Strategic Finance Consultant

Burkland Associates•,

8d•$71,000 - $340,000•Remote

About The Position

We're looking for a strategic, forward-thinking Strategic Finance Consultant with a proven track record in the AI/SaaS startup ecosystem. As the de-facto senior finance team member for such clients, you'll help chart the course for extremely fast-growing AI and AI-adjacent venture-backed startups, own the numbers month over month, architect & manage the right systems, become a trusted voice to founders and investors, and help your clients navigate the complex capital requirements of this rapidly-changing sector.

Requirements

Direct, substantial experience in finance roles at venture-backed startups in the AI and AI-adjacent sectors.
Specific experience with compute cost management, cluster costs, cloud infrastructure, training/inference expenses, and hybrid pricing models.
Other startup finance experience, particularly related to SaaS models & metrics.
Significant knowledge and usage of current AI tools, skills and LLMs as applied to the Office of the CFO - financial analysis, processes, accounting, reporting, etc.
A history of managing and owning the numbers from a C-suite perspective, not just doing the accounting or building the models.
Broad and deep experience with, or advising through, major capital events — equity & SAFE fundraising, SAFE debt facilities, M&A, and exits.
Comfortable operating at the board level and working with investors, founders and other stakeholders using your exceptional soft skills.
At least 7–10 years in finance/operations, ideally in progressively responsible positions, ideally in AI/SaaS, machine learning, big data or digital infrastructure companies.
Strong familiarity with financial technology platforms such as QBO, Carta, Rippling, Ramp, Rillet, etc.

Nice To Haves

MBA or CPA preferred, not required.
Preference given to candidates based in Northern California, New York metro area, Austin or Boston, but not a requirement.

Responsibilities

Head of Finance responsibilities, including oversight of monthly close, budgeting & forecasting, capital planning & treasury management.
Advise founders and management team on financial strategy, including capital planning, growth, management fee strategy and execution.
Own the finance section of Board meetings, including KPI dashboards and investor updates.
Support fundraising and M&A, including round structure, cap table scenarios, speaking with both current and potential investors, term sheets, diligence activities, etc.
Manage revenue cycle, cash flow planning, vendor spend, controls, growth potential and audit readiness.
Flag opportunities to bring in Burkland's bookkeeping, tax, and HR services.