Director of Finance

Whalar Group; Dayton (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

PTO + Sick Time + Paid Holidays

HSA, FSA, and Commuter + Parking

Company Paid Life & Disability

Voluntary Life Insurance

Voluntary Hospital and Critical Illnes

Employee Assistance Program

401k with Employer Matching. No Vest"

Monthly Work from Home Stipend

Yearly Professional Development Stipe/

Job summary

The Lighthouse is seeking a strategic and commercially-minded Director of Finance to shape the next stage of its growth. Based in Brooklyn, NY or Venice, CA, you will report to the CEO and partner with leaders across the business to turn numbers into actionable strategy.

You will own FP&A, financial operations, and governance, building scalable finance processes, dashboards, and models to support new revenue streams and partnerships while maintaining rigorous controls.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience across finance, FP&A, accounting, commercial finance, or strategic finance.
• Experience leading budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash management, and long-term financial planning.
• Strong accounting knowledge alongside exceptional financial modelling and analytical skills.
• Experience partnering directly with founders, CEOs, or senior executives to influence business strategy.
• A commercial mindset with the ability to translate complex financial data into practical business recommendations.
• Experience improving finance systems, processes, and reporting within a growing or entrepreneurial business.
• CPA, MBA or equivalent experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting, annual planning, and monthly business reviews.
• Build financial models across revenue, cash flow, headcount, operating expenses, pricing, and growth scenarios.
• Deliver insightful reporting and dashboards that help leadership make confident, data-driven decisions.
• Lead scenario planning, investment analysis, pricing strategy, ROI modelling, and long-term financial planning.
• Own the monthly close process, financial reporting, reconciliations, cash management, and day-to-day financial operations.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, expense management, and vendor payments.
• Strengthen financial controls, accounting processes, and compliance while continuously improving operational efficiency.
• Partner with external accountants, auditors, banks, tax advisors, and payroll providers.
• Work alongside leaders across memberships, hospitality, events, partnerships, sponsorships, and emerging revenue streams to improve profitability and commercial performance.
• Develop financial business cases for new products, strategic partnerships, and investment opportunities.
• Build scalable finance processes, reporting infrastructure, and systems that support a high-growth business.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team, balancing financial discipline with entrepreneurial thinking and helping guide strategic decisions.

Skills

Finance

FP&A

Accounting

Commercial finance

Strategic finance

Excel/Sheets

CPA/MBA

Executive partnership

Education

CPA

MBA

Tools

ERP systems

BI tools

Job description

Job Title:Director of Finance

Location: Brooklyn, NY or Venice, CA

The Lighthouse is a first-of-its-kind campus for creators and their teams, with locations in Venice, CA, and Brooklyn, NY.

We are a studio system and creative playground designed for creators to Learn, Make, and Belong—creating a more frictionless path from idea to production to publication.

Our mission is to assemble and inspire the Creator Generation, helping creators build sustainable careers while shaping what's next for the Creator Industry.Learn more: www.thelighthouse.com.

About the role:

The Lighthouse is looking for a strategic and commercially-minded Director of Finance to help shape the future of one of the creator economy's most exciting businesses.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you'll be far more than the person who owns the numbers. You'll serve as a trusted business partner, leading accounting, financial planning, commercial finance, and financial operations while helping leadership make smarter, faster decisions.

From evaluating new revenue opportunities and investment decisions to building the financial infrastructure that supports our next stage of growth, you'll play a critical role in how we scale. If you enjoy building businesses—not just reporting on them—this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Lead all aspects of financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting, annual planning, and monthly business reviews.
• Build financial models across revenue, cash flow, headcount, operating expenses, pricing, and growth scenarios.
• Deliver insightful reporting and dashboards that help leadership make confident, data-driven decisions.
• Lead scenario planning, investment analysis, pricing strategy, ROI modelling, and long-term financial planning.
• Own the monthly close process, financial reporting, reconciliations, cash management, and day-to-day financial operations.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, expense management, and vendor payments.
• Strengthen financial controls, accounting processes, and compliance while continuously improving operational efficiency.
• Partner with external accountants, auditors, banks, tax advisors, and payroll providers.
• Work alongside leaders across memberships, hospitality, events, partnerships, sponsorships, and emerging revenue streams to improve profitability and commercial performance.
• Develop financial business cases for new products, strategic partnerships, and investment opportunities.
• Build scalable finance processes, reporting infrastructure, and systems that support a high-growth business.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team, balancing financial discipline with entrepreneurial thinking and helping guide strategic decisions.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 7+ years of progressive experience across finance, FP&A, accounting, commercial finance, or strategic finance.
• Experience leading budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash management, and long-term financial planning.
• Strong accounting knowledge alongside exceptional financial modelling and analytical skills.
• Experience partnering directly with founders, CEOs, or senior executives to influence business strategy.
• A commercial mindset with the ability to translate complex financial data into practical business recommendations.
• Experience improving finance systems, processes, and reporting within a growing or entrepreneurial business.
• Confidence operating in both strategic and hands-on environments—you enjoy building as much as managing.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, along with experience using modern finance and reporting systems.
• CPA, MBA, or equivalent experience is a plus.
• A genuine passion for creativity, community, and helping build businesses that have meaningful cultural impact.
• A collaborative, humble approach and a belief that great businesses are built by great people working together.

The Perks:

The Lighthouse provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments and experiences so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs:

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• PTO + Sick Time + Paid Holidays
• HSA, FSA, and Commuter + Parking Benefits
• Company Paid Life & Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance Policy
• Voluntary Hospital and Critical Illness Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k with Employer Matching. No Vesting Period.
• Monthly Work from Home Stipend
• Yearly Professional Development Stipend

Our values:

At The Lighthouse, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a statement, it's our collective strength. Our people are our superpower. A diverse team and inclusive leadership have shaped Whalar since our inception in 2016, fueling a constant evolution of growth. We champion a culture of respect and empathy, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends demographics. We hire individuals of all backgrounds and empower them to thrive, challenge stereotypes, and actively break societal barriers.

The Lighthouse provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.