Director, Strategic Finance

Director, Strategic Finance

Galileo is a nationally recognized summer day camp dedicated to empowering young innovators to change the world! Since 2002, we've inspired hundreds of thousands of kids across 90+ diverse communities, becoming a leader in the Innovation Education Movement.

At Galileo, innovation, purpose, and personal growth come together to create an environment where your unique talents shine, and your impact is celebrated. We're committed to fostering a culture that champions inclusion for all, continually innovating to ensure every voice is heard. We have been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation four times, including in 2024, and we've made the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area list over 12 times.

Come join us for a joy-filled summer in a mission-driven environment where you'll be part of something truly special!

Job Description

As the Director of Strategic Finance, you will shape the company's financial direction and partner across departments to drive growth, improve decision-making, and ensure every strategic initiative is grounded in data-driven insight. This role sits at the intersection of finance, analytics, and business operationsyou'll pair sharp financial acumen with a deep understanding of how the business truly runs day to day.

You'll operate as a player-coach on a small, scrappy team with big ambitions for growth. Equal parts strategist and builder, you'll model the business, analyze performance at the site level, design decision-support tools, and partner with leadership and cross-functional teams to improve efficiency and outcomes. The ideal candidate is as comfortable in front of executives as they are in Excelable to influence decisions, simplify complexity, and build the systems and metrics that power growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Decision Support

Lead annual and multi-year planning processes, aligning budgets and forecasts with company growth goals.

Develop and maintain forward-looking financial and operational (e.g., staffing) models and scenario analyses to guide resource allocation, pricing, and investment decisions.

Translate strategic priorities (e.g., expansion, pricing, scholarships) into clear financial implications.

Ensure all financial planning and forecasting aligns with the seasonal nature of our business, supporting the unique rhythm of camp operations from strategic planning, to dynamic forecasting, to performance management.

Act as a trusted advisor to leadership, clearly communicating financial insights, risks, and opportunities in plain language.

Operational Finance & Analytics

Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, People, Technology, Supply Chain, and Field Operations teams to understand business drivers and identify opportunities for growth, efficiency, and ROI.

Deliver actionable reporting and insights at the site level, reflecting the realities of 90+ unique camp locations, tracking enrollment, labor, utilization, and margins to identify risks and opportunities in real time.

Build and refine simple, actionable KPIs and leading indicators that are analytically sound and operationally meaningful, with particular focus on :

Labor Optimize hiring, deployment, and daily management of ~2,500 seasonal employees, Galileo's largest cost driver and primary determinant of program quality

Unit maturity Build and refine the "camp ramp" model to ensure new camps successfully scale from launch to maturity

Scale Identify opportunities for operating leverage as Galileo grows, supporting improvements in org design, systems, and processes

Champion a "business-first" approach to analytics : ensuring financial insights translate into stakeholder adoption and measurable action.

Collaborate with end users to align financial tools and processes with the way the business actually operates.

Systems, Tools & Team Leadership

Oversee the roadmap for strategic financial systems and reporting infrastructure in partnership with Technology and Data teams.

Design lightweight, scalable tools and dashboards and recommend systems that improve data quality, visibility, and automation.

Mentor and develop team members in and outside of Finance, fostering an analytical culture rooted in curiosity, rigor, and collaboration.

What We're Looking For

Business Partnership Mindset

A connector who builds strong relationships across teams and thrives on collaboration

Willingness to spend time with end users to understand pain points and co-create better processes

Preference for engaging directly with the businessbalancing analytical work with hands-on problem-solving

Exceptional Analytical and Strategic Thinking

Ability to identify true leading indicators and build simple, powerful metrics that drive real behavioral change

Strong commercial intuition : understands what truly moves the business and can turn data into actionable insights

Expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, and scenario planning, with the creativity to look beyond standard reporting

Systems and Design Thinking

Comfort working with data architecture, reporting tools, and automationable to bridge the gap between finance and technology

Understands how systems and processes shape behavior; designs financial tools that are both scalable and user-friendly

Familiarity with Salesforce, Power BI, SQL, or similar technologies preferred

Leadership and Communication

Excellent communicator who can distill complexity into clarity

Demonstrated success leading small teams, influencing cross-functional peers, and managing up effectively

Strong presentation skills and confidence working directly with senior leadership and the board

Qualifications

812 years of experience in Strategic Finance, FP&A, or related fields, including leadership experience

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred

Proven experience partnering with commercial or operational teams to translate financial insights into business outcomes. Multi-site retail and / or services experience is a plus.

Advanced Excel and modeling skills; experience with BI or analytics tools strongly preferred

Strong problem-solving, communication, and relationship-building skills

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Additional Information

Physical Demands

Occasionally lift and carry up to 30 lbs.

Constantly operate a computer (including typing, reading)

Frequently remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time

Constantly communicate in-person, virtually, and from a range of distances

Frequently remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, sitting or standing

Additional Information :

During your onboarding process, you may need to complete a Tuberculosis (TB) screening, a background check, and mandated reporter training (California only). More details will be provided during your onboarding process.

Equal Opportunity Employer :

Galileo Learning is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment 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.

We comply with the ADA and provide reasonable accommodation that allow qualified applicants / employees to perform the essential functions of the job. To request an accommodation,