Director, Finance Operations

Summary

We're hiring an owner for Spark's finance operating system end to end — the systems, standards, and controls behind accurate commissions and agency-finance, and increasingly, the accounting and controllership built on top of them. The role starts as a systems-and-standards owner, re-architecting brittle, spreadsheet-based processes into scalable, auditable systems for commissions, marketing co-op, and reconciliation — with authority to set and enforce the standards behind them. It's explicitly a step toward bringing more accounting and controllership in-house over time, including sharper ownership of AR, AP, and payroll standards. Today, agency-finance owns day-to-day payment execution, Data builds the commissions tooling to this role's spec, and an outsourced firm runs the GAAP close, which this role directs and reviews. As the function matures, expect that outsourced relationship to shrink and this role's in-house scope to grow.

This is a hybrid role based at our Broadway office in NYC, with in-office days expected Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

What You'll Own

Design & build the finance operating system (the re-architecture): turn brittle, manual, spreadsheet/Airtable-based processes into scalable, auditable systems for commissions, marketing co-op, rate/override source-of-truth, and reconciliation. Set the finance requirements for the Data team's commissions database/calculator, and own build-vs-buy decisions.

Own financial accuracy end to end: set and enforce the standards, controls, and reconciliation framework that make payments — and the financials built on them — correct, from upstream data through reconciliation to accounting and reporting.

Own accounting & controllership more directly than a pure systems role, including AR, AP, and payroll standards and outcomes. Standards and accuracy accountability start day one, with direct execution of AR/AP/payroll potentially following as the function matures.

Own and evolve the outsourced controllership relationship: direct, review, and accept the external accounting firm's monthly close and statements today, and help build the internal capability to bring close/controllership in-house over time, with the outsourced firm's role shrinking accordingly.

Own reporting integrity: keep financials and reporting trustworthy and on time, and own recurring and bespoke deliverables like lender/debt-facility reporting, diligence data rooms, and leadership requests.

Hands-on commission processing, disbursement (Tipalti), and banking runs stay with the existing agency-finance team — this role gives their work an owned, well-designed system rather than replacing them.

GAAP close mechanics and statement production stay with the outsourced accounting firm today, with an explicit path toward this role absorbing more of that function in-house.

What We're Looking For

8–12+ years in finance/accounting operations, having designed and built the systems behind a complex, high-volume transaction or payments engine (commissions, payouts, marketplace/settlement, revenue operations, or similar) — not just operated a clean one.

Systems/process design (you've rebuilt messy finance ops), real accounting fluency (close, controls, GAAP — enough to eventually own more controllership directly, not just manage a vendor), and enough operational depth to set and enforce standards for AR/AP/payroll.

Track record building from scratch in a fast-scaling, still-messy environment (post-remediation or Series A→C stage).

Strong data/analytical chops — fluent in Excel; comfortable partnering with a data team on SQL/warehouse-backed reconciliation.

Experience managing outsourced accounting/finance providers, ideally including having transitioned work in-house before.

Nice to Have

Multi-entity accounting; QuickBooks; Tipalti; Airtable; Snowflake/Hex.

Automation / AI-enablement instinct for finance workflows.

CPA and/or prior Controller title.

CompensationOur salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our company’s size and industry, and are one part of the total compensation package that also includes equity, benefits, and other opportunities at Spark. In accordance with New York City, Colorado, California, and other applicable laws, Spark is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. Individual pay decisions are ultimately based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, geography, and balancing internal equity. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is listed below. We expect most candidates to fall in the middle of the range. We also believe that your personal needs and preferences should be taken into consideration, so we allow some choice between equity and cash.

Base Salary

$205,000—$240,000 USD