Finance Analyst (Strategic Finance - Ads)

Overview

We’re looking for a Strategic Finance Analyst, Ads Revenue to join Instacart’s Strategic Finance team supporting Instacart Ads. You’ll help shape how advertising fuels Instacart’s growth by owning critical parts of our revenue forecast, building driver-based models, and translating insights into decisions that move the business forward.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with Ads Sales, Commercial Excellence, Data Science, and Accounting to connect strategy to financial outcomes, prioritize initiatives, and deliver crisp, executive-ready narratives. If you enjoy rolling up your sleeves, collaborating across functions, and using data to influence strategy in a fast-paced environment, this role offers meaningful scope and visibility.

Instacart Ads helps brands of all sizes put their products in front of millions of high-intent customers. With products, tools, insights, and automation, our ads platform drives measurable impact from discovery to purchase—making your analyses central to how we grow the pie for advertisers, retailers, and customers alike.

About the Job

• Own critical portions of Instacart Ads revenue forecasting, including pipeline, pacing, yield drivers, and KPI-based models to support targets, scenario planning, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Ads Sales, Commercial Excellence, Data Science, and Accounting to translate strategy into measurable financial outcomes and recommend actions that drive revenue.
• Design and implement financial processes and dashboards that leverage internal data and KPIs to monitor performance, surface insights, and automate recurring reporting.
• Build monthly and quarterly performance materials for leadership, including forecast updates, variance analyses, and materials for board and investor reviews.
• Conduct ad hoc financial modeling and deep dives on initiatives such as pricing and packaging, cohort performance, and attribution; self-serve data with SQL when needed.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Economics, Finance, Business, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 2+ years of experience in strategic finance, FP&A, investment banking, consulting, or a highly analytical role.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets, including building driver-based financial models, cohort analyses, and scenario/sensitivity modeling.
• Experience building revenue forecasts and translating KPIs into financial outcomes for an operating business.
• Proven ability to create executive-ready materials and present insights to cross-functional and senior audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Intermediate SQL (e.g., joins, window functions) and experience working with large datasets; familiarity with Looker or Tableau.
• Experience in digital advertising, ad tech, e-commerce media, or SaaS monetization models.
• Experience partnering with sales organizations on pipeline, pacing, quota, and incentive modeling.
• Experience preparing materials for board and investor audiences.
• Ability to support West Coast business hours in a distributed, remote environment.
• Self-starter who thrives in fast-changing environments; collaborative, low-ego approach—and an appreciation for good food puns.