Financial Strategy and Operations, Associate

Aaru

$160K — $220K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3-6 years of experience in investment banking and finance operations at a high-growth startup.
  • Proven analytical skills with experience in building financial models and forecasting.
  • Experience in designing or improving operational processes to streamline workflows.
  • Technical proficiency in AI tools and a focus on automation without engineering support.
  • Ability to operate with high ownership in an unstructured, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

  • Support month-end closing processes while maintaining financial models for revenue forecasting and cash flow analysis.
  • Create financial and strategic materials for leadership and investor communications.
  • Systematize operational workflows in the finance function, optimizing processes from onboarding to billing.
  • Design SOPs and playbooks to standardize operations as the company scales.
  • Identify and implement AI and automation solutions to reduce manual tasks and enhance team efficiency.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage.
  • Support for visa sponsorship and relocation.
  • Access to various employee benefits and perks.
Full Job Description
SALARY

$160K - $220K • Offers Equity

ABOUT THE ROLE

Aaru is looking for a Financial Strategy and Operations Associate to help build the analytical and operational backbone of the company. The work spans financial modeling, forecasting, pricing frameworks, and strategic materials on one side, and process design, SOPs, and automations on the other.

You will work closely with the leadership team and be expected to move comfortably between analysis and execution. The right person is operationally rigorous, analytically sharp, and motivated by helping a company make better decisions and run better.

RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Support month-end close processes and build and maintain financial models covering revenue forecasting, cost structure, cash flow, and scenario planning across Aaru's contract mix.
  • Produce financial and strategic materials for leadership, internal reporting, and investor communications.
  • Map and systematize core operational workflows within the finance function, from partner onboarding and billing to renewals management.
  • Design and implement SOPs and playbooks that reduce reliance on tribal knowledge and allow the Finance and Operations team to operate consistently as it scales.
  • Identify and deploy AI and automation tooling to eliminate manual work and extend team capacity.
YOU MAY BE A FIT IF
  • You have 3 to 6 years of experience, with a foundation in investment banking at a top-tier firm, followed by hands-on experience in a finance or operations role at a high-growth startup.
  • You are analytically rigorous: you build clean models, and you know what good forecasting looks like.
  • You have designed or improved operational processes and can translate messy, manual workflows into clean, documented systems.
  • You are technically resourceful, know how to leverage AI and aim for automation. You can build functional internal tools and workflows without engineering support.
  • You operate with high ownership in an unstructured environment. You identify what is broken, propose a fix, and ship it without needing to be handheld.
  • You communicate with precision and can translate complex financial or operational analysis into clear outputs for a founder or executive audience.
STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO
  • Have experience structuring or modeling non-standard commercial arrangements: usage-based pricing, milestone billing, multi-tranche contracts, or custom enterprise deals.
  • Have an MBA from a top-tier program and / or have a computer science / engineering background
  • Have prior exposure to billing operations or revenue recognition in a multi-contract environment.
  • Have experience supporting fundraising processes, investor reporting, or board materials at a high-growth company.
  • Have a genuine interest in AI and can engage substantively with how the technology works, not just what it does.
LOCATION

This role is based in New York City. Aaru is an in-person company, working 5 days a week in office. Candidates are expected to be located within the New York City metropolitan area or open to relocation.

BENEFITS

At Aaru, we take care of our people. In addition to a competitive base salary and equity participation, we offer comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, visa sponsorship and relocation support, and various other benefits and perks.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Aaru

More Finance & Insurance Jobs

Find similar Financial Strategy and Operations, Associate jobs: