Senior Director, Strategic Finance

About this role

<p>At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.</p> <p>We are seeking an exceptional Senior Director, Strategic Finance to join our leadership team, reporting to the Head of FP&A. This leader will serve as the senior finance partner across several of Lyft's critical business lines: Ads, Lyft Business, and Marketing. This leader will be driving strategic financial decision-making through advanced analytics, consumer tech expertise, and proven ROI frameworks.</p> <p>This role demands a finance leader with deep experience with lifecycle marketing & LTV who can be a self-starter and translate complex business dynamics into actionable insights and drive measurable performance.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Responsibilities:</strong></h2> <p><strong><em>Strategic Finance & Business Partnership</em></strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead comprehensive financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting for Ads, Lyft Business, and Marketing, including revenue modeling, contract optimization, marketing investment planning, and scenario analysis.</li> <li>Partner directly with senior business leaders as their primary finance counterpart, shaping investment cases, challenging assumptions, and ensuring financial rigor in decision-making.</li> <li>Own the consolidated financial narrative for these growth businesses in earnings prep, board materials, and CFO/CEO reviews - translating early-stage business performance into a credible story for internal and external audiences.</li> <li>Drive forecast updates and quarterly business reviews with sophisticated analysis of business performance across all three LOBs, including WoW and MoM variance analysis, R&O framing, and forward-looking commentary.</li> <li>Drive scenario planning and sensitivity analysis to support strategic decisions around new ad products, Lyft Business vertical expansion (e.g., NEMT, dealerships), and marketing channel mix optimization.</li> <li>Lead long-term planning for these businesses, including capital allocation recommendations, headcount investment frameworks, and multi-year revenue build models.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Build, manage, and develop a high-performing Strategic Finance team. Coach and develop Finance talent - not just manage, but actively raise the analytical bar.</li> <li>Establish best-in-class financial processes across businesses at different maturity levels</li> <li>Foster a culture of analytical depth, intellectual honesty, and proactive business partnership. The team should surface insights before being asked and challenge the business when the numbers don't support the narrative.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Experience:</strong></h2> <ul> <li>12+ years of progressive FP&A or strategic finance experience, with at least 8+ years in technology companies — preferably in marketplace, platform, advertising, or network-effect businesses.</li> <li>Direct experience supporting an advertising or media business. You understand CPM/CPC economics, ad inventory management, sell-through rates, advertiser pipeline dynamics, and the margin profile of a platform ad business. Experience at a company building an ads business on top of an existing consumer platform is ideal.</li> <li>Deep experience with growth/performance marketing finance. You've built or managed CAC/LTV frameworks, set channel-level budget guardrails, evaluated incrementality, and partnered with growth teams on spend optimization. You understand that marketing dollars in a marketplace business have second-order effects on supply/demand balance.</li> <li>Extensive track record of building and leading high-performing FP&A teams in fast-growth environments, including hiring and developing finance talent.</li> <li>Strong executive presence with experience presenting to C-suite leadership. You can walk into a room with the CFO, defend a marketing investment case or challenge an overly optimistic revenue forecast, and be respected for both.</li> <li>Outstanding communication skills with the ability to translate complex financial concepts for diverse audiences, from business operators to the earnings prep team.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Strongly Preferred:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience at a two-sided marketplace where you've had to account for supply/demand interdependencies in financial planning, where a rider acquisition investment changes driver utilization, ETAs, and pricing.</li> <li>Experience supporting businesses from start-up to scale. Big enough to matter to the P&L and the earnings narrative, but young enough that the forecasting models and financial infrastructure are still being built.</li> <li>Familiarity with revenue recognition nuances across business models</li> <li>Comfort operating across geographically distributed teams.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Benefits:</strong></h2> <ul> <li>Extended health and dental coverage options, along with life insurance and disability benefits</li> <li>Mental health benefits</li> <li>Family building benefits</li> <li>Child care and pet benefits</li> <li>Access to a Lyft funded Health Care Savings Account</li> <li>RRSP plan to help save for your future</li> <li>In addition to provincial observed holidays, salaried team members are covered under Lyft's flexible paid time off policy. The policy allows team members to…