Finance and Operations Assistant

We are looking for a Finance and Operations Assistant to support the COO of a fast growing AI-native fintech company building a client relationship companion for financial advisors. The company is in an active growth phase and the team is small, lean, and moving fast. The COO is currently building out the financial and operational infrastructure of the business from the ground up and needs a capable, detail-oriented operator to own that function alongside him.

This is not a role where you inherit a finished system and maintain it. You are coming in at the foundation stage, setting up QuickBooks from scratch, getting the chart of accounts right, establishing bookkeeping processes, and laying the groundwork for payroll. Once the foundation is in place you will own the ongoing financial admin and support the COO with research, documentation, and operational tasks as the business scales.

The right person for this role is someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, knows how to figure things out independently, and brings a level of rigor and critical thinking that goes beyond just executing tasks. If you have strong QuickBooks experience, a solid grasp of bookkeeping fundamentals, and the kind of proactive mindset that surfaces problems before they become issues, we want to hear from you.

Tasks

QuickBooks Setup and Configuration

• Set up QuickBooks as the company's primary accounting system from scratch
• Build out the chart of accounts and account structure tailored to the company's needs
• Configure QuickBooks settings to ensure accurate tracking of income, expenses, and liabilities
• Set up payroll inside QuickBooks and establish a reliable payroll process going forward

Ongoing Bookkeeping and Financial Admin

• Manage all bookkeeping entries on a weekly and monthly basis
• Perform regular reconciliations to ensure financial records are accurate and up to date
• Maintain organized and accurate internal financial records across all accounts
• Prepare monthly financial summaries for the COO covering income, expenses, and any anomalies
• Flag any discrepancies, unusual entries, or financial risks early rather than waiting to be asked

Research and Operational Support

• Support the COO with research tasks across a range of topics as the business evolves
• Validate and challenge AI-generated research output rather than accepting it at face value
• Summarise research findings into clear, actionable briefs the COO can use quickly
• Support with internal documentation and ad hoc operational tasks as needs arise
• Identify opportunities to automate routine financial or operational processes using AI tools like Claude or Perplexity

Requirements

Must Have

• Hands-on experience with QuickBooks, including setting up accounts and managing ongoing bookkeeping
• Solid understanding of bookkeeping fundamentals including chart of accounts, reconciliation, journal entries, and financial reporting
• Experience with payroll setup and processing, or a strong willingness to learn it quickly
• Strong critical thinking, someone who reads AI output critically and validates before acting on it
• Comfortable working in a fast moving early stage environment where processes are still being built
• Highly detail-oriented with a zero tolerance approach to errors in financial records
• Able to work independently with minimal oversight and surface issues proactively
• Strong written communication skills, clear, concise, and professional

Nice to Have

• Experience setting up QuickBooks or a similar accounting system from scratch for a new company
• Experience setting up payroll from scratch rather than inheriting an existing process
• Familiarity with AI tools like Claude or Perplexity for research and documentation tasks
• Background in fintech, financial services, or working inside an early stage startup
• Experience working with a COO or senior executive in a high trust, low oversight environment
• Exposure to financial reporting or investor reporting at an early stage company