Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

Hopper is looking for a Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML to own our data warehouse, business intelligence, GCP/AI optimization, and Finance AI enablement strategy. You will be a key business partner across the organization, managing partner relationships across a broad range of commercial arrangements, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer.

What Would Your Day-to-Day Look Like:

• Provide actionable insights to drive business decisions based on finance and data analytics
• Own the data warehouse strategy, governance and execution of the finance ledger
• Build and lead a Center of Excellence for reporting including owning infrastructure and metrics across finance and the business units
• Create, own, implement and track success of the Finance AI automation roadmap in partnership with FP&A, accounting and data
• Establish data pipeline and AI model foundation
• Understand and optimize our GCP infrastructure costs in partnership with engineering and Financial Operations
• Establish Finance as the single source of truth for financial and business performance and create self-service analytics for key stakeholders
• Manage a team of 4 engineers and 1 finance and strategy manager
• Establish internal controls and support external audits related to data governance

An Ideal Candidate Has:

• Work experience 15+ years in travel and/or SaaS
• Bachelor's Degree, with a strong preference for a Master's degree or equivalent experience
• Engineering background preferred
• Fluency in SQL, Python, GCP and Data Science, hands on coding ability
• Understanding of LLM-based systems, prompt design, and AI model evaluation frameworks
• Familiarity with automation frameworks and observability tools (Amplitude, Datadog, Looker) to assess reliability and performance
• Strong data reconciliation skills across large, multi-source datasets
• A bias toward first-principles thinking — questioning assumptions, stress-testing processes, and always asking why something works the way it does
• Clear communicator with senior leadership and external partners
• Comfort with ambiguity and ground-zero building

Nice to Have:

• Background at a high-growth technology or marketplace company
• Experience working cross-functionally with data engineering or warehouse teams

Perks and benefits of working with us:

• Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary and the upsides of pre-IPO equity packages.
• Carrot Cash travel stipend
• Flexdesk All Access Pass & Work-from-home stipend
• Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business
• Open communication with management and company leadership
• Small, dynamic teams = massive impact

Engagement Status: Independent Contractor

Note on Contractual Status: This position is offered as an Independent Contractor engagement (Contract for Services) and does not constitute an offer of direct employment. The successful candidate will operate as a self-employed individual or through a Personal Service Company (PSC). You will be responsible for your own tax, PRSI, and VAT compliance in accordance with Irish Revenue Commissioners regulations. Engagement is contingent upon providing proof of valid business registration and appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

More about Hopper

At Hopper, we are on a mission to become the leading travel platform globally – powering Hopper's mobile app, website and our B2B business, HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions). By leveraging massive amounts of data and advanced machine learning algorithms, Hopper combines its world-class travel agency offering with proprietary fintech products to bring transparency, flexibility and savings to travelers globally. We have developed several unique fintech solutions that address everything from pricing volatility to trip disruptions – helping people travel better and save more on their trips.

The Hopper platform serves hundreds of millions of travelers globally and continues to capture market share around the world. The Hopper app has been downloaded over 120 million times and has become largely popular among younger travelers – with 70% of its users being Gen Z and millennials.

While everyone knows us as the Gen Z and Millennial travel app, Hopper has evolved to become much more than that. In recent years, we've grown into a travel fintech provider, commerce platform, and global travel agency that powers some of the world's largest brands.

Through HTS, our B2B division, the company supercharges its partners' direct channels by integrating our fintech products on their sites or powering end-to-end travel portals. Today, our partners include leading travel brands like Capital One, Nubank, Air Canada, and many more.

Here are just a few stats that demonstrate the company's recent growth:

• Billions of dollars worth of travel and travel fintech are sold through Hopper and HTS' channels every year.
• Our fintech products – including Cancel for Any Reason and Flight Disruption Assistance – have exceptionally strong CSAT because the terms are always clear, and customers receive instant, no-questions-asked resolutions.
• Almost 30% of our app customers purchase at least one fintech product when making a booking; and consumers are 1.6x more likely to repurchase if they add fintech to their booking vs if they booked just travel.

Given the success of its fintech products, Hopper launched a B2B initiative, HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions), which represents more than 75% of the business.

Through HTS, any travel provider (airlines, hotels, banks, travel agencies, etc.) can integrate and seamlessly distribute Hopper's fintech or travel inventory on their direct channels. As its first HTS partnership, the company partnered with Capital One to co-develop Capital One Travel, a new travel portal designed specifically for cardholders. Other HTS partners include Air Canada, Uber, CommBank, Nubank, Flair Airlines and many more.

Hopper has been named the #1 most innovative company in travel by Fast Company Hopper has been downloaded over 120 million times and continues to have millions of new installs each month. Hopper is now the #3 largest online travel agencies in North America and 70% of our app customers are Gen-Z and millennials travelers.

Hopper has raised over $750 million USD of private capital and is backed by some of the largest institutional investors and banks in the world. HTS is primed to continue its growth as the leading travel ecommerce provider in a $1 trillion online shopping category. The Hopper app and website will also continue to be the preferred travel provider for Gen Z and Millennials.

Come take off with us!

At Hopper, we leverage AI-driven tools to assist our team in efficiently reviewing applications. These tools help us assess qualifications fairly and objectively. By submitting your application, you acknowledge the use of these automated screening technologies.

#LI-REMOTE