Director of Strategic Finance

Lead is a fintech building banking infrastructure for embedded financial products and services. We operate an FDIC-insured bank headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, we have offices in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and New York City, where our technical, product, design, and legal teams operate.

We are built for a constantly evolving financial landscape, where new ventures and technological advancements emerge daily. Guided by a team of entrepreneurs and technologists with decades of experience navigating intricate banking and payments regulations, Lead blends regulatory and technological expertise to help our fintech partners scale their operations with compliance and creativity.

Simply put, Lead offers the essential attributes that every fintech seeks in a partner bank. First, unparalleled technical expertise from a distinguished team of developers with an extensive understanding of the banking and payments systems. Second, oversight expertise, automated compliance systems, and bespoke program management to navigate the ever-shifting regulatory landscape. Finally, a commitment to transparency and operational rigor to ensure everyone’s money does what it’s supposed to do.

Role Description

As the Director of Strategic Finance, you will serve as a high-impact leader and a primary strategic partner to the Chief Financial Officer. You will sit at the intersection of corporate strategy, capital markets, and financial operations, driving the initiatives that will define the bank’s future scale. This is a leadership position requiring a rare blend of deep technical financial structuring expertise and the ability to navigate complex organizational workflows.

You will be responsible for architecting our balance sheet strategy, overseeing the evolution of our capital structure—including the development of warehouse facilities and ABS platforms—and leading the digital transformation of the finance function through AI and enhanced data architecture. You will act as the connective tissue between FP&A, Product Finance, and Accounting to ensure our strategic vision is backed by rigorous modeling and operational excellence.

In this role you will:

• Drive Strategic Initiatives: Assist the CFO in leading mission-critical projects, including the implementation of AI-driven finance tools, workflow automation, and the enhancement of data accuracy across the organization.

• Architect Balance Sheet Strategy: Design and execute a scalable capital strategy; lead the development of warehouse facilities, forward flow arrangements, and the eventual establishment of Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) facilities.

• Lead Complex Financial Structuring: Utilize your investment banking or private equity background to develop sophisticated pricing structures for lending products and optimize capital allocation across the balance sheet.

• Formalize Partnership Economics: Create a rigorous, standardized approach to pricing and structuring new partnerships, ensuring all deals are supported by detailed, multi-scenario financial models.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Coordinate across FP&A, Product Finance, and Accounting to ensure strategic goals are integrated into the bank’s long-range plans and daily operations.

• Capital Markets Relationship Management: Leverage and expand long-standing relationships within the Private Equity and structured finance communities to support the bank’s funding and liquidity needs.

• High-Stakes Modeling: Build and maintain the "source of truth" financial models that define the bank’s path to significant scale and long-term profitability.

• Advisory & Thought Leadership: Serve as a subject matter expert to the executive team on financial restructuring, market trends, and competitive positioning.

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Experience: 10–12+ years of experience in high-level finance roles, with a mandatory background in Investment Banking (M&A or Leveraged Finance) and/or Private Equity investing.

• Technical Expertise: Deep mastery of complex financial modeling, capital markets structuring, and balance sheet management. Specific experience with ABS, warehouse lending, or structured credit is highly preferred.

• Restructuring & Scaling: Proven track record in financial restructuring and a demonstrated ability to develop strategies for companies undergoing rapid, significant scaling.

• Strategic Mindset: Ability to see beyond the numbers to the broader business implications, coupled with the "tenured" presence required to work alongside PE partners and institutional investors.

• Communication & Influence: Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills; ability to synthesize highly technical financial structures for the Board of Directors and non-financial stakeholders.

• Project Management: Experience managing department-wide projects and the ability to drive outcomes in a fluid, high-autonomy environment.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, or a related field; MBA or CFA designation is strongly preferred.

• Mindset: Action-oriented, curious, and comfortable navigating the ambiguity of a thriving, evolving financial institution.

What we offer:

At Lead, we design our benefits to support company culture and principles, to foster an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to create the conditions for our team to give their best in both work and life

• Competitive compensation, including opportunities for equity grants and cash bonus, based on experience, geographic location, and role

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k Matching, and other wellness benefits, including FSA, HSA and HRA

• Paid parental leave

• Flexible vacation policy, including PTO and paid holidays

• A fun and challenging team environment in a dynamic industry with ample opportunities for career growth

*Lead Bank is proud to have an inclusive culture committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

*Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

*Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

- Zone 1: $205,000 - $229,240 (SF/Bay Area, NYC, Seattle)