Finance Engineer

Knowunity is building the future of learning, and our Finance function needs to scale just as fast. We're looking for a right hand to the Director Finance & People: part finance operator, part builder. You'll work directly alongside our Director Finance & People as well as closely with the founders, acting as a strategic sparring partner and hands-on executor across everything from financial close and reporting to process automation and cross-functional projects. Think of this as a mini-COO seat within Finance, high ownership, direct leadership access, and the mandate to shape how we work from the ground up. YOUR IMPACT - Strategic Right Hand: Operate as the Director's force multiplier, prepare decision briefs, run cross-functional initiatives, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. You're the person who makes the entire Finance function faster, sharper, and more effective. - Finance Operations & Accounting: Own and run key financial processes including monthly/quarterly/annual close and coordination with external auditors. Ensure continuity and integrity of financial reporting across jurisdictions. - Controlling & Financial Planning: Drive operational controlling including budget planning, financial forecasting, and liquidity management. Build and deliver monthly reporting, run ad hoc deep dives, and produce data-driven analysis that directly informs growth and investment decisions. - AI & Automation: Identify and execute opportunities to automate manual finance workflows using AI tools, low-code platforms, and smart integrations. Champion the shift from static reporting to dynamic, AI-enhanced financial intelligence. - Strategic Finance & Capital Allocation: Support financial modeling for growth and innovation projects. Act as a sparring partner to the management team on business decisions. - Cross-Functional Bridge: Manage relationships with tax advisors, auditors, and legal providers across multiple jurisdictions. Act as the connective tissue between Finance & People and the wider org such as Growth and Engineering - Future-Ready Finance: Help lay the foundations for a digital finance backbone, think intelligent dashboards, predictive KPIs, and the groundwork for scalable ERP and treasury architecture as Knowunity grows. YOUR BACKGROUND - Experience: 1–3 years in finance at a Big 4 advisory firm, a high-growth startup, or both. You've seen enough to know what good looks like, and you're hungry to build it. - Education: Degree from a top-tier university in business, finance, or a related field. - Analytical Chops: Strong analytical mindset with advanced Excel skills. You think in models and love turning messy data into clear decisions. - Tech-Forward Mindset: Comfortable using AI tools in your day-to-day work. Always looking for ways to automate, improve, and future-proof financial workflows. Familiarity with BI tools or low-code platforms is a plus. - Accounting Knowledge: Solid understanding of German accounting practices plus familiarity with international standards (IFRS). - Languages: Excellent German and English skills, written and spoken. - Mindset: A builder and operator at heart, proactive, self-driven, pragmatic, and energized by working directly with leadership to shape something from the ground up.