Chief of Staff

About Iris

Iris Finance is the AI-native financial intelligence platform for consumer brands. We give CPG companies the finance function of a business ten times their size — a real-time analytics platform, benchmarking across a 200+ brand network, FP&A and CFO advisory, and transaction advisory for deals and diligence. We're venture-backed, headquartered in Chicago & New York, and building the financial operating system for the consumer economy.

The role

This is the right-hand seat to the CEO. You'll own business operations end to end: the company model, the metrics we run on, the materials investors see, and the operational plumbing that keeps a fast-growing company sharp. The mandate is broad by design — one day you're pressure-testing the operating model before a board meeting, the next you're standing up a reporting process, supporting a live sell-side engagement, or evaluating a new business line.

You'll get exposure most operators never see in one seat: a scaling software business, live M&A and diligence work, and a front-row view of how an AI-native company actually runs. For the right person, this role is a launchpad into senior operating leadership as we scale.

What you'll own

• The company model. Operating model, scenario planning, runway and hiring plans, and unit economics across our software and services lines.
• Metrics and reporting. ARR and revenue reporting, KPI dashboards, monthly business reviews, and board and investor reporting.
• Fundraising and investor relations. Data rooms, investor materials, diligence management, and ongoing investor updates.
• Deal support. Financial analysis on transaction advisory engagements — quality of earnings, sell-side prep, buyer materials — alongside our advisory team.
• Business operations. Legal, finance, insurance, vendors, and equity administration; coordinating outside counsel and accountants so the CEO doesn't have to.
• Special projects. Pricing, market maps, competitive intelligence, partnerships — whatever the highest-leverage problem is that quarter.
• AI leverage. Building internal workflows and automations with AI tools. We're an AI-native company and expect everyone to operate that way.

Who you are

• 3–5 years of experience in investment banking, private equity / growth equity, or strategic finance at a high-growth software company. A banking foundation is strongly preferred.
• An elite modeler. You build three-statement, cohort, and scenario models from scratch — fast, clean, and defensible under scrutiny.
• Fluent in software metrics. ARR, NRR, CAC/LTV, burn multiple, magic number — and you understand what they mean for decisions, not just how to report them.
• Genuinely AI-native. You use tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor daily and build with them. You'll be tested on this.
• A strong writer. You can turn analysis into a board slide, an investor email, or a crisp one-pager without hand-holding.
• High-agency, low-ego. You're comfortable going from a board deck to a vendor negotiation to booking a conference room in the same afternoon.
• Chicago-based (or ready to relocate). This is an in-person role.

Nice to have

• Consumer / CPG / DTC exposure — coverage group, portfolio company, or operating experience
• Early-stage startup experience
• CFA progress or FINRA licenses