Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

About the Role 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. Benefits Well‑funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary and the upsides of pre‑IPO equity packages. Unlimited PTO. Carrot Cash travel stipend. Access to co‑working space on demand through FlexDesk AND Work‑from‑home stipend. Generous parental leave, much above industry standards. Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business. Open communication with management and company leadership. Small, dynamic teams = massive impact. 100% employer paid Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees. Access to Disability & Life insurance. Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). DCA/FSA and access to 401k plan. #J-18808-Ljbffr Drive Capital