Head of Finance

About Acely

Acely is an AI-native SAT and ACT prep platform built to help students get into their dream colleges. Our mission is to expand access to high-quality test prep by helping students learn more efficiently and build real confidence.

Backed by Forerunner Ventures, we’ve grown to $10M ARR with a lean, 11-person team. Our product is working, our users are engaged, and we’re at an inflection point, ready to scale with speed, precision, and a high bar for craft.

The Role

We’re looking for a Head of Finance to help lead Acely through our next stage of growth.

This is a high-leverage, high-impact role for someone who can own the full finance function, from financial reporting, accounting oversight, compliance, and cash management to FP&A, business planning, board reporting, and strategic decision support. You’ll ensure the business has clean numbers, strong operating rhythms, and the financial insight needed to make better decisions faster.

While this role covers all the bases across finance, it will index most strongly on strategic finance. We want someone who goes beyond reporting what happened and helps shape what happens next. You’ll partner closely with the CEO and leadership team on growth strategy, resource allocation, unit economics, scenario planning, and scaling aggressively but efficiently.

You'll be hands-on and close to the details, up-leveling the systems, processes, and insights that help Acely operate like a larger company without losing the speed and ownership of a lean startup.

Why This Role Matters

Finance is a business critical strategic operating system within Acely. We have a strong foundation in place, and we’re looking for someone to take it to the next level. As we scale, we need sharper visibility into performance, deeper understanding of our growth levers, stronger forecasting discipline, and clearer financial frameworks to guide how we allocate capital.

The right person will help us answer critical questions: Where should we invest? Which growth channels are working and scalable? How should we think about CAC, LTV, payback, retention, and margin? What tradeoffs should we make between growth, profitability, burn, and long-term enterprise value?

You’ll play a central role in how we run the business, communicate with the board, evaluate opportunities, and prepare for future stages of growth.

What You'll Do

• Own Acely’s finance function end-to-end, including FP&A, financial reporting, accounting oversight, compliance, cash management, and board reporting
• Ensure continuity and rigor across existing finance processes while improving speed, clarity, accuracy, and strategic impact
• Maintain and evolve the company’s operating model, including revenue forecasting, expense planning, headcount planning, cash projections, and scenario analysis
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team on strategic planning, resource allocation, growth investments, pricing, unit economics, and company-wide operating priorities
• Own financial reporting and monthly close processes in partnership with external accounting resources, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and appropriate internal controls
• Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles, translating company strategy into actionable financial plans
• Partner with Marketing, Product, Engineering, and Customer Support to connect financial outcomes to operating drivers
• Analyze growth performance across channels and customer segments, helping the team understand what is working, where to invest, and where to pull back
• Support board reporting by preparing clear, concise, insight-driven financial updates and strategic analysis
• Own vendor management, contract review support, expense controls, and purchasing discipline
• Manage compliance requirements, tax coordination, state registrations, insurance, and other finance-related operational needs
• Help prepare the company for potential future financing conversations, strategic partnerships, and diligence processes
• Use modern tools, automation, and AI-native workflows to create leverage across reporting, analysis, forecasting, and operational finance

• 8+ years of finance experience, ideally across strategic finance, FP&A, investment banking, growth equity, venture-backed startups, or high-growth consumer subscription businesses
• Strong strategic finance skill set, with the ability to connect financial analysis to company strategy and operating decisions
• Demonstrated ability to own financial models, forecasts, budgets, and scenario plans
• Deep understanding of SaaS or consumer subscription metrics, including ARR, retention, CAC, LTV, ROAS, payback, gross margin, burn, runway, and cash conversion
• Comfortable owning financial reporting and accounting oversight, even if supported by external accounting partners
• Strong analytical judgment: you can work through ambiguity, identify the signal in the noise, and translate data into clear recommendations
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present financial concepts clearly and concisely to executives, investors, and cross-functional partners
• High ownership and strong attention to detail: you care deeply about accuracy, but you also know how to move quickly
• Comfortable operating in a lean startup environment where you will need to be both strategic and hands-on
• Strong business judgment and intellectual curiosity across growth, product, pricing, operations, and company strategy
• Low ego, high integrity, and motivated to help build something meaningful
• A team player who is able to work collaboratively with cross-functional partners

Not required, but a strong plus:

• Experience in consumer subscription, edtech, marketplace, or prosumer businesses
• Experience supporting a venture-backed company through a fundraise, strategic process, or board-heavy operating cadence
• Experience with paid acquisition economics and performance marketing analysis
• Experience building AI-enabled workflows for reporting, analysis, forecasting, or finance operations

• Competitive salary ($200 - $250k based on experience) + equity
• Remote-first (with optional quarterly SF meetups)
• Full health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Flexible PTO + company holidays
• Professional development budget
• Home office stipend
• Wellness resources
• Monthly hackathons