Senior Financial Analyst - R&D

About the role

In this position, you will act as a key financial partner for the Research and Development team at Ridgeline. Your focus will be on supporting various technology groups, including Product, Engineering, Design, and Security, by providing insights that influence strategic investment decisions. You will utilize advanced technologies and AI tools to enhance forecasting, automate analyses, and streamline financial processes while ensuring confidentiality and accuracy.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Collaborate with leaders in Product, Engineering, Design, and Security to offer financial insights that guide resource allocation and project planning.
• Oversee the budgeting, forecasting, and annual planning processes for R&D, focusing on headcount, contractors, cloud services, software, AI, and vendor expenses.
• Create and maintain financial models that align product strategies and resource commitments with financial outcomes.
• Assess strategic options related to hiring, cloud usage, vendor relationships, and build versus buy scenarios, identifying financial risks and opportunities.
• Develop dashboards and reports for executives that enhance visibility into R&D expenditures, workforce trends, and operational performance.
• Prepare business cases and scenario analyses to support new product initiatives and strategic technology investments.
• Work with Engineering and Infrastructure teams to optimize cloud cost management and implement best practices in financial operations.
• Identify opportunities for cloud cost savings, including reservations and usage efficiencies, while ensuring performance and security.
• Manage monthly closing activities, including variance analysis and budget reporting.
• Partner with Accounting to handle vendor management, accruals, and software capitalization.
• Ensure accurate workforce and operating expense forecasts by reconciling data from various systems.
• Enhance financial processes through automation and improved documentation.
• Promote a collaborative environment by sharing financial insights and fostering informed decision-making.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related quantitative discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, or a similar analytical role.
• Background in supporting technology organizations within a SaaS or high-growth software environment is preferred.
• Proficient in financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Understanding of FinOps principles and cloud cost management.
• Familiarity with planning, ERP, HRIS, procurement, and analytics platforms such as Adaptive Planning, Workday, NetSuite, Coupa, AWS Cost Explorer, Looker, or Tableau.
• Experience with headcount planning, vendor management, and financial controls.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and provide actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to responsibly use AI tools to enhance analysis and automate processes while ensuring human oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of conveying financial concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a focus on both strategic and operational execution.
• Commitment to continuous learning and process improvement.
• A positive attitude toward workplace culture.

Nice to have

• Experience with financial planning for cloud infrastructure, particularly in AWS or similar environments.
• Knowledge of software capitalization and accounting for software development.
• Experience creating executive dashboards and financial reports using BI tools.
• Familiarity with AI-driven finance workflows and automation.
• Professional certifications such as CPA, CFA, or MBA.

Practical notes

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without requiring employer sponsorship.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected salary range for this position is $133,000 to $166,000. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the salary range is $146,000 to $182,000. Final compensation will be influenced by factors such as experience and expertise.

Employees at Ridgeline are eligible for a Company Stock Plan and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including unlimited vacation, educational and wellness reimbursements, and no-cost employee insurance plans. For more details about our benefits, please visit our Careers page.

Ridgeline is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.