Finance Lead

Ava Labs•New York, NY

8d•$143,047 - $178,809

About The Position

Ava Labs is seeking a Finance Lead to manage and strengthen financial operations in the cryptocurrency industry. This hands-on role partners with the CFO and cross-functional teams to improve financial clarity, operational efficiency, regulatory alignment, and support for business goals. The role owns finance projects from identifying needs through delivery, contributes to financial execution and process improvement, and may take on broader strategic initiatives as the role develops. It reports to the CFO. The Finance Lead leads financial planning and forecasting, builds models for budgeting and scenario planning, and oversees day-to-day financial operations, including crypto and fiat transactions, payments, settlements, expense management, equity and compensation plans, travel, and accounts payable. The role tracks business and operational performance, communicates financial insights and risks, collaborates across departments, and supports process automation and continuous improvement. The position also supports board and strategic communications, corporate development activity, tax planning and compliance, and review of financial terms in legal agreements. The successful candidate is expected to be resourceful and self-directed, comfortable turning ambiguous requests into concrete deliverables, and capable of mentoring or overseeing junior finance team members while remaining responsible for hands-on execution.

Requirements

BA or BS in Finance or Accounting.
Extensive finance experience in the digital assets or fintech sector.
Proven experience in cryptocurrency management, international payments, and trading platforms.
Advanced financial modeling and analytics skills, including comfort working with large datasets.
Solid understanding of P&L, balance sheets, cash flow management, and general accounting principles.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.
High integrity.
Demonstrated ability to turn ambiguous requests into concrete deliverables with minimal supervision.
Willingness to perform detailed work directly, take initiative without waiting for direction, and deliver results without relying on a supporting team to execute.
Comfort with mentoring or overseeing junior finance team members while remaining hands-on.
Strong attention to detail, strategic perspective, critical thinking, and problem-solving under deadlines.
Ability to adapt, use sound judgment, and prioritize trade-offs under pressure in a dynamic environment.

Nice To Haves

MBA from a top-tier school.
Experience in investment banking, corporate development, and fast-paced startup environments.
SQL or statistics experience.
Familiarity with the cryptocurrency regulatory landscape.
Experience in venture capital fundraising; direct fundraising activities are not currently planned.

Responsibilities

Lead financial planning and forecasting across the business, including budgeting, scenario planning, and departmental decision support.
Drive finance projects from start to finish, including gathering and validating data, building models, investigating variances, and implementing solutions.
Manage day-to-day financial operations and ensure compliance with statutory law and financial regulations.
Oversee crypto and fiat transactions, payments, and settlements in collaboration with the treasury team.
Maintain and refine systems for expense management, equity and compensation plans, travel arrangements, and accounts payable.
Serve as a financial liaison among engineering, compliance, business development, legal, and accounting teams.
Work with People Operations and Human Resources to align financial processes with workforce planning.
Track and report key financial and operational metrics; analyze trends and variances with the Head of Business Operations and Analytics, and flag risks and opportunities.
Identify and recommend improvements to finance processes and systems, and support the CFO in planning and implementing automation.
Collaborate with the C-suite to prepare and present board meeting materials and strategic updates, including clear and visually engaging financial presentations.
Support the CFO on corporate development, including entity spinouts, divestitures, and asset sales; help evaluate, structure, and execute potential investments, acquisitions, or similar transactions.
Support tax planning and compliance, aligning tax positions with fiscal policy and legal requirements.
Collaborate with the legal department to review financial terms in contracts and agreements.
Communicate financial insights and risks clearly to the CFO and relevant stakeholders.
Mentor or oversee junior finance team members as the team grows while retaining hands-on responsibility for execution and delivery.