Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

ABOUT THE ROLE Hopper is looking for a Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML to own our data warehouse, business intelligence, GCP/AI optimization, and Finance AI enablement strategy. You will be a key business partner across the organization, managing partner relationships across a broad range of commercial arrangements, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer. WHAT WOULD YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOK LIKE: - Provide actionable insights to drive business decisions based on finance and data analytics - Own the data warehouse strategy, governance and execution of the finance ledger - Build and lead a Center of Excellence for reporting including owning infrastructure and metrics across finance and the business units - Create, own, implement and track success of the Finance AI automation roadmap in partnership with FP&A, accounting and data - Establish data pipeline and AI model foundation - Understand and optimize our GCP infrastructure costs in partnership with engineering and Financial Operations - Establish Finance as the single source of truth for financial and business performance and create self-service analytics for key stakeholders - Manage a team of 4 engineers and 1 finance and strategy manager - Establish internal controls and support external audits related to data governance AN IDEAL CANDIDATE HAS: - Work experience 15+ years in travel and/or SaaS - Bachelor's Degree, with a strong preference for a Master's degree or equivalent experience - Engineering background preferred - Fluency in SQL, Python, GCP and Data Science, hands on coding ability - Understanding of LLM-based systems, prompt design, and AI model evaluation frameworks - Familiarity with automation frameworks and observability tools (Amplitude, Datadog, Looker) to assess reliability and performance - Strong data reconciliation skills across large, multi-source datasets - A bias toward first-principles thinking — questioning assumptions, stress-testing processes, and always asking why something works the way it does - Clear communicator with senior leadership and external partners - “Comfort with ambiguity and ground-zero building Nice to Have - Background at a high-growth technology or marketplace company - Experience working cross-functionally with data engineering or warehouse teams Perks and benefits of working with us: - Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary and the upsides of pre-IPO equity packages. - Carrot Cash travel stipend - Flexdesk All Access Pass & Work-from-home stipend - Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business - Open communication with management and company leadership - Small, dynamic teams = massive impact Engagement Status: Independent Contractor Note on Contractual Status 🇮🇪: This position is offered as an Independent Contractor engagement (Contract for Services) and does not constitute an offer of direct employment. The successful candidate will operate as a self-employed individual or through a Personal Service Company (PSC). You will be responsible for your own tax, PRSI, and VAT compliance in accordance with Irish Revenue Commissioners regulations. Engagement is contingent upon providing proof of valid business registration and appropriate professional indemnity insurance. More about Hopper At Hopper, we are on a mission to become the leading travel platform globally – powering Hopper’s mobile app, website and our B2B business, HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions). By leveraging massive amounts of data and advanced machine learning algorithms, Hopper combines its world-class travel agency offering with proprietary fintech products to bring transparency, flexibility and savings to travelers globally. We have developed several unique fintech solutions that address everything from pricing volatility to trip disruptions – helping people travel better and save more on their trips. The Hopper platform serves hundreds of millions of travelers globally and c…