Strategic Finance Manger, AI & Forecasting

Next Insurance•Palo Alto, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

ERGO NEXT is building its Finance organization to be AI-native — starting with reinventing how we forecast the business from the ground up. We're looking for a Strategic Finance Manager, AI & Forecasting to help lead this transformation: someone with strong core strategic finance fundamentals who is equally excited to redesign forecasting, planning, and reporting workflows around AI/LLM-based tools rather than layering AI on top of legacy spreadsheet processes. Reporting to the Head of Revenue & Growth FP&A, this is a high-visibility, high-impact role at the intersection of strategic finance and applied AI, with the mandate to define what "AI-native FP&A" looks like at ERGO NEXT.

Requirements

BA/BS in finance, accounting, economics, or a quantitative discipline
4–6 years of finance experience in a fast-paced environment with a track record of success (background in investment banking, corporate development, or strategic finance a plus)
Genuine enthusiasm for AI tools (e.g., LLM-based agents, AI-powered modeling/analysis platforms) and a track record of adopting or building workflows around them — prior hands-on use of tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or similar in a finance/analytics context strongly preferred
Ability to break down and solve complex, ambiguous problems with strong business acumen and data-driven techniques, including comfort redesigning a process rather than just operating an existing one
Basic technical fluency (e.g., SQL, Python, or low-code/AI tooling) sufficient to prototype or evaluate AI-driven finance workflows a plus, though not required
Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment
High degree of reliability and integrity, with sound judgment operating in a newly-defined, ambiguous role
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to bring both technical and non-technical stakeholders along on a change-management journey

Responsibilities

Lead the redesign of the topline revenue forecasting process from the ground up, using AI/LLM-based tools and workflows in place of legacy manual, spreadsheet-driven approaches
Partner with Finance and Data Science to identify, evaluate, and implement AI tools and agentic workflows that improve the speed, accuracy, and scalability of forecasting and planning
Drive long-range and annual planning process while building repeatable, AI-assisted modeling and reporting frameworks
Spearhead strategic finance activities applying AI-driven analysis to accelerate diligence and scenario modeling
Partner cross-functionally to define and automate KPI tracking, using AI to surface insights and recommendations faster than traditional analysis allows
Prepare Board materials and executive presentations, incorporating AI-generated analysis and scenario modeling to sharpen the narrative
Act as an internal champion and educator for AI adoption within Finance, documenting playbooks and mentoring team members as new tools and workflows are rolled out