Director, Strategic Deal Finance

Liftoff

6h • $193,800 - $270,000 • Remote

About The Position

Liftoff is seeking a Director to lead Deal Desk within its Strategic Finance team, reporting to the VP of Strategic Finance. This high-ownership role oversees how commercial agreements are structured, approved, and managed, from standard arrangements to complex, non-standard deals with strategic advertising partners. The Director is the DRI for revenue adjustments, deal economics, and the integrity of commercial commitments, partnering with GTM, Finance, and senior leadership to set deal strategy, manage deal performance, and ensure each arrangement has a clear, defensible financial rationale.

The role owns weekly revenue adjustments and reporting, Deal Desk processes and approval standards, the commercial logic behind deal structures, financial diligence and modeling for non-standard deals, and performance and accrual reviews. It also includes direct management of a Senior Analyst, including mentorship, prioritization, and maintaining analytical standards.

Liftoff follows a remote-first approach and permits employees to work from a number of states where the company has entities. This role must work during Pacific time zone hours; the San Francisco Bay Area is highly preferred. Employees are expected to attend in-person team gatherings at least once per quarter. Compensation includes base pay, bonus, equity, and benefits; the stated OTE ranges vary by location.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in commercial finance, deal desk, revenue operations, or strategic finance.
• At least 5 years of direct ownership over deal structuring or commercial agreements.
• Ability to independently evaluate complex deal economics, build defensible financial models, and present clear recommendations to senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of revenue recognition, accrual accounting, and the operational mechanics of commercial deal management.
• Exceptional judgment and the ability to maintain a position under commercial pressure while remaining collaborative and solutions-oriented.
• Track record of direct ownership, proactively surfacing risks, driving processes, and escalating only when warranted.
• Excellent communication skills and experience presenting to CXO-level audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in ad tech, programmatic advertising, or mobile.

Responsibilities

• Serve as DRI for all revenue adjustments in weekly reporting, owning the underlying logic, file integrity, and formula soundness.
• Maintain active reconciliation checks and ensure adjustments are accurate, complete, and explainable throughout the week.
• Work proactively with cross-functional partners to incorporate new information before weekly close.
• Lead weekly alignment meetings with FP&A, own week-over-week variance explanations, and post summaries to relevant stakeholders.
• Own deal types end-to-end, from standard structures to complex, unique, and customer-specific arrangements.
• Maintain and enforce the Deal Desk approval matrix and lead a bi-annual Deal Desk Strategy Review with SLT.
• Own the philosophy and commercial logic for deal structures, including eligibility thresholds and deal parameters by customer segment.
• Lead upfront diligence and detailed financial modeling for non-standard deals.
• Lead weekly cross-functional reviews of active non-standard deals and recommend budget and commercial adjustments as needed.
• Produce monthly performance updates for senior leadership on active deal programs, including variance analysis against original assumptions.
• Monitor cash flows and financial commitments on structured deals, update models as actuals come in, and proactively flag deviations.
• Own and lead accrual reviews for key Deal Desk items, including complex arrangements.
• Maintain a well-supported, defensible position on accrual levels, with underlying data and logic ready to present in senior Finance forums.
• Manage a Senior Analyst, providing mentorship, prioritization, and oversight of analytical standards across Deal Desk operations.

Benefits

• Equity
• Health, vision, and dental benefits associated with the employee's country of residence
• Medical coverage
• Wellness stipends
• Additional perks based on country of residence

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director