Strategic Finance Manager

Workstream is a mission-driven company building the all-in-one HR, payroll, and hiring platform for managing the hourly workforce. There are 2.7 billion hourly workers, making up 80% of the global workforce, but this market has been heavily underserved by technology and deserves better. Workstream has been purpose-built for the hourly workforce from day one so that these businesses and their employees can thrive. Our customers include leading brands from multiple sectors, including Burger King, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, IHOP, KFC, and Culvers. We are a high growth series B company and quickly expanding our product portfolio to deliver on our vision. We are backed by legendary VCs and industry experts like Founders Fund, BOND, and Coatue. Grow With Us We are seeking an exceptional Strategic Finance Manager to join our growing Finance team and help scale the company's financial planning, reporting, and systems infrastructure. This role will own all FP&A operations and play a critical part in enabling financial visibility across the organization and supporting informed, data-driven decisions at every level. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, proactive business partner, and AI-savvy problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is highly resourceful, and can wear multiple hats across finance, systems, and operations. You will collaborate closely with the Controller, Accounting, and cross‑functional leaders to build scalable processes, improve financial transparency, continuously optimize our financial operations using emerging technologies, and deliver actionable insights that drive operational and financial efficiency. This is a hands‑on yet strategic role for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, building structure out of ambiguity, and leveraging systems and AI to streamline financial workflows. This position is based in the Bay Area and requires regular in‑office collaboration ( at least four days per week ) in San Francisco and/or Menlo Park . Day in the Life Business Partnering & Financial Guidance Serve as a trusted partner to department and functional leaders, proactively identifying opportunities to improve financial performance, manage budgets, and make data‑driven decisions. Deliver streamlined, consistent, and insightful actuals vs. budget reporting across all departments, translating complex financial data into clear narratives for different audiences. Educate and empower budget owners to manage spend, interpret reports, and optimize resource allocation with accountability and transparency. Provide strategic guidance around budget efficiency, headcount planning, investment prioritization, and cash flow management. Build frameworks that foster accountability and financial ownership across the organization. AI‑Powered Process Innovation & Systems Enablement Lead the adoption and integration of AI tools to automate financial processes, improve forecasting accuracy, and enhance financial modeling capabilities—actively experimenting with emerging technologies to optimize efficiency and insight generation. Partner with the Controller and Accounting teams to strengthen the company’s financial systems infrastructure, ensuring data integrity, scalability, and seamless integration across key platforms. Map and optimize data flows between key systems—including HRIS, Payroll, Spend Management (Airbase), Payments/PO systems, ERP, EPM (Mosaic), and CRM/Sales tools—to enable seamless, real‑time financial reporting and insights. Help evaluate and design the next‑generation finance systems stack that supports accurate, timely, transparent, and AI‑enhanced reporting and forecasting. Identify and implement process improvements and automation opportunities to enhance efficiency and scalability within FP&A and accounting workflows. Lead the creation and distribution of monthly and quarterly management reports, providing key metrics, financial performance analyses, and actionable insights for leadership and the Board. Design and deliver dashboards that highlight metrics critical to decision‑making, including revenue trends, margins, CAC, LTV, cash burn, and other operational KPIs. Continuously update and refine forecasts to maintain real‑time visibility into financial performance, cash position, and variance drivers—identifying over/under‑spend and improving forecast accuracy over time. Partner with business leaders to build financial and operational models that evaluate growth opportunities, pricing scenarios, and investment returns. Work with RevOps and SalesOps to streamline sales commission structures, model pricing, and improve visibility into revenue performance by channel. Strategic & Cross‑Functional Projects Collaborate cross‑functionally to design and implement new processes that enhance financial visibility and discipline across the organization. Support strategic analyses, scenario modeling, and M&A due diligence to inform key company decisions and long‑term growth strategy. Champion a culture of transparency, accountability, continuous improvement, and proactive financial optimization across the Finance function and broader organization. Who You Are 5+ years of FP&A or Finance experience, ideally in a SaaS or high‑growth environment. Strong understanding of financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and reporting processes. Proven track record of business partnering with department leaders to drive accountability and strategic decision‑making. Demonstrated systems acumen—ability to understand how HRIS, payroll, ERP, EPM, spend management, and CRM tools integrate to support reporting and insights. Hands‑on experience with AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) for financial analysis, modeling, and process automation; comfort building and refining financial models using AI assistance. Familiarity with SaaS financial metrics (ARR, NRR, GRR, LTV:CAC, payback, etc.). Hands‑on experience building dashboards and reporting packages for leadership and Board audiences. Advanced Excel/Google Sheets and financial modeling skills; able to translate data into actionable recommendations. Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of simplifying complex financial concepts for non‑finance audiences. Strong project management skills with the ability to execute and deliver results independently and proactively. High attention to detail, ownership mindset, self‑sufficient judgment, and ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, scaling environment. Preferred Experience Hands‑on experience with M&A processes, including financial due diligence and acquisition modeling/valuation analysis. Comfortable working cross‑functionally with Sales, Operations, and Product teams on pricing and revenue initiatives. A proactive problem‑solver with a continuous improvement mindset who leverages technology and AI to drive efficiency and insight. What We Offer A mission‑driven and value‑based company dedicated to empower deskless workers and local businesses An early employee opportunity at a Series B hyper‑growth startup; work with the founding team and industry veterans to accelerate your career Competitive salary and equity Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision. We pay 95% of your premiums for our employees and 85% for dependents 401K Plan Learning/development stipend Flexible PTO Salary Range In compliance with the California Pay Transparency Law, the base salary range for this role is between $130,000 – $160,000 annually, in San Francisco. This role includes participation in Workstream's stock option program, offering meaningful equity ownership in the company. When determining a candidate’s compensation, we consider a number of factors including skillset, experience, job scope, and current market data. Workstream provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. #J-18808-Ljbffr Workstream