Director, FP&A

About Grad Bridge

Grad Bridge is an innovative fintech redefining access to higher education financing. Backed by $20 million in Series A funding led by Acorn Investment Partners, a portfolio company of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, we’re building a first-of-its-kind platform that helps qualified students who fall just below traditional approval cutoffs secure the funding they need to finish their degrees. With national reach and plans to open our Delaware headquarters in 2026, we’re growing a mission‑driven team to shape the future of student lending.

The Director of FP&A will support the CFO with financial planning, analysis, forecasting, and executive and Board reporting. This role will run the monthly management and Board reporting process, lead variance analysis, and help translate loan origination and portfolio performance into clear insights for leadership, investors, and key partners. The Director will work cross‑functionally in a sponsor bank model where loans are originated through a bank partner and sold after a holding period.

• Own the monthly Board reporting process, including materials, commentary, and supporting schedules.
• Prepare executive reporting packages, dashboards, and performance summaries for the CEO and CFO.
• Lead variance analysis across income statement, cash flow, headcount, and key operating metrics, and summarize key drivers for management.
• Maintain KPI definitions and ensure consistency across reporting.

• Lead forecasting, including regular reforecasts, runway updates, and scenario analysis.
• Partner with the CFO on annual budgeting and ongoing expense planning across functions.
• Build and maintain planning models that connect headcount, vendor spend, marketing performance, and operational capacity to financial outcomes.
• Support planning for hiring, facilities, vendor commitments, and strategic initiatives, with clear financial impact summaries.

• Partner with Credit, Capital Markets, Servicing, and Operations to track and analyze loan performance, including cohort trends, delinquency, loss expectations, and returns.
• Build reporting that links origination activity, conversion funnels, unit economics, and portfolio outcomes.
• Support monitoring tied to sponsor bank requirements, holding period timing, and loan sale economics.
• Develop repeatable analyses that highlight drivers of profitability, credit performance, and operational efficiency.

• Partner with functional leaders to improve decision‑making through clear reporting and follow‑up on open questions.
• Establish a regular cadence for KPI reviews and forecast updates with key stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Accounting and the Controller to ensure actuals tie out to reporting and forecasts.
• Improve tools and processes to reduce manual reporting work and increase accuracy.

• Support investor and sponsor bank reporting needs, including recurring updates and ad‑hoc analyses.
• Prepare materials for Board meetings and strategic planning sessions.
• Provide analytical support for contract economics, pricing analysis, and partner profitability reviews.

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, CPA, or CFA preferred

• 10+ years of experience in financial planning and analysis, strategic finance, or corporate finance.
• Financial services, fintech, banking, or credit‑related businesses.
• Executive and Board reporting in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong modeling skills, including integrated forecasts and scenario analysis.
• Proven ability to create Board‑level materials with clear writing and clean exhibits.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines at once with strong attention to detail.
• High proficiency with Excel and comfort working with imperfect data in early‑stage environments.
• Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required. We are unable to sponsor or transfer visas (e.g.,H‑1B) at this time.

• Experience in private student lending, consumer lending, or specialty finance.
• Familiarity with sponsor bank models and whole loan sale economics.
• Background in a private equity‑backed company and experience supporting investor reporting and governance.
• Experience with business intelligence tools (for example, Power BI, Tableau, Looker) or financial planning tools.

• Strong ownership and reliability.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Practical problem‑solving and sound judgment.
• Ability to prioritize and execute under time constraints.
• Detail‑oriented with high standards for accuracy.

• Competitive compensation package.