Senior Finance Operations Manager (m/f/d)

REMOTE - Germany

Ask a room of people to define the future of work, and you’ll likely get a dozen different answers. For some, it’s about focusing on more creative goals and automating daily tasks. To others, it creates a fear of being replaced in the near future. To us, the future of work means working alongside AI. Being in control of the best technology instead of being controlled by it.

CHAPTR is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, alongside businesses such as Springer Nature, Digital Science, and Macmillan Publishers. A dynamic startup fueled by our passion for technology and redefining the future of work. We build cutting-edge products and relentlessly push the boundaries of what is possible.

We're actively building a diverse team, because diversity fuels fun and innovation. If you feel you may not meet all job requirements, apply anyway; we understand impostor syndrome and won't let it hinder us from hiring the best. We're a remote, #familyfirst company, offering flexibility while staying committed to our mission. If you're excited about innovation, eager to propel our projects, and passionate about AI, join CHAPTR on this thrilling journey.

As our Senior Finance Operations Manager, you will own CHAPTR's financial operations end-to-end as we aim to significantly grow our team in the upcoming years. With a growing number of initiatives, financial reporting and tracking is becoming increasingly complex, requiring more granular project-level visibility and standardised processes.

You'll work directly with our Head of Operations and Founders to build scalable financial frameworks, methodologies, and systems that enable accurate reporting, project profitability tracking, and informed decision-making. This role combines hands-on financial execution with process design - creating the operational foundations for CHAPTR's financial management.

Our current setup: Moss (expense management), SAP HANA (ERP via Holtzbrinck), Xflow (invoice approval), financial modelling tools, Holtzbrinck shared services (accounting, treasury, tax).

• Design, implement, and continuously improve scalable financial frameworks, methodologies, controls and standardised processes that support CHAPTR's growth.
• Own end-to-end invoice reconciliation, invoice processing and vendor invoice compliance (VAT, reverse charge, compliance requirements).
• Maintain granular project cost tracking and attribution across cost centers, ensuring accurate reporting, project profitability tracking and financial transparency.
• Prepare monthly management reports (incl. P&L), quarterly rolling forecasts (RF), and quarterly business review financial packages for leadership.
• Lead commercial finance initiatives, including pricing strategies, business case development, cost analysis and profitability assessments for CHAPTR's products and services.
• Own the revenue cycle for client-billable work - track project deliverables against billing milestones, manage invoicing, and monitor accounts receivable.
• Monitor cashflow and liquidity planning, coordinating with Holtzbrinck Treasury on funding requirements and payment schedules.
• Support Founders and Head of Operations with financial analysis, scenario modelling, and decision support.
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve finance workflows, reporting, and data quality using modern tools and AI.

• 5+ years of relevant experience in finance operations, FP&A, controlling, commercial finance, or a comparable finance role.
• Strong understanding of financial statements, cash flow, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and variance analysis.
• Hands-on experience building financial models and translating complex financial data into clear business insights.
• Experience with project-, product-, or business-unit-level cost allocation, margin analysis, and profitability tracking.
• Proven ability to independently own financial processes and improve or build structures in a growing organisation.
• Strong commercial mindset and the ability to connect financial performance with operational and strategic business decisions.
• Experience working with ERP, accounting, expense management, or financial planning systems and reconciling data across multiple sources.
• A high level of accuracy and financial discipline without losing pragmatism or speed in a dynamic environment.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and confidence working with senior leadership as well as external or Group finance functions.
• Excellent English and German communication skills (min. B2).
• A proactive, self-organised working style with a high degree of ownership and an appetite for solving ambiguous problems.

• Experience in a startup, scale-up, SaaS, B2B tech, or other fast-moving product environment.
• Exposure to both operational finance and FP&A rather than a purely accounting-focused background.
• Experience with project-based or client-service revenue models and revenue recognition or billing processes.
• Understanding of AI-related cost structures, unit economics, and product profitability.
• Experience with BI, financial planning, or data visualization tools beyond traditional spreadsheets.
• Previous exposure to international or Group finance structures, including intercompany processes or transfer pricing.
• A strong interest in automation and AI, with the curiosity to experiment with new tools and build smarter finance workflows.

A highly innovative core AI startup offering:

• Competitive salary
• Work at the forefront of technology with a Rockstar team (Ex-Google, Ex-Amazon)
• Great career development opportunities, incl. learning and development budget
• Comprehensive benefits including mental wellbeing support (Nilo), bike leasing (JobRad), WeWork co-working space access, and workation options.
• Experience the flexibility of 100% remote work within Germany and optimal work-life balance (#familyfirst).