Business Analyst

At IBM, our Project Managers excel by leading and coordinating a project team's overall performance, scope, cost, and deliverables. Our clients rely on timely and efficient status reports, and as Project Manager, you will drive the charge with project direction, metric definition, and performance management. If you are ready to help our clients and project teams succeed, we would love to meet you! Your Role and Responsibilities IBM Cloud is looking for a detail-oriented Business Analyst to join our internal Cloud Economics team. In this role, you will analyze our cloud infrastructure costs, develop strategies for cost reduction, and optimize our resource allocation and software licensing. The primary purpose of this role is to analysis and drive down 3rd party expenses within IBM Cloud.

To be successful as a Business Analyst, you should have a bachelor's degree in business, economics, computer science, or a related field. You should have 3+ years of experience in business analysis (preferably in cloud computing or IT infrastructure), strong analytical skills (proficient in e.g., Excel, SQL, Python), strong financial/business acumen, knowledge of financial modeling and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis, and excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail. You should be willing to roll-up your sleeves and be ok with agility, ambiguity, and a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Responsibilities:

Analyze cloud costs and spending trends.

Develop and maintain financial models to forecast cloud costs and identify areas for potential savings

Create and implement strategies for inventory optimization

Manage and optimize software licenses across the organization to reduce unnecessary expenditure

Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to implement cost-saving measures

Conduct regular audits of cloud resources to identify underutilized or idle assets

Develop KPIs and metrics to track the effectiveness of cost optimization initiatives

Stay updated on new technologies and pricing models to identify cost-saving opportunities

Work closely with the procurement and finance teams to develop automated workflows and data feeds from various systems to build data pipelines and reporting capabilities

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, computer science, engineering, data science, or a related field

3+ years of experience in business analysis, preferably in cloud computing or IT infrastructure

Proficient in excel and financial modeling frameworks (Including Total Cost of Ownership)

Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills

Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

Knowledge of analytic and BI tools such as Apptio, IBM Cognos

Experience with one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

Familiarity with IT asset management principles

Knowledge of FinOps practices and tools

Experience with automation and scripting for resource management

Experience with cloud management and cost optimization tools

Solid understanding of cloud computing concepts, pricing models, and licensing structures