Director of Strategic Finance and Analytics, Upstart

• 10+ years of experience in strategy, business operations, analytics or a similar data-driven role - ideally in fintech or tech
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with fluency in tools like SQL, Excel, and at least one BI platform (e.g., Looker, Tableau)
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional initiatives and working across functions such as product, engineering, marketing, and finance
• Experience with strategic planning, building business cases, conducting deep dive analyses, and managing operational KPIs
• Ability to translate complex data into compelling insights and drive alignment with executive stakeholders
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Exposure to or comfort with financial modeling, forecasting, or cohort-based revenue and cost analysis

Desirable

• Help Upstart's Auto business realize its full potential by being a proactive strategic and operational partner across all functions critical to success. Act as the cross-functional thought leader across the business, turning insights into action and driving execution on what matters most
• The Director, Strategic Finance & Analytics role spans business analytics, strategy development, business performance management, and execution of high-impact initiatives
• You will identify and size new strategic opportunities, generate data-driven insights to guide decision-making, and lead cross-functional efforts to address top business challenges
• Whether it’s building a go/no-go business case for a new initiative, diagnosing unexpected shifts in performance, or mobilizing teams around mission-critical goals, you’ll be at the heart of how we shape and scale our Auto business
• Act as a proactive partner to functional leaders, ensuring strategic alignment and execution discipline across all teams including Product, GTM, Sales, Customer Success, Finance, Capital Markets, Analytics, Ops, etc
• Facilitate structured prioritization processes to ensure teams focus on the highest-impact opportunities
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new strategic initiatives and growth bets
• Conduct detailed analyses and develop business cases to support go/no-go decisions
• Partner with cross-functional teams to scope initiatives, align stakeholders, and drive from recommendation to action
• Continuously monitor business performance against key metrics
• Detect unexpected trends early, lead root-cause investigations, and propose clear, actionable interventions
• Own resolution of critical issues that cut across teams, mitigating risks before they escalate and become systemic
• Drive execution of top-priority programs, especially where cross-functional coordination and operational rigor are critical
• Define success metrics, scope workstreams, and lead working teams to deliver measurable business outcomes
• Step in to directly lead and operationalize initiatives when ownership gaps arise