Vice President of Finance

Posted Dec 4

As Skillshare’s VP of Finance, you will act as a financial and strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team as we build on our core business and expand into new revenue streams and engagement models. You will report directly to the CEO and play a key leadership role in defining and executing our long-term strategy and vision. You will oversee all elements of FP&A, accounting, investor relations, banking relationships, and corporate development. This will also be an active and visible role with our Board of Directors and current and future investors. 

Skillshare is the leading global platform for creative learning, with 25,000+ classes offered by 8,000+ experts serving creative professionals and hobbyists from almost every country. You will play a crucial role in becoming a valuable partner to creatives and the center of the creator economy, impacting millions worldwide.

What you'll do:

  • Manage and develop a world-class team: Develop and mentor a strong finance and accounting team that is passionate about our business and the impact that we can have on the world.
  • Strategy: You’ll spend a lot of time talking with our executive team, board, investors, and external parties about our strategy and plan, so we expect you to play a critical role in defining them.
  • FP&A: Provide vital financial insights that drive the company’s strategic decisions, forecasts, and financial plans.
  • Accounting: Work with our exceptional controller and accounting team on our accounting operations, ensuring scalability and efficiency.
  • Investor relations, banking relationships, and corporate development: Work hand-in-hand with our CEO on our long-term financial strategy and M&A opportunities, and be the primary contact for our banks and potential investors.

Why we are excited about you:

  • Hands-on leadership: You know what a scaled-up company should look like, but you're still willing and able to roll up your sleeves to get things done.
  • Strong collaboration and teamwork: Nobody has all the answers, and we want an executive team that can work together to shore up our respective gaps and leverage our collective strengths. We need you to make us all better, and let us help you get better.
  • A data-driven strategist: You view the finance function as a critical strategic partner to the other executives and their teams. As with any tech company, there will be a constant stream of tough decisions, and we will need your understanding of the numbers and where the world is heading to help us see around corners.
  • Presentation and relationship skills with external stakeholders: You are a wizard at developing and delivering investor presentations and building relationships with current and future investors. You have complete command of the details and can package and communicate the right level of data for whatever audience. Our CEO looks forward to you acting as a partner on key investor and market relationships.
  • Strong FP&A background: While you have a broad finance and accounting background and can cover much ground, FP&A is your power alley. You know how to convert operational data into accurate forecasts and support our teams in managing their budgets.

Why you are excited about us:

  • Impact: There aren’t many venture-backed startups with a strong brand, two-sided marketplace model, subscription-driven revenue, AND a compelling social impact.
  • Exposure and impact: You will have a very visible role within the company and continue our tradition of finance roundtable discussions where you give the company updates on both our internal financials and the external environment. You will also be a primary point of contact for our board, investors, and bankers. 
  • Community: We help fuel our users’ passions and professions, and as a result, we have a large and engaged community of teachers and students. 
  • Team: We have an incredible team that believes in Skillshare’s ability to change the world for the better. Our executive team is seasoned, collaborative, and has a low tolerance for ego or drama.
  • Board and investors: We have one of the most supportive boards around. We are very proud to be backed by Union Square Ventures, Amasia, Spero Ventures, and Spark Capital, and their networks have paid big dividends for Skillshare. Our independent directors come from companies like Amazon, Eventbrite, USA Today, and Cars.com.
  • Salary: Our target salary for this role is $265,000 plus additional performance based compensation and a generous equity package, depending on skills and experience. If this role is of interest to you, you should apply no matter what. You can trust us to make an assessment based on your unique skills and experience and communicate that with you.