Finance Operations Manager
Peak6 · Chicago
WHO WE ARE
We are PEAK6, a leading investment firm, using technology to find a better way of doing things. The company’s first tech-based solution was developed in 1997 to optimize options trading, and over the past two decades, the same formula has been used across a range of industries, asset classes, and business stages to consistently deliver superior results. Today, PEAK6 seeks transformational opportunities to provide capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs and forward-thinking businesses. PEAK6’s core brands include PEAK6 Capital Management, PEAK6 Strategic Capital, Apex Fintech Solutions, FOCUS, We Insure, Evil Geniuses, Poker Power, Zogo, and Bruce Markets.
ABOUT THIS ROLE
The Finance Operations Manager owns the day-to-day health of PEAK6's finance shared services function— Accounts Payable, Travel & Expense (T&E), accounting support, and systems administration. The role maintains core platforms (Ramp, NetSuite), manages a small AP/T&E team, and drives process standardization across entities. The ideal candidate pairs strong process discipline and people leadership with a bias toward automation and AI-driven improvement.
Responsibilities:
Systems & Platform Ownership
Administer Ramp (T&E and P2P): user access, workflow configuration, and issue triage.
Partner with IT and vendors to resolve system issues and manage platform upgrades.
Own system documentation (SOPs and user guides) for finance platforms.
Travel & Expense (T&E) Management
Own the end-to-end T&E process: expense review, policy compliance, and timely reimbursement.
Maintain T&E policy with the Senior Finance Director and communicate changes to employees.
Monitor T&E spend and flag anomalies, out-of-policy spend, or misuse.
Be the primary contact for employee questions on expenses and card usage.
Coordinate with HR/Payroll on T&E items requiring payroll processing (e.g., imputed income).
Accounts Payable Operations
Oversee multi-entity AP: timely, accurate invoice processing, approvals, and payments.
Monitor approval chains, escalate bottlenecks, and streamline multi-entity routing.
Support AP-related month-end close, including accruals and reconciliations.
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- Accounting Support
Assist with month- and year-end close: journal entries, reconciliations, and accrual reviews.
Ensure accurate GL coding of AP transactions and resolve discrepancies with Accounting.
Support balance sheet reconciliations for AP accounts (e.g., accrued liabilities, prepayments).
Help maintain accounting policies for payables and system-generated transactions.
Controls & Compliance
Maintain and strengthen internal controls over payment processing and system access.
Support internal and external audit requests related to AP and systems.
Monitor compliance with company policy and regulatory requirements across entities.
Track and remediate control gaps identified through audits or process reviews.
Reporting & Analytics
Produce and distribute recurring finance ops reporting (AP aging, T&E spend, cycle time, exception rates) to the Senior Finance Director and stakeholders.
Develop and maintain dashboards and KPIs for operational performance, service levels, and spend across
entities.
Deliver ad hoc analysis to support decisions and respond to leadership requests.
Ensure accurate, consistent, timely reporting from Ramp, NetSuite, and adjacent systems.
Establish reporting cadences and standards and automate reports to reduce manual effort.
Process Improvement & Automation
Identify manual, repetitive tasks across AP and systems and design automated solutions.
Partner with the Senior Finance Director on the finance team's broader AI and automation roadmap.
Lead or support system implementations (e.g., Ramp go-live): testing, training, and change management.
AI Projects & Initiatives
Own AI-driven automation projects across AP and systems, from use case through implementation.
Evaluate and pilot AI tools (e.g., invoice extraction, exception detection, workflow assistants) to cut manual
processing.
Build AI-assisted reporting and reconciliation tools to speed month-end close.
Document AI project outcomes and ROI and present recommendations to the Senior Finance Director.
Train the team on new AI tools and workflows and champion AI adoption within finance ops.
Team Management
Manage a team of AP/T&E analysts and coordinators: hiring, onboarding, and performance management.
Set priorities, assign workload across entities, and monitor turnaround and quality.
Hold regular 1:1s and team meetings and coach direct reports.
Complete performance reviews and support career development planning for the team.
Foster a culture of accountability, process discipline, and continuous improvement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as liaison between finance operations and business stakeholders across PEAK6 entities.
Coordinate with FP&A and Accounting on data accuracy and reporting needs.
Communicate system changes, deadlines, and process updates clearly to affected teams.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.
5+ years in finance operations, accounts payable, or accounting, ideally multi-entity.
Prior experience managing a team, including performance management and coaching.
Working knowledge of accounting fundamentals: journal entries, reconciliations, and month-end close.
Hands-on experience administering finance/T&E platforms (Ramp, NetSuite, or comparable) strongly preferred.
Experience improving or automating financial processes, including AI-enabled tools.
Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Excel.
Excellent communication skills; able to explain technical topics to non-technical audiences.
High attention to detail and comfort operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Prior experience in a shared services or centralized finance operations model.
Experience leading or contributing to AI or automati