Cost Allocation Data Engineer

Cost Allocation Data Engineer

This engineer builds the data models that allocate, attribute, and distribute cloud costs to
business dimensions, enabling showback and chargeback capabilities.
5-7 years of data engineering experience
This is the most complex position from a business logic perspective. Building allocation
rules, amortization calculations, and understanding how to model financial constructs
requires both technical depth and domain experience. Ideally someone who has built
chargeback/showback systems before.

Key Deliverables
1. Cost Allocation Models:
Build models that map costs to teams, products,
environments, and cost centers
2. Amortization Logic:
Implement models for RI/Savings Plan/CUD amortization across
billing periods
3. Shared Cost Distribution:
Create models for allocating shared costs (support, shared
services) to business units
4. Showback/Chargeback Data Marts:
Build final consumption-ready models for finance
and team reporting
5. Tagging Analytics Models:
Create models tracking tag coverage, compliance, and
untagged attribution

Engineering Responsibilities

• Design allocation rule engine supporting tag-based, account-based, and custom
mappings

• Build amortization models for upfront payments (1-year, 3-year commitments)

• Implement shared cost distribution models (proportional, even split, fixed coefficient)

• Create untagged cost attribution logic using account ownership and heuristics

• Build budget vs. actual variance models

• Design forecasting input models based on historical trends

• Ensure data models align with accounting periods and matching principles

Required Technical Skills

• Expert SQL and dimensional modeling

• Experience building allocation and chargeback systems

• Understanding of Fin Ops cost allocation methodologies

• Data modeling tools (dbt, LookML, or similar)

• Understanding of financial accounting concepts (amortization, accruals)