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Strategic Finance Lead
Strategic Finance LeadKarbon • Chicago, IL, US
Strategic Finance Lead

Strategic Finance Lead

Karbon • Chicago, IL, US
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Job Description

Job Description

About Karbon

Karbon is the global leader in practice management software for growth-minded accounting firms. We provide an award-winning, highly collaborative cloud platform that streamlines work and communication, enabling the average accounting firm using Karbon to save 18.5 hours per week, per employee.

We have customers in 34 countries and have grown into a globally distributed team, with our people based throughout the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. We are well-funded, ranked #1 on G2, have a fantastic team culture built on our values, are growing rapidly, and making a global impact.

About the Role

We are seeking a high-performing Strategic Finance Lead to join our Finance team. In this role, you will work cross-functionally to streamline and improve business processes, drive capital efficiency, and support strategic initiatives including fundraising, M&A evaluation, and long-term growth planning.

As a partner to various business functions, you will collaborate with department leaders to define KPIs and deliver valuable insights and recommendations. The right candidate will combine analytical rigor, strong financial modeling skills, and a strategic mindset with exposure to investment banking, corporate development, or transaction advisory to support company-wide decision-making.

You'll work across FP&A and Strategic Finance, partnering closely with leadership to deliver insights that guide budgeting, forecasting, capital allocation, and corporate strategy.

Key Responsibilities Budgeting & Forecasting

  • Help lead the annual budgeting process and ongoing forecasting efforts.
  • Monitor performance against strategic goals, identifying risks and opportunities.
  • Refine forecasts in collaboration with business partners and senior leadership.

Financial Reporting & Analysis

  • Support monthly and quarterly FP&A processes, including reporting, variance analysis, and business reviews.
  • Deliver insights on SaaS and recurring revenue metrics (ARR, MRR, retention, LTV / CAC, payback) to guide growth decisions.
  • Ensure reporting processes are efficient and automated, enabling greater focus on analysis.
  • Strategic Decision Support & M&A

  • Provide financial guidance for key business decisions, including capital raising, M&A, and strategic partnerships.
  • Build robust financial and valuation models to assess acquisition targets, investment opportunities, and scenario analyses.
  • Lead financial due diligence efforts and coordinate with external advisors (investment bankers, legal, and accounting firms).
  • Support deal structuring, negotiation, and integration planning for potential acquisitions or partnerships.
  • Continuous Improvement & AI Automation

  • Drive continuous improvement and standardization of FP&A and Strategic Finance processes.
  • Leverage AI and automation tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Power Query, Alteryx, Python, Anaplan / Planful / Pigment) to improve efficiency and accuracy.
  • Develop dashboards to track KPIs and enhance reporting and forecasting.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Partner with finance, accounting, treasury, legal, and other departments to ensure consistency across budgeting, reporting, and strategic analysis.
  • Collaborate with executive leadership on capital strategy, investor communications, and transaction readiness.
  • Align teams to achieve financial objectives and drive operational efficiency.
  • Stakeholder Communication

  • Present financial insights and recommendations to executives, the board, investors, and lenders.
  • Prepare materials for board meetings, fundraising processes, and M&A transactions with accuracy, clarity, and data integrity.
  • Qualifications

  • 5–8 years of progressive Finance / FP&A experience in the SaaS sector or investment banking, private equity, or corporate development.
  • Strong background in Excel financial modeling (3-statement, cohort, valuation, DCF, sensitivity, and scenario analysis).
  • Deep understanding of valuation methods, transaction structures, and deal execution processes.
  • Analytical and creative thinker, comfortable operating both in detail and at a strategic level.
  • Exposure to or interest in AI / automation tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Power Query, Python, Alteryx, Anaplan / Planful / Pigment).
  • Strong understanding of financial statements, corporate finance, and SaaS metrics.
  • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to distill complex analysis into actionable insights.
  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or related field (CFA, CPA, or MBA preferred).
  • Experience with Planful or similar planning tools is a plus.

    What We're Looking For

  • Someone eager to bridge FP&A, Strategic Finance, and Corporate Development equally comfortable building budgets / forecasts and supporting fundraising, M&A, and investor relations.
  • A builder mindset : resourceful, hands-on, and able to create scalable models and reporting frameworks from scratch.
  • Curiosity and ambition to leverage modern tools and AI to push beyond traditional FP&A.
  • A strong communicator who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and can influence at the executive and board level.
  • Why Work at Karbon?

  • Gain global experience across Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Canada
  • Strong benefits package including :
  • Flexible Time Off with an encouraged 4 weeks use per year
  • Company paid medical for you and eligible spouse / partner and dependents
  • Paid dental and vision and eligible spouse / partner and dependents
  • 401(k) with company matching
  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Up to 8 weeks paid parental leave
  • Work-from-home stipend
  • Work with (and learn from) an experienced, high-performing team
  • A collaborative, team-oriented culture that embraces diversity, invests in development and provides consistent feedback
  • Be part of a fast-growing company that firmly believes in promoting high performers from within
  • Karbon embraces diversity and inclusion, aligning with our values as a business. Research has shown that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single criteria. If you've made it this far in the job description but your past experience doesn't perfectly align, we do encourage you to still apply. You could still be the right person for the role!

    We recruit and reward people based on capability and performance. We don't discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, physical or cognitive ability, and other diversity dimensions that may hinder inclusion in the organization.

    Generally, if you are a good person, we want to talk to you. 😛

    If there are any adjustments or accommodations that we can make to assist you during the recruitment process, and your journey at Karbon, contact us at people.support@karbonhq.com for a confidential discussion.

    At this time, we request that agency referrals are not submitted for this position. We appreciate your understanding and encourage direct applications from interested candidates. Thank you!

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    Strategic Finance • Chicago, IL, US

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