[Hiring] Finance Director @The Learning Experiene - Huntington Beach, CA

Role Description

The Finance Director will own financial analysis and forecasting for the portfolio, drive EBITDA growth initiatives, manage cash flow across 20+ child care entities, support acquisition decisions, and directly manage our outsourced accounting team based in India to ensure timely, accurate monthly financials. This is a high-impact, hands-on role for a Leader who is equally comfortable building a detailed acquisition model and sitting down with a Center Director who has never read a P&L. The Finance Director will bring rigor, forecasting discipline, and drive the financial growth of our $50M+ combined Portfolio revenue.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; MBA strongly preferred
• 8+ years of progressive finance experience, including at least 3-5 years in a senior finance role (Finance Director, VP Finance, Controller, or similar)
• Proven background serving as a Finance Director, Controller, or Senior Financial Manager within a for-profit, competitive market environment
• Experience supporting a multi-unit, multi-location business (franchise, retail, restaurant, childcare/education, or similar people-heavy service model) with $50M+ in revenue and 20+ operating locations
• Demonstrated experience managing an outsourced, offshore, or shared-services accounting function
• Hands-on experience with M&A: financial due diligence, valuation, and post-acquisition integration
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills; experience with accounting/ERP systems (e.g., QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct) and BI or dashboarding tools
• Track record of driving measurable EBITDA or margin improvement in a prior role
• Experience in franchise operations, private-equity-backed businesses, or education/childcare is a strong plus

Requirements

• Own the monthly and quarterly financial reporting package across 20+ locations, including consolidated and location-level P&L analysis
• Identify variances, trends, and root causes; translate findings into clear recommendations for leadership
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards (revenue per center, labor %, EBITDA margin, enrollment/occupancy, tuition trends)
• Lead initiatives that grow EBITDA across the portfolio, from pricing and labor efficiency to vendor and cost management
• Partner directly with operations and center leadership on the levers that move margin
• Benchmark center performance against the rest of the portfolio and against industry standards
• Own rolling cash flow forecasting across all entities, including seasonality specific to childcare enrollment cycles
• Monitor working capital, AR/AP, and debt covenant compliance
• Support banking relationships, loan draws, and lender reporting requirements
• Lead financial due diligence on new acquisition targets, including quality-of-earnings review and deal-specific risk assessment
• Build acquisition and integration models: valuation, pro forma P&L, synergy and payback analysis
• Present clear, well-supported recommendations to ownership/leadership to inform go/no-go decisions
• Own the working relationship with the outsourced accounting/bookkeeping team based in India
• Set and enforce a monthly close calendar and SLAs so financials are delivered accurately and on time every month
• Review outputs for accuracy and completeness; train and guide the offshore team on company-specific chart of accounts, processes, and reporting standards
• Serve as the escalation point for accounting issues and drive continuous process improvement
• Translate financial data into plain, actionable language for Center Directors, franchisees, and field leaders who have little to no finance background
• Build simple, recurring tools (one-pagers, dashboards, short trainings) that build financial literacy across the operating team
• Lead recurring finance review meetings, walking non-finance stakeholders through their numbers in an approachable, teaching-oriented style rather than a technical one
• Guarantee absolute adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), statutory requirements, and local/corporate tax laws
• Establish, monitor, and enforce robust internal control structures to safeguard assets and prevent corporate fraud
• Evaluate and mitigate corporate financial risks, managing commercial insurance policies and credit lines

Benefits

• Free uniforms
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Bonus based on performance
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts
• Tuition assistance

This is a remote position.