Chief Financial Officer

We're hiring a strategic, hands-on Chief Financial Officer to lead Sarder Inc.'s next stage of growth: raising our initial institutional funding round and the follow-on rounds after it, and building financial operations that scale. Sarder Inc. is a global AI readiness company that assists organizations, governments, and professionals adopt AI with confidence through AI education, certification, and enterprise AI adoption solutions. As a key partner to the CEO and leadership team, you'll own financial strategy, fundraising, and investor relations, guiding the company from its first institutional raise through later growth rounds. You'll also build the financial discipline and controls the business needs to grow fast across U.S. and international markets. Key Responsibilities Capital Strategy & Fundraising • Lead the company's initial institutional funding round, from preparation and investor outreach through term sheets, due diligence, and closing. • Design and execute a multi-round capital roadmap, setting the timing, milestones, valuation targets, and use of proceeds for each follow-on round. • Use your active network of investment bankers, venture capital, private equity, and strategic investors to build momentum and run competitive processes. • Build investor materials: financial models, valuation support, data rooms, and board-ready narratives. • Manage relationships with current and prospective investors, lenders, and banking partners, keeping them engaged between rounds to build momentum for the next raise. Financial Leadership & Operations • Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting across all portfolio brands. • Build scalable processes for revenue recognition, cash management, controls, and audit readiness. • Oversee accounting, tax, treasury, and compliance across multiple entities and jurisdictions. • Set up KPIs and dashboards on revenue, margin, customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), recurring revenue, and cash runway. Executive & Board Partnership • Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO on growth, pricing, capital allocation, and risk. • Prepare and present financial updates to the board and investors. • Build and lead a high-performing finance team. Strategic Transactions • Evaluate selective acquisitions and strategic partnerships in AI, EdTech, certification, and training when they speed up growth or strengthen the company's fundraising position. Required Qualifications • Proven record leading multiple funding rounds, from initial institutional raises through follow-on growth rounds, as a CFO, operator, advisor, or investor. • Track record of securing $10M or more in funding for companies in the AI or EdTech industries. • Active, current network of investment bankers, VC/PE firms, and institutional and strategic investors. • 15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including roles as CFO or VP Finance, or senior roles in investment banking or corporate development. • Deep expertise in valuation, financial modeling, deal structuring, and capital markets. • Experience in high-growth, venture-backed, or PE-backed companies. • Strong knowledge of SaaS, subscription, and B2B revenue models. • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field. Required Skills mergers and acquisition AI Readiness AI Adoption