*Director of Revenue Analytics

Ascend Learning is a national leader in data driven, online educational solutions for learners, educators and employers in high-growth, licensure-driven professions spanning healthcare, fitness and wellness, skilled trades, insurance, and financial services. We are passionate about accelerating learning while impacting job readiness, employment success and employee retention with the belief that our work changes lives.

Our culture is intentionally results-driven and selfless with a relentless focus on our customers. We believe in trust, transparency, freedom, and responsibility with a commitment to meritocracy, inclusion, and diversity of thought. Continual investment in our over 1400 employees is also a core principle realized through ongoing professional development and providing opportunities to grow, develop and lead. Ascend Learning is headquartered in Burlington, MA with additional office locations and remote workers in cities across the U.S. and in the U.K.

Ascend Learning is looking for a strong, experienced finance leader to oversee the company's transition to Revenue based analytics and metrics from a historically Billings or Invoiced based analytical framework. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role interacting directly with senior leaders in commercial and financial roles and coordinating with Ascend's operations and data analytics teams. This role will also interact with Ascend's shareholder deal teams at Blackstone and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.

In this role you will be responsible for providing business leaders with crucial insights and recommendations for improving the company's commercial/revenue performance. You will partner with the businesses and third-party resources to develop the appropriate metrics, data processes and tools needed to sustainably generate the relevant KPIs for Ascend and its segments/businesses. You should be an exceptional leader that can build strong relationships, prioritize, and span the technical, operations and business divide.

This is a hybrid role reporting to either the Leawood, KS office or the Burlington, MA office.

Success in this role requires you to:

• Understand the data generated through company operations and activities and where/how that data is stored.
• Have knowledge of revenue metrics used by best-in-class companies such as ARR, ACV, TCV, NRR, ARPU and others and how this information is used to drive business performance.
• Assess the current state of performance metrics, reports, dashboards, models, and analyses used, and prioritize areas for improvement, incorporating stakeholder input.
• Become an expert on Ascend business process and data flow as it pertains to revenue; proactively make recommendations for process, tool, or data flow changes to produce information in the most efficient way possible, while considering end to end ramifications.
• Leverage Ascend's data analytics team and third parties as needed to build models, analyze data, create reports, generate insights, make specific and actionable recommendations, and influence business. decisions. You must be comfortable working with imperfect data and have an iterative mentality - start with the 80% solution and improve over time.
• Perform detailed root cause analysis to expose critical drivers of performance that will ultimately inform strategic initiatives, goals, priorities, and performance indicators.
• Interface with executive stakeholders to present work while meeting expectations for timelines, accuracy, quality, and overall business impact.
• Uplevel Ascend's finance and commercial team acumen in analyzing and acting on levers to drive revenue performance.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required
• 10+ years of experience within an analytical finance or operations function required.
• 3+ years of experience in data analytics using data warehouses and visualization tools such as Tableau or PowerBI; CRM experience, preferably with Microsoft Dynamics 365, strongly preferred.
• A strong background in finance, statistics or analysis coupled with deep business insight in B2B software and SaaS business models; foundational knowledge of GAAP revenue accounting required.
• Familiarity with data storage and big data processing; working knowledge of SQL and understanding of Management Information Systems.
• Experience with exploratory data analysis, prototyping, testing hypotheses, performing root cause analyses, modeling business processes, defining metrics, and measuring business performance.
• Proven track record of linking data and analytics to business strategy, financial performance, and operations to drive impact is highly desired. Business transformation and process improvement experience is a plus.
• Ability to explain complex issues simply and intuitively, and willingness to challenge assumptions, communicate limitations, and flag blind spots.
• You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Ascend Learning.

This position requires that the employee be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption has been granted by Ascend Learning for a religious, health-related or other legally-mandated reason, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law. Individuals are considered "fully vaccinated" (1) two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series (such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines); or (2) two weeks after a single-does vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine). Ascend Learning's current policy also requires that individuals visiting our offices be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In line with our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our employees, if we choose to interview you and you are fully vaccinated, we may invite you to interview in our office. If you are not fully vaccinated and we choose to interview you, we will arrange for a virtual interview.

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer(M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S. based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

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