VP of Finance
About the Role We’re looking for a VP of Finance to lead Kuali’s financial strategy and business operations and ensure our leaders have the clear, timely insights they need to make strong, data-informed decisions. You’ll be a key partner to the executive team as we continue to grow and scale a high-performing SaaS business.
As Kuali’s VP of Finance, you will oversee the full finance function—including FP&A, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash management—while directly managing our Controller, Financial Analyst, and HR Manager. You will partner closely with the CEO and leadership team to shape financial strategy, support strategic initiatives, and help ensure Kuali remains a healthy, resilient, and people-centered business.
This role is remote. Who are we? Kuali builds software solutions for higher education. We help our customers — colleges & universities — focus on providing a fantastic education to students by decreasing their administrative costs. We work in a competitive space, ripe for innovation, with users ready to be delighted. We are poised for high growth. Our Culture As a company, we are guided by our cultural values: - Iterate to evolve
- Cultivate openness
- Act with accountability
- Assume the best
- Practice humility
- Deliver amazing experiences
- Drive outcomes
At Kuali, we learn from and teach each other, we practice transparency and empathy, we delight in delivering value to our customers, and we WIN!
We’ve embraced distributed work for years—it’s part of who we are. Many of our employees work remotely across the U.S., from Massachusetts to Sacramento, while others collaborate in person at our office locations. We’re intentional about creating a healthy, connected culture, wherever you work.
What you’ll be responsible for - Leading Kuali’s overall financial strategy, planning, and analysis in partnership with the CEO and executive team.
- Partnering closely with the CEO and executive team to align financial plans with company strategy, product investments, and business priorities.
- Overseeing the Finance organization and business operations, including FP&A, Accounting, and People Operations (HR), with direct management of the Controller, Financial Analyst, and HR Manager.
- Partnering with the Controller to oversee accounting operations, month-end close, audits, and compliance with relevant standards and regulations.
- Partnering with the HR Manager to oversee compensation strategy, workforce planning, and supporting a strong, inclusive employee experience.
- Supporting a strong, inclusive employee experience by ensuring Finance and HR practices reflect Kuali’s values and support equitable decision-making.
- Providing decision support for pricing strategy, scenario modeling, headcount planning, and major operational initiatives.
- Translating financial and operating data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for the executive team and other leaders.
- Creating simple, repeatable processes that scale as Kuali grows, while remaining willing to roll up your sleeves when needed.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration to support planning, transparency, and data-informed decision-making.
About you - You align with Kuali’s values: Kuali’s values resonate with you, and you embrace them not just as ideals but as everyday practices. You communicate transparently, assume positive intent, learn from mistakes, collaborate generously, and approach challenges with curiosity and accountability. You bring these values into your interactions, decision-making, and approach to work.
- You’re both strategic and hands-on: You can zoom out to shape long-term financial strategy and zoom in to validate numbers, refine models, or support your team in the details. You’re comfortable operating at different altitudes depending on what the business needs.
- You’re an experienced people leader: You have a track record of leading and developing high-performing teams. You provide clear expectations and feedback, support growth, and create an environment where Finance, Accounting, and HR can do their best work.
- You’re collaborative and influential: You build strong relationships across the organization, including with the executive team. You present financial information in ways that are accessible and actionable, facilitate healthy debate, and help the team make thoughtful trade-offs.
- You’re calm under pressure: You handle shifting priorities, ambiguity, and time-sensitive decisions with clarity and resilience. You keep others informed, surface risks early, and help the organization stay grounded during change.
- You’re organized and detail-oriented: You ensure the financial foundation is solid—accurate reporting, clean data, and well-documented processes—while keeping sight of the bigger picture and long-term goals.
- You thrive in a remote environment: You communicate proactively, use digital tools effectively, and create alignment across distributed teams. You’re intentional about building connection and trust, even when you’re not in the same room.
- You take ownership: You feel responsible for the overall health of the business—financial, people, and operational. You proactively surface risks and opportunities across Finance, Accounting, and HR, follow through on decisions, and partner with leaders to implement improvements that support both business performance and a strong, inclusive employee experience.
Ideal candidates have: - A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business or equivalent experience
- Experience leading finance in a SaaS company, with strong understanding of subscription models and recurring revenue.
- Extensive experience in finance roles with increasing responsibility, including leadership of a finance function or major FP&A/accounting team
- Experience preparing financial and operational updates for executives, boards, and investors
We'd be delighted if you also have: - A Masters degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business
- A CPA or CFA
- Experience leading finance in a scaling or PE/VC-backed SaaS company
- Experience in mergers and acquisitions
- Experience managing HR/People Operations
- Experience with compensation strategy and workforce planning
- Experience working with customers in higher education
- Experience managing remote teams
Perks - The opportunity to work to together with smart, passionate people to build a high growth, highly profitable SaaS company
- Flexible remote work with no expectation of returning to an office setting
- A truly exceptional benefits package, including 100% company-paid medical and dental insurance
- 100% 401(k) matching up to 4%
- Paid Maternity/Parental leave
- Flexible PTO — no accrual limits, no ‘use it or lose it.’ Just work with your manager to make sure the team’s covered, and take the time you need to recharge.
- Encouragement and support for ongoing learning and skill development
- Recognition platform to celebrate contributions with meaningful incentives
- 4-day work week
- Company retreats to connect, recharge, and collaborate
At Kuali, we value and respect individuals from all backgrounds, recognizing that a rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives fuels our success as a company and enriches our collective human experience.
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