Location: Palo Alto, CA (hybrid)
Small business owners don't have a risk department. They spend their time and energy starting and growing a business. NEXT's mission is to help entrepreneurs thrive, and we're using AI to make business insurance simple, fast, and affordable enough that it never costs them a day of work.
We're an AI technology company that happens to also be a fully licensed insurance carrier. Because we're a full-stack carrier, AI isn't a layer bolted onto someone else's product. It's in the underwriting, the pricing, the classification, and increasingly in how the product itself gets built. We're rebuilding the core judgment loops of a hundreds-of-years old industry, and doing it with a lean team, which is exactly why AI matters.
We underwrite our own risk, build our own systems, and own the entire value chain, so the product decisions made here show up directly in what a customer pays and how fast they get covered. Since 2016 we've insured hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the country. As a subsidiary of Munich Re and ERGO, our growth is backed by the financial strength of one of the world's leading reinsurance and insurance groups.
About the role:
ERGO NEXT is building its Finance organization to be AI-native — starting with reinventing how we forecast the business from the ground up. We're looking for a Strategic Finance Manager, AI & Forecasting to help lead this transformation: someone with strong core strategic finance fundamentals who is equally excited to redesign forecasting, planning, and reporting workflows around AI/LLM-based tools rather than layering AI on top of legacy spreadsheet processes. Reporting to the Head of Revenue & Growth FP&A, this is a high-visibility, high-impact role at the intersection of strategic finance and applied AI, with the mandate to define what "AI-native FP&A" looks like at ERGO NEXT.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead the redesign of the topline revenue forecasting process from the ground up, using AI/LLM-based tools and workflows in place of legacy manual, spreadsheet-driven approaches
- Partner with Finance and Data Science to identify, evaluate, and implement AI tools and agentic workflows that improve the speed, accuracy, and scalability of forecasting and planning
- Drive long-range and annual planning process while building repeatable, AI-assisted modeling and reporting frameworks
- Spearhead strategic finance activities applying AI-driven analysis to accelerate diligence and scenario modeling
- Partner cross-functionally to define and automate KPI tracking, using AI to surface insights and recommendations faster than traditional analysis allows
- Prepare Board materials and executive presentations, incorporating AI-generated analysis and scenario modeling to sharpen the narrative
- Act as an internal champion and educator for AI adoption within Finance, documenting playbooks and mentoring team members as new tools and workflows are rolled out
What We Need:
- BA/BS in finance, accounting, economics, or a quantitative discipline
- 4–6 years of finance experience in a fast-paced environment with a track record of success (background in investment banking, corporate development, or strategic finance a plus)
- Genuine enthusiasm for AI tools (e.g., LLM-based agents, AI-powered modeling/analysis platforms) and a track record of adopting or building workflows around them — prior hands-on use of tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or similar in a finance/analytics context strongly preferred
- Ability to break down and solve complex, ambiguous problems with strong business acumen and data-driven techniques, including comfort redesigning a process rather than just operating an existing one
- Basic technical fluency (e.g., SQL, Python, or low-code/AI tooling) sufficient to prototype or evaluate AI-driven finance workflows a plus, though not required
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment
- High degree of reliability and integrity, with sound judgment operating in a newly-defined, ambiguous role
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to bring both technical and non-technical stakeholders along on a change-management journey
Please note, we do not ask for sensitive information via chat, text, or social media, and any email communications will come from the domain @next-insurance.com or @nextinsurance.com. Additionally, Next Insurance will never ask for payment, fees, or purchases to be made by a job applicant. All applicants are encouraged to apply directly to our open jobs via the careers page on our website. Interviews are generally conducted via Zoom video conference unless the candidate requests other accommodations.
If you believe that you have been the target of an interview/offer scam by someone posing as a representative of Next Insurance, please do not provide any personal or financial information. You can find additional information about this type of scam and report any fraudulent employment offers via the Federal Trade Commission's website (https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams), or you can contact your local law enforcement agency.
The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire base salaries for the position in the location(s) listed. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including, without limitation, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. ERGO NEXT employees are also potentially eligible for our annual performance-based incentive program, in addition to our benefits package, consisting of our partially subsidized medical plan, fully subsidized vision/dental options, life insurance, disability insurance, 401(k), flexible paid time off, parental leave and more.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some underrepresented people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ERGO NEXT, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
One of our core values is 'Play as a Team'; this means making sure everyone has an equal chance to participate and make a difference. We win by playing together. ERGO Next Insurance is an equal opportunity employer and prioritizes building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants of any type and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job-related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state, and local laws. ERGO Next's policy is to comply with all applicable laws related to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a quantitative discipline
- 4-6 years of finance experience in a fast-paced environment
- Track record of success in finance; investment banking, corporate development, or strategic finance experience is a plus
- Experience adopting or building workflows with AI tools, preferably Claude, ChatGPT, or similar tools in finance or analytics
- Ability to solve complex, ambiguous problems using business acumen and data-driven techniques
- Ability to redesign processes rather than only operate existing processes
- Basic technical fluency in SQL, Python, or low-code/AI tooling
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
- Ability to manage competing and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment
- High reliability, integrity, and sound judgment in an ambiguous role
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders through change management
NEXT Insurance Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about NEXT Insurance and has not been reviewed or approved by NEXT Insurance.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical coverage is often described as fully paid for employees and dependents, with dental and vision highlighted as strong inclusions. Feedback suggests health benefits are a standout element of the total rewards package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for birth and non-birth parents is characterized as generous and modern. Feedback suggests family benefits complement core health coverage and add meaningful value.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive in higher-skilled tech and product roles, with total compensation seen as solid relative to peer insurtech employers. Feedback suggests perceptions of pay fairness trend moderate-to-positive overall.
NEXT Insurance Insights
What We Do
The needs of business owners have significantly changed over the past decade, the insurance industry hasn’t. When you’re running your own business, you’re placing a huge bet on yourself. Your ideas, your passion, your blood, sweat and tears define your success. Next Insurance was created to give your business the coverage it deserves. Simple, affordable and tailored. So no matter what you do, no matter how you define success, we’re right there, next to you. Behind our groundbreaking AI-based technology there are hundreds of us. Data scientists, insurance advisors, product managers, designers & more. We are passionate about helping businesses achieve their goals & are committed to serve the needs of business owners. Even our three founders started their path as small business owners so they have been there and are committed to supporting the journey of your business.
Why Work With Us
Next Insurance is looking for explorers who are filled with curiosity, have the desire to travel the unbeaten path, and realize new heights in providing small business owners with the peace of mind to run their businesses. If you move fast, customer-focused, and willing to challenge the status quo, Next Insurance might just be your next journey.
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