Finance & AI Analyst

Are you ready to revolutionize the advertising industry? At Cognitiv, we are not just another AdTech company—we are industry trailblazers redefining media buying with our Deep Learning Advertising Platform. Since 2015, we have harnessed the power of cutting-edge deep learning technology and data science to transform how brands connect with their customers. Our mission? To bring intelligence to advertising and deliver unparalleled precision, relevance, and impact at scale. With our innovative platform, advertisers enjoy unprecedented flexibility—whether it is activating Dynamic Deals through their preferred DSP, leveraging our managed service DSP, or utilizing our industry-first ContextGPT product. As a part of Cognitiv, you will be at the forefront of AI-driven advertising solutions, driving change and achieving remarkable growth in a rapidly evolving industry. Now, we’re growing!

The Role

At Cognitiv, we're building the next generation of finance. As our first Finance & AI Analyst, you'll help transform Finance from a traditional reporting function into a forward-looking strategic partner powered by AI and automation.

With a next gen ERP platform, a new order management system, and an evolving data stack, you'll build the automation, reporting, and analytical capabilities that enable Finance to move faster and make smarter decisions. You'll combine financial expertise with modern data tools to automate recurring processes, develop forecasting models, and provide leaders with real-time insights that shape business strategy.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys building systems from the ground up, is excited by AI-enabled workflows, and wants to redefine how Finance operates and strategizes inside a fast-growing technology company.

This position will be located in New York City with a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office (Monday–Wednesday) and 2 optional remote days (Thursday–Friday).

What You'll Do

• Automate the Finance Function: Realize the full capability of our ERP and data systems by building scalable, AI-enabled workflows and automation that power recurring finance processes, so the team spends its time on advising instead of assembly. Understand, leverage, and build the pipelines and reporting that pull from our ERP, order management, and advertising platforms to put proactive financial and operating insight in front of leadership rather than month-end hindsight. Establish an automation layer where AI-generated insights are validated through appropriate human review and financial controls before reaching executive leadership.
• Decision Support & Reporting: Develop on-demand reporting and analytical tools that provide real-time visibility into company performance. Produce board and executive reporting packages and forward-looking analyses that support strategic decision-making, including product mix and profitability.
• Planning & Forecasting: Lead the annual budgeting process and maintain the company's three-year financial model. Partner closely with HR on headcount planning, compensation forecasting, and workforce modeling, while conducting scenario analyses to support strategic business decisions.
• Cash Flow & Corporate Finance: Own weekly cash positioning, liquidity planning, and cash flow forecasting to support corporate finance activities and ensure proactive cash management.

Who You Are

• The Foundation: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• Finance First: 3 to 5 years of experience in FP&A, corporate finance, strategic finance, or another highly analytical finance function.
• Bilingual in finance and data: Fluent in accounting and FP&A to know what a number should be, and fluent enough in data and modern tooling to build the thing that produces it. This means advanced SQL and the ability to work directly with data warehouses to build reporting yourself, plus enough Python to automate recurring workflows so reporting runs reliably and on its own. You question, then you build. You do not just use.
• Relentlessly curious: You are not satisfied reporting that a number moved; you want to know why it moved, and you surface the metrics leadership did not know to ask for.
• Decision-minded: You frame the question leadership should be asking, design the scenarios, tell the story, and act as the human check on the AI before its output reaches the team.
• AI as a force multiplier: You use AI to move faster on data work, drafting and debugging queries, automating routine reporting, and generating first-pass analysis, with the judgment to know where it falls short and needs a human check.
• Planning for What's Next: Strong understanding of budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and financial modeling.
• Numbers into Narratives: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex financial data into actionable business insights and recommendations.
• Influence Through Insight: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to both finance and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Builder's Mentality: A proactive, self-directed individual who enjoys creating new processes, driving automation, and thriving in environments with significant ownership and ambiguity.

Bonus Points If You Have

• CPA or CFA designation (or working toward one).
• Experience implementing or optimizing ERP or financial planning systems.
• Experience at a high-growth AdTech company.

Salary: $120,000 - $145,000 Base Salary + Equity