About Lightbank

Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that invests in early and growth-stage technology companies. We partner with ambitious founders building transformative businesses and work closely alongside them to drive long-term value. Our team is small, collaborative, and deeply engaged across every aspect of the firm.

About the Role

We're looking for a Finance & IR Associate to join our team and support the firm's investor relations, fundraising, and portfolio management functions. This is a high-ownership role with direct exposure to firm leadership, LPs, and portfolio companies. The right person is highly organized, detail-oriented, and naturally curious — someone who is always looking for smarter, faster ways to work and is excited to experiment with AI tools to improve how the firm operates.

Responsibilities

Investor Relations & Fundraising

• Prepare pitch materials, fund overviews, and LP presentations, working directly with the Managing Director on active fundraising efforts

• Manage data rooms and due diligence materials for LP fundraising processes

• Maintain and update the LP CRM; track outreach, commitments, and follow-ups

• Coordinate LP onboarding and subscription documentation

• Prepare quarterly and annual LP reports, capital account statements, and fund performance summaries

• Support audit and tax processes in coordination with external advisors

• Identify and implement AI-driven workflows to streamline reporting, communications, and data management

Portfolio Management

Portfolio management is central to how Lightbank creates value for its LPs and portfolio companies. In this role, you will be embedded in the investment process — working side by side with the entire investment team, with visibility into every active investment, new deal, and follow-on decision. You will be a key contributor to follow-on investment analyses, helping the team assess portfolio company performance and determine where to deploy additional capital. This cross-functional exposure makes portfolio management one of the best training grounds in venture finance, and sets this person up well for future roles in portfolio company finance leadership or VC finance.

• Work directly with the full investment team on portfolio monitoring, KPI tracking, and performance reporting across all active investments

• Play a key role in follow-on investment decisions — building and maintaining financial models, synthesizing company performance data, and contributing to investment memos

• Support deal execution tasks including cap table management and data room coordination

• Maintain portfolio monitoring systems and dashboards that give the investment team real-time visibility into the portfolio

• Leverage AI tools to synthesize portfolio data, identify trends, and surface insights more efficiently

Portfolio Finance & Accounting

• Partner directly with the CFO on fund accounting, NAV calculations, and capital call/distribution processes

• Work with the fund administrator and external auditors on reconciliations and financial statements

• Track portfolio company valuations and assist with the mark process on a quarterly basis

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in investment banking, fund accounting, PE/VC finance, FP&A at a technology company, or a related finance role

• Experience preparing polished, professional presentations and fundraising decks for executive or investor audiences

• Familiarity with LP reporting, IR materials, or investor communications preferred

• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple workstreams with competing deadlines

• Clear written communicator — able to synthesize complex information for LP audiences

• Self-starter who thrives in a lean, fast-moving environment

• Innately curious with a growth mindset; actively experiments with AI tools and new technologies to work smarter and bring fresh ideas to the team

• Strong financial modeling and Excel skills; familiarity with fund accounting concepts (capital accounts, waterfall structures, NAV) a plus

What We Offer

• Broad exposure to the entire Lightbank finance function — IR, fund accounting, portfolio management, and investment operations — giving you a foundation few early-career finance roles can match

• A seat at the table on investment decisions, with real input into how the firm deploys capital

• Career optionality: this role is an exceptional launchpad for finance leadership roles at high-growth portfolio companies, as well as senior VC finance roles

• Direct exposure to firm leadership and a front-row seat to Chicago's venture ecosystem

• Competitive compensation and benefits

• Collaborative, low-ego team culture