Founding Finance & Accounting Lead

BackOps AI

$150K — $180K *
Finance & Insurance
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 6-10 years of experience in accounting, finance, FP&A, or strategic finance, ideally in venture-backed tech firms.
  • Strong grounding in accounting principles and financial operations with direct experience in monthly close processes.
  • Experience in building budgets, forecasts, and financial models to guide business decisions.
  • Familiar with AI business models and key metrics for growth-stage companies.
  • Comfortable with both operational details and strategic executive interactions.
  • Enjoys building finance processes from the ground up rather than adapting to established systems.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to foster cross-functional relationships.

Responsibilities

  • Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close ensuring GAAP-compliant financial reporting.
  • Oversee daily accounting operations including AP, AR, and cash management.
  • Collaborate with external accounting firms on tax, audit, and financial matters.
  • Create scalable accounting policies and finance processes for business growth.
  • Manage banking relationships and continuously improve finance systems through automation.
  • Build budgets, forecasts, and financial models for strategic planning support.
  • Deliver business insights and reporting to enhance company performance visibility.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to build a finance function from scratch in a fast-growing AI company.
  • Direct partnership with company leadership to influence planning and growth decisions.
  • Backed by prominent venture capital firms for financial stability and growth.
  • Competitive salary and meaningful equity options offered.
  • Comprehensive benefits package supporting employee well-being.
Full Job Description
The Role

As our Founding Finance & Accounting Lead, you'll build the financial infrastructure that enables BackOps to scale from roughly 50 employees today to hundreds over the coming years. You'll establish the financial systems, reporting, planning, and operating rhythms that help leadership make better decisions as we grow.

This is more than a traditional accounting role, and it's more hands-on than a typical FP&A role. You'll own the financial fundamentals while partnering closely with the CEO and leaders across the business to improve visibility, forecasting, and decision-making.

If you enjoy building from first principles, thrive in ambiguity, and want to help shape how a company scales, we'd love to meet you.

How You'll Make an Impact

Build a world-class financial foundation.

  • Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close while ensuring timely, accurate, GAAP-compliant financial reporting.
  • Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including AP, AR, customer billing, collections, cash management, vendor payments, and expense management.
  • Partner with our external accounting firm on tax, audit, financial statements, and technical accounting matters.
  • Design scalable accounting policies, internal controls, and finance processes that grow alongside the business.
  • Manage banking relationships, working capital, and company spend while continuously improving finance systems through automation and thoughtful process design.


Help leadership make better decisions.

  • Build and maintain budgets, forecasts, long-range financial models, and scenario analyses that support strategic planning.
  • Deliver reporting, dashboards, and business insights that improve visibility into company performance.
  • Partner with leaders across the company on budgeting, resource allocation, and operating expenses.
  • Support board reporting, fundraising, and investor diligence as the company grows.


Partner across the business.

  • Work closely with Sales leadership on bookings, ARR, and revenue forecasting.
  • Support sales incentive planning and commission validation.
  • Analyze pricing, customer trends, and unit economics to inform strategic decisions.
  • Serve as a trusted financial partner across the business, helping teams make smarter, data-informed decisions.


What Success Looks Like

Within your first year, you'll have:

  • Built a predictable, trusted monthly close process.
  • Established scalable finance processes that support our next stage of growth.
  • Improved forecasting accuracy across revenue and operating expenses.
  • Delivered financial reporting and business insights that leadership relies on.
  • Built the financial foundation that enables BackOps to scale confidently.


We're Looking For Someone Who

  • Has approximately 6-10 years of progressive experience across accounting, finance, FP&A, or strategic finance, ideally within venture-backed technology companies.
  • Brings a strong foundation in accounting and financial operations, with experience owning or materially contributing to the monthly close.
  • Has built budgets, forecasts, and financial models that inform business decisions.
  • Understands AI business models, recurring revenue, and growth-stage company metrics.
  • Is equally comfortable diving into operational details and partnering with executives on strategic planning.
  • Enjoys building processes from scratch rather than inheriting mature infrastructure.
  • Communicates clearly, thinks analytically, and builds strong cross-functional relationships.
  • Has a bias toward ownership, continuous improvement, and finding better ways to work.


Nice to Have

  • CPA and/or foundation in public accounting.
  • Experience as an early finance hire at a high-growth startup.
  • Experience supporting fundraising, board reporting, or investor diligence.
  • Familiarity with modern & trusted finance systems such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, Campfire, Rillet, Ramp, Stripe, Carta, or similar platforms.
  • Experience leveraging automation and AI to improve finance operations.


Why BackOps AI

  • Build the finance and accounting function from the ground up at a rapidly scaling AI company
  • Partner directly with company leadership and shape how we plan, invest, and grow
  • Backed by Theory Ventures, Gradient, Construct Capital, and 10VC
  • Competitive salary, meaningful equity, and comprehensive benefits

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