financial Reporting & Insights
- Create executive‑level reporting on cloud KPIs, consumption trends, efficiency metrics, and spend drivers.
- Develop and maintain dashboards to support transparency across CIO organizations and Steering Committees.
- Monitor and report progress relative to cloud productivity targets and demand reduction initiatives.
Cross‑Functional Leadership
- Partner with Cloud Engineering, Architecture, Security, and Product teams to understand upcoming migrations, platform requirements, and financial implications.
- Act as the finance representative in cross‑functional cloud governance forums.
- Provide guidance to BU partners on cloud forecasting, cost drivers, and financial accountability.
Success Measures
- Forecast accuracy across cloud consumption and productivity targets.
- Improved financial transparency and cost discipline within cloud spending.
- Timely, high‑quality insights enabling leadership decision‑making.
- Effectiveness of cloud cost optimization efforts and governance processes.
- Strength of cross‑functional relationships and trust in the cloud finance function.
Qualifications:
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or related field.
- 10-15+ years of experience in FP&A, Technology Finance, or related financial leadership roles.
- CPA, CFA, MBA, or FinOps Certification.
- Strong understanding of cloud economics (Azure, AWS, Snowflake, etc.) or a willingness to rapidly learn.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret complex technical concepts into financial outcomes.
- Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
- Experience interacting with senior leaders and influencing cross‑functional decision-making.
Preferred
- Knowledge of FinOps principles and cloud governance frameworks.
- Experience with cloud reporting tools (e.g., Apptio/Cloudability/Flexera, native CSP cost management tools).
- Prior work supporting cloud migrations, modernization initiatives, or technology portfolios.
Working Model: Hybrid (#LI-Hybrid)
We have a balanced hybrid working model to ensure you get the flexibility you need, and the successful candidate will spend their time between working in the office and working from home.
Salary Range:
$114,700 - 194,900 USDSalary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Working with Us:
As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.
Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.
We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater
Reasonable accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected].
We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.
Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or related field
- 10-15+ years experience in FP&A, Technology Finance, or related financial leadership roles
- CPA, CFA, MBA, or FinOps Certification
- Strong understanding of cloud economics (Azure, AWS, Snowflake) or willingness to rapidly learn
- Demonstrated ability to interpret complex technical concepts into financial outcomes
- Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills
- Experience interacting with senior leaders and influencing cross-functional decision-making
- Knowledge of FinOps principles and cloud governance frameworks
- Experience with cloud reporting tools (Apptio, Cloudability, Flexera, native CSP cost management tools)
- Prior work supporting cloud migrations, modernization initiatives, or technology portfolios
Northern Trust Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northern Trust and has not been reviewed or approved by Northern Trust.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are positioned as a standout, with a 401(k) plus an additional employer-funded pension described as a differentiator. This combination is repeatedly framed as a meaningful offset within total rewards, especially for long-term financial security.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits are depicted as generous, spanning paid time off, holidays, and dedicated paid volunteer time. The breadth of leave options is highlighted as a consistent strength that supports work-life balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is characterized as comprehensive, typically including medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support through an assistance program. The offering is portrayed as robust and family-supportive, with multiple plan options in some descriptions.
Northern Trust Insights
What We Do
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing and investment solutions, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise and integrity. A globally recognized Fortune 500 Company in continuous operation since 1889, we’ve built a legacy of empowering clients to reach their goals with confidence. Since our roots as a trust bank, we’ve grown to a global presence with more than 24,000 employees in more than 20 countries and across six core business units: Wealth Management Asset Management Asset Servicing Technology Corporate Functions Enterprise Operations Join a Team That’s Achieving Greater At Northern Trust, we refer to our employees as partners – with good reason. We understand that relationships are the key to our success. Here you’ll join a diverse and inclusive team of innovators with the drive to challenge the way things have always been done. Instead of choosing between a dynamic career and work-life balance, enjoy working with a team that supports your goals in the office and at home. We’ll help you get where you want to go without sacrificing what matters most to you. Delivering value and adhering to our enduring principles What are enduring principles? Since our founding, they have guided our strategy and success. Thanks to the dedication of our partners, Northern Trust continues to thrive by adhering to three enduring principles: service, expertise and integrity . What does this mean? Service Northern Trust has a relentless drive to provide exceptional service to our clients, our partners and our communities. We set new standards and go above and beyond in our commitment to delivering greater results. Expertise Expertise is at the core of who we are. We focus sharply on what we do well. From expanding our capabilities, to hiring talented professionals to developing innovative solutions, our expertise is why we continue to be a trusted advisor for generations of families and institutions. Integrity Operating with uncompromising ethics is central to Northern Trust’s heritage. As a result, our clients, partners and communities know they can rely on us. For more than 130 years, our integrity has been our guide – and that will never change.
Why Work With Us
At Northern Trust, we go further because we go together. We embrace flexibility, encourage balance, and prioritize inclusion at all levels, working together to keep you connected. We are committed to our employees—all 24,000 of them. Whether this is a first step or a bold new leap in your career, we’re here to help you move forward.
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