Strategic Finance & Business Operations Lead

Alma

5d•$125,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

Alma is seeking a Strategic Finance & Operations Lead, the first dedicated finance hire, to act as the operational glue for the company. This role involves owning the company's numbers end-to-end, improving internal operations, and designing systems for future growth. The position is roughly split between strategic financial planning and hands-on operational tasks. While the role offers significant growth potential, it's acknowledged that some may use it as a stepping stone for business school or larger finance roles after a few years.

Requirements

1-3 years of experience in investment banking, or a combination of banking and consulting.
Prior experience in finance, strategy, or operations at an early-stage startup, or a clear explanation of why you want to transition into this area.
Proficiency in Excel, including the ability to build a three-statement model from scratch and explain it clearly.
Strong judgment regarding financial decisions and policy creation.
Desire for breadth across finance, operations, and strategy.
High agency and low ego; willingness to handle both strategic and operational tasks.
Ability to influence stakeholders across legal, sales, product, and engineering.
Proven ability to work with intensity and deliver results.
Excitement about immigration and the meaningful impact of the work.

Nice To Haves

SQL proficiency or the willingness to learn it quickly.
Experience in a role that requires managing operational cleanup and defined workstreams.

Responsibilities

Build and own Alma's financial model end to end.
Manage the monthly financial cycle: close, reconcile, and present actionable insights to leadership.
Oversee budget vs. actuals, rolling forecasts, cash management, and runway, proactively identifying potential issues.
Develop and maintain unit economics at the case and client level.
Own headcount planning and the hiring ledger.
Support fundraising efforts by managing the data room and diligence workstreams.
Prepare monthly investor updates and quarterly board reporting.
Analyze and model deal structures, pricing, and discounting to ensure profitability.
Review and model the financial impact of compensation and commission plans.
Conduct build/buy/outsource analyses for operational efficiency.
Identify and fix broken, duplicated, or mismanaged internal and legal processes.
Collaborate with Legal and Product teams to define processes and automation strategies.
Manage the connective work between legal, sales, and client success.
Develop and implement spend and approval policies.
Oversee Accounts Receivable/Payable and manage the outsourced finance stack.
Design company-wide reporting cadences, dashboards, and metric definitions.
Create playbooks to document operational knowledge.
Lead vendor and tooling consolidation, procurement, and cost optimization.
Manage office and real estate decisions, market and compensation benchmarking.
Handle employee onboarding and offboarding operations.

Benefits

Competitive base salary based on experience
Meaningful equity
100% Health coverage
Vision coverage
Dental coverage
20 days PTO
10 Federal Holidays
$250 per month in wellness allowance
Direct, daily access to the CEO and leadership team
Significant scope for career growth, including the potential to lead the finance function