Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead finance analytics and AI/ML initiatives to drive impactful business decisions.
  • Company: Join Hopper, a fast-growing travel tech startup with big ambitions.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, unlimited PTO, and pre-IPO equity packages.
  • Other info: Dynamic team culture with opportunities for massive impact and career growth.
  • Why this job: Be at the forefront of travel fintech innovation and make a real difference.
  • Qualifications: 15+ years in finance analytics, strong SQL and Python skills required.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

Hopper is looking for a Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML to own our data warehouse, business intelligence, GCP/AI optimization, and Finance AI enablement strategy. You will be a key business partner across the organization, managing partner relationships across a broad range of commercial arrangements, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer.

What would your day-to-day look like:

  • Provide actionable insights to drive business decisions based on finance and data analytics
  • Own the data warehouse strategy, governance and execution of the finance ledger
  • Build and lead a Center of Excellence for reporting including owning infrastructure and metrics across finance and the business units
  • Create, own, implement and track success of the Finance AI automation roadmap in partnership with FP&A, accounting and data
  • Establish data pipeline and AI model foundation
  • Understand and optimize our GCP infrastructure costs in partnership with engineering and Financial Operations
  • Establish Finance as the single source of truth for financial and business performance and create self-service analytics for key stakeholders
  • Manage a team of 4 engineers and 1 finance and strategy manager
  • Establish internal controls and support external audits related to data governance

An ideal candidate has:

  • Work experience 15+ years in travel and/or SaaS
  • Bachelor's Degree, with a strong preference for a Master's degree or equivalent experience
  • Engineering background preferred
  • Fluency in SQL, Python, GCP and Data Science, hands on coding ability
  • Understanding of LLM-based systems, prompt design, and AI model evaluation frameworks
  • Familiarity with automation frameworks and observability tools (Amplitude, Datadog, Looker) to assess reliability and performance
  • Strong data reconciliation skills across large, multi-source datasets
  • A bias toward first-principles thinking — questioning assumptions, stress-testing processes, and always asking why something works the way it does
  • Clear communicator with senior leadership and external partners
  • Comfort with ambiguity and ground-zero building

Nice to Have:

  • Background at a high-growth technology or marketplace company
  • Experience working cross-functionally with data engineering or warehouse teams

Perks and benefits of working with us:

  • Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary, upsides of pre-IPO equity packages.
  • Hopper covers 100% of the premiums for the employee for a group insurance plan through Vitality Health.
  • Automatic contributions when you start with Hopper through Smart Pension.
  • Please ask us about our very generous parental leave, much above industry standards!
  • Access to co-working space on demand through FlexDesk AND Work-from-home stipend.
  • Carrot Cash travel stipend.
  • Unlimited PTO.
  • Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business.
  • Open communication with management and company leadership.
  • Small, dynamic teams = massive impact.

More about Hopper:

At Hopper, we are on a mission to become the leading travel platform globally – powering Hopper’s mobile app, website and our B2B business, HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions). By leveraging massive amounts of data and advanced machine learning algorithms, Hopper combines its world-class travel agency offering with proprietary fintech products to bring transparency, flexibility and savings to travelers globally.

The Hopper platform serves hundreds of millions of travelers globally and continues to capture market share around the world. The Hopper app has been downloaded over 120 million times and has become largely popular among younger travelers – with 70% of its users being Gen Z and millennials.

While everyone knows us as the Gen Z and Millennial travel app, Hopper has evolved to become much more than that. In recent years, we’ve grown into a travel fintech provider, commerce platform, and global travel agency that powers some of the world’s largest brands.

Through HTS, our B2B division, the company supercharges its partners’ direct channels by integrating our fintech products on their sites or powering end-to-end travel portals. Today, our partners include leading travel brands like Capital One, Nubank, Air Canada, and many more.

Hopper has been named the #1 most innovative company in travel by Fast Company. Hopper has raised over $750 million USD of private capital and is backed by some of the largest institutional investors and banks in the world. HTS is primed to continue its growth as the leading travel ecommerce provider in a $1 trillion online shopping category.

Come take off with us!

At Hopper, we leverage AI-driven tools to assist our team in efficiently reviewing applications. These tools help us assess qualifications fairly and objectively. By submitting your application, you acknowledge the use of these automated screening technologies.

Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML employer: Hopper

Hopper is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and innovative work culture in the heart of Edinburgh. With a focus on AI-driven solutions, employees enjoy competitive salaries, equity options, and unlimited paid time off, all while being encouraged to take risks and communicate openly. The company prioritises employee growth, offering opportunities to lead impactful projects and develop skills in a fast-paced startup environment.

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Contact Details:

Hopper Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

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We think you need these skills to ace Lead, Finance Analytics & Enablement AI/ML

Data Warehouse Management
Business Intelligence
GCP Optimization
Finance AI Enablement
SQL
Python
Data Science

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!

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Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Hopper. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!

How to prepare for a job interview at Hopper

Brush Up on Your Statistics

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Get Comfortable with Python and R

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