Director of Finance

Search Atlas•Austin, TX

2d•$150,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

Search Atlas has reached the stage where financial leadership isn't just about keeping the books clean — it's about building the infrastructure to support a company that could go public, get acquired, or acquire others. We've done $32M ARR without outside capital, which means every dollar has been earned, not raised. That discipline is in our DNA, and we need a Director of Finance who shares it. This role owns the full financial picture and is responsible for turning raw financial data into clear, actionable intelligence for leadership. You'll inherit a lean but functional finance operation and be expected to modernize it: tightening our QuickBooks processes, building reporting infrastructure, and introducing AI-native workflows that give us a faster, more accurate view of the business. Critically, you won't be waiting on a data team to surface insights. You'll pull the data yourself, build the models yourself, and arrive at leadership meetings with answers — not requests. This is not a traditional finance role. We expect you to be actively fluent in Claude Code and AI tooling — it is a core part of how this role operates day to day, not a nice-to-have. Over time, this role grows into a true strategic seat at the table — advising on M&A, supporting fundraising efforts, and helping shape how we deploy capital as we scale toward $100M and beyond. You're stepping into a profitable, fast-moving company with strong fundamentals and financial processes that are ready to be taken to the next level. This is a build-and-run role — you'll be improving systems while operating them at the same time.

Requirements

6+ years in finance, with 2+ years in a Director of Finance, VP Finance, or senior finance leadership role
Proven track record of owning P&L reporting and financial operations across multiple entities
Experience supporting a fundraising round, IPO preparation, or M&A process
A true data self-starter — you don't wait for a data team to hand you reports. You know how to get the data you need, build the models, and surface the insight yourself
Deeply fluent in AI tools — you actively use Claude Code, Claude, or equivalent tools to perform financial and data analysis in your day-to-day work. This is a hard requirement; please speak to it specifically in your application
Strong data analytics skills — you can build complex models, interpret large datasets, and generate business intelligence independently
Deep familiarity with QuickBooks and multi-entity accounting best practices
Experience with SaaS metrics (ARR, NRR, churn)
A communicator who can translate financial complexity into clear narratives for non-finance stakeholders
Self-directed, process-oriented, and comfortable operating in a lean, fast-moving environment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with publisher/affiliate payment operations, prior work at a bootstrapped company

Responsibilities

Own end-of-month P&L reporting across all internal business entities and teams
Audit and improve accounting classification logic (QuickBooks) to ensure accuracy, consistency, and adherence to best practices
Coordinate with the bookkeeping function to ensure statements are uploaded, third-party expenses are properly classified, and all accounts are reconciled monthly
Collaborate with finance ops to keep transaction classifications current and up to date
Manage payments to publishers, vendors, and contractors
Partner with department leads to add relevant context and notes to financial reports
Advise on cost-reduction strategies, commission structures, and team expense management
Proactively identify and recommend additional financial reports and KPIs worth monitoring
Use AI tools — especially Claude Code — to independently build financial models, automate reporting workflows, and extract insights from large datasets without relying on a data team
Continuously evaluate and improve financial processes and workflows
Support M&A diligence and analysis to expand the company's portfolio
Assist in preparation for a future funding round, IPO, or acquisition