Today, 67% of students and 82% of low-income students can’t read at grade level by the end of third grade. That’s when students are supposed to go from learning to read to reading to learn. It’s America’s number one education crisis and we know how to fix it.
Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader. We pair students who need extra support with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes their decoding gaps. We focus on the foundational reading skills—phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight words—kids need to master so they can decode a sentence. Students in Ignite Reading’s program achieve over 2 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction, and notably all students achieve the same outstanding results including students with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch.
Ignite Reading is a mission-driven public benefit corporation. We believe we can do well for our team members and shareholders while we solve one of the nation’s biggest challenges. We believe we will be more successful with a diverse team and are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Your Role
Ignite Reading is seeking a dynamic and experienced Vice President, Finance to join our team. Reporting to our Co-Founder, the VP of Finance will be a member of our Senior Leadership Team, responsible for building and running a finance function (a current team of 2) that can scale to $250M of revenue. You will lead all financial aspects of the Company, ensuring the financial health and operational efficiency of our organization.
Key Responsibilities:
Financial Strategy, Operations & Leadership:
- Create a vision for Ignite’s finance organization and operations that will enable us to scale to $250M of revenue
- Lead all financial operations including accounting, FP&A, treasury, tax and audit
- Build and manage a high performing finance team & manage our outsourced accounting, tax and audit partners
- Assess the Company’s financial systems and lead the transition to a new accounting system at the appropriate time
- Establish and maintain financial controls and policies to safeguard company financial systems
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional development within the finance department
Business Partnership:
- Provide financial insights and recommendations to the CEO and Senior Leadership Team for strategic decision-making
- Act as a strategic business partner to the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, working with them to track and monitor outcomes and achieve better efficiencies
- Provide financial insights and data to support growth initiatives
- Drive operational efficiency through financial analysis and process optimization
Capital Management & Investor Relations:
- Manage the company’s capital structure and cash management activities
- Lead the analysis and execution of potential mergers and acquisitions
- Manage investor relations including preparing financial models, quarterly reporting and investor presentations
- Lead preparation for the Company’s board meetings
Risk Management:
- Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks to the organization
- Ensure compliance with financial regulations and standards
- Oversee the company’s insurance and risk management programs
- Oversee the Company’s annual audit.
Skills & Competencies
Experience:
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in finance, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership and people management role, preferably within the education-technology or technology sector
- Previous experience building and growing an efficient finance organization, ideally from Series B to Series D (and/or 100 to 500+ full time employees)
- Proven experience in a fast-growing, venture-backed start-up environment
- Demonstrated success in managing financial operations, capital management, and risk mitigation in a high-growth company
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field
- CPA, CFA, or MBA is strongly preferred
Skills & Competencies:
- Strategic thinker with a strong business acumen and a deep understanding of financial planning and analysis
- Superb attention to detail
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to build and lead a high-performing finance team
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization
- High level of integrity, ethics, and a commitment to excellence
- Proficient in financial software and systems, with experience in a variety of accounting systems a plus
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong sense of urgency
- Consistently models integrity and leads with our core values in mind
At Ignite Reading, we’ve decided to embrace a transparent compensation structure for a few reasons:
To promote fairness and equity: This approach supports fairness within our structure. When everyone knows how compensation decisions are made, it reduces the likelihood of pay discrimination based on factors like gender, race, relationships, or negotiation skills.
To provide accountability for our approach: The same role receives the same compensation, with no negotiation.
To build trust within the organization: When employees understand how their compensation is determined, they are more likely to trust organizational structures and decisions, which can lead to overall better culture.
To support legal considerations: Many states are moving to requiring compensation listed on job descriptions and we want to follow these rules.
Salary: $240,000 (This is a full-time, exempt role)
We also ensure you have the tools you need to thrive both in and out of work.
- Employee Stock Options
- Medical, Dental, and Vision (80% employee coverage, 50% dependent coverage)
- Short-term disability (100% employer paid)
- Technology Stipend
- Unlimited PTO + 12 paid holidays
- Professional Development Stipend
- Wellness Reimbursement
- Internet Stipend
- 12 Weeks of Parental Leave
- Yearly Staff Retreat
- Voluntary Life Insurance
We believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where all applicants are considered for employment without attention to color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested!
We are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a virtual organization with headquarters in the California Bay Area.
What We Do
When kids learn to read on time their opportunities in school and life improve profoundly. If a child cannot read by the time they are in third grade, they are four times less likely to graduate high school.* In 2022, only 33% of U.S. fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders were reading at grade level (National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment scores). Ignite Reading is on a mission to fix this.
Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches K-8th graders the foundational skills they need to become confident, independent readers. We pair developing readers with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes decoding gaps. Students across all demographics achieve the same outstanding results–an average of 2.4 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction–including students with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch. By ensuring all students master the foundational skills to fluently read any word, Ignite Reading empowers them to move forward and unlock everything school and life have to offer.
"Ignite Reading is one of the most, if not the most, successful interventions we have implemented in our district. The student results and program design are indisputable."
- Claudia Salvestrin, Assistant Superintendent, Red Bluff Union Elementary School District, CA
