Technology FinOps Lead

Location:

Guernsey, Haywards Heath, Home Office (Remote) or Manchester

Salary: £55,226 - £69,032 - depending on experience

Department:
Technology and Data

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology h has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with excellent service. We were awarded Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024, and our Glassdoor score is impressive!

We’re looking for a Technology Fin Ops Lead to join our IT Governance team. You’ll play a crucial role in managing, optimising, and reporting our cloud, technology, and data costs. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams, including value stream teams and finance, to drive technological cost transparency and efficiency within our cloud environment and other areas of IT spend, supporting decision-making.

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey
, with occasional office visits.

Core skills required:

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong reporting, problem-solving, and analytical abilities with attention to detail.
• Data analysis skills.
• Ability to work independently and drive financial accountability in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Fin Ops Certified Practitioner or Certified Cloud Financial Management or similar certification (highly desirable).
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms, especially Azure, and containerised environments.

Responsibilities include:

• Proactively monitor, analyse, and report on cloud and technology spending, especially in Azure environments.
• Establish governance policies and standards for cloud resource tagging to ensure proper asset categorisation and cost allocation. Collaborate with technical teams and external providers to implement standardised tagging structures.
• Develop financial models and forecasts for technology and data costs, providing insights on cost efficiency, resource utilisation, and budget adherence.
• Support value stream leaders with financial data to align technology costs with business objectives.
• Work with finance teams on budgeting, forecasting, cost allocation, chargeback models, and financial reporting.
• Stay updated on Fin Ops best practices and industry trends to improve financial processes.
• Monitor, investigate, and report cost spikes; collaborate with teams for remediation activities. Enforce Fin Ops governance policies and ensure tagging compliance across cloud environments.
• Maintain cost allocation frameworks to improve accountability, ensure compliance with financial regulations and audit requirements, and develop dashboards for visibility into spending trends and cost efficiency.
• Partner with procurement to optimise cloud agreements and licensing models.
• Educate stakeholders on Fin Ops principles, governance policies, and best practices for cost efficiency.

Experience and knowledge required:

• Strong understanding of Azure and containerised environments.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and cost modelling.
• Experience with cloud cost management tools (e.g., Azure Cost Management).
• Expertise in enforcing tagging policies and governance frameworks.
• Ability to conduct compliance checks for cloud resource categorisation.
• Experience with visualisation tools such as Power BI.
• Familiarity with Dev Ops methodologies and value stream-driven environments.
• Proven experience in Fin Ops, Cloud Cost Management, or similar roles.
• Experience in financial services or regulated industries is preferred.

Skills:

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Strong reporting, problem-solving, and analytical abilities.
• Data analysis skills.
• Ability to work independently and drive financial accountability.

Qualifications:

• Fin Ops Certified Practitioner or similar certification.

Behaviours:

• Proactive and collaborative working style.
• Adaptability, willingness to learn, and positive attitude.
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and target-oriented.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Curious mindset, asking questions, exploring solutions for process improvements.
• Clear communicator, able to explain financial and technical info.
• High standards of compliance and ethics.
• Drive improvements contributing to business success.

If you’re up for the challenge and want to join our vibrant team, we want to hear from you today.

What we offer:

• People-first culture with energetic, supportive workplaces.
• Perks such as Simply Health Cash Plan, flexible bank holidays, Electric Car Scheme, flexible working, and Your Time in Need leave.