Cloud Optimization Research Engineer - Azure

About the Role:
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 Cloud Optimization Research Engineers with subject matter expertise in Azure. You should be passionate about analyzing workloads, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and designing the algorithms that drive automated insights for our enterprise customers.

In this hands-on role, you will dive deep into cloud architecture from Azure to uncover waste and inefficiencies. You will document your findings, outline the data requirements, and develop scalable algorithms that automate the identification of cost optimization opportunities. Your expertise will directly influence customer outcomes by guiding remediation strategies and integrating innovative cost-saving insights with our existing platform. You'll also collaborate with our cutting-edge data science team to integrate ML and AI into the optimization process, driving greater customer automation and insight. 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: Drive research and development of cutting-edge strategies that empower businesses to optimize their cloud spending without compromising performance or security.
• Solve High-Stakes Challenges: Tackle complex cloud resource management issues, helping companies reduce waste and maximize the value of their cloud investments.
• Shape Industry Standards: Collaborate with top experts and data science teams to establish best practices for cloud cost governance and architectural excellence.
• Deliver Transformative Impact: Partner with customers to develop data-driven, scalable solutions that ensure every dollar invested in cloud infrastructure fuels growth and innovation.
• Integrate Cutting-Edge Technology: Work with our data science team to embed machine learning and AI into your algorithms, enhancing automation and precision in cost optimization.
• Mentor and Collaborate: Provide guidance and expertise to colleagues and customers alike, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.

What You’ll Do:

• Cost Analysis & Optimization:
• Evaluate customer cloud workloads to pinpoint inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities (e.g., optimizing compute instances, eliminating unattached storage, adjusting storage tiers).
• Document the methodologies, required data, and processes used in your analyses.
• Algorithm Design & Automation:
• Design scalable algorithms that automate the detection of cost waste, integrating seamlessly with our existing reporting and alerting system.
• Collaborate with our data science team to incorporate ML/AI techniques for enhanced insight generation.
• Research & Continuous Improvement:
• Lead research into new potential insights for cloud cost reduction.
• Build tests and validation methods to ensure the reliability of your optimization algorithms.
• Customer Collaboration & Advisory:
• Engage with customers to understand their cloud environments and tailor recommendations for cost optimization.
• Provide clear remediation guidelines and best practices that drive actionable change.
• Industry Engagement:
• Stay current on evolving cloud pricing models, industry trends, and best practices across Azure,AWS, GCP, and beyond.
• Contribute to developing standards that set new benchmarks for cloud cost efficiency.

Requirements

• Extensive experience with one or more major cloud platforms and services such as Google Cloud (GCP), Databricks, Snowflake, and Kubernetes.
• Expertise in identifying cloud inefficiencies and designing algorithms for cost optimization detection.
• Strong analytical skills and hands-on technical proficiency, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate technical concepts.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including data science, product, engineering, and customer success.
• A passion for staying ahead of industry trends and integrating innovative solutions into practical applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Relevant cloud certifications (e.g., Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator).
• Prior experience in a research or consultancy role focused on cloud cost optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and influence others in a collaborative, high-impact environment.

Why You:
You are driven by the challenge of optimizing cloud environments, solving complex infrastructure problems, and delivering substantial value through scalable, data-driven insights. Your technical expertise in cloud cost management and algorithm design—combined with your passion for innovation—will empower you to uncover hidden inefficiencies and craft solutions that drive real savings for our customers. This is your opportunity to lead cutting-edge research in cloud optimization, set new industry benchmarks, and redefine how businesses manage their cloud investments for greater efficiency and strategic alignment.

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.