How working in Finance and Strategy became an ‘open sandbox’ of opportunity for Grace Hill

With varied experience across different financial organizations, Grace Hill describes her path to DoorDash more than a year ago and growth to now a Senior Associate as serendipitous.

From the very beginning, the vision was clear on how Grace could have an impact at DoorDash by wearing different hats to support business partners while overseeing G&A expenses such as rent, payroll, and 3rd party services.

“It was a no-brainer,” Grace said. “I was ready to move anywhere and learn anything to join DoorDash. Within the first week, I could feel a shift in how I perceived myself and my ability to create value.”

Grace gained much of her experience working through a financial leadership development program fresh out of college, developing a suite of skills and gleaning insights on multiple aspects of financial planning and analysis function. Upon joining DoorDash, much of the siloed work she’d experienced elsewhere wasn’t in place. Instead, she found an “open sandbox” and an opportunity to build resources to be shared and used by others.

“DoorDash is an incredible place to grow. It’s rare, and extremely motivating to feel so supported that the fear of failure isn’t hindering you in some way.

"I’m pushed to develop new skills every day, especially in my weaker areas, and it’s given me the space and confidence to explore and round myself out."
_{- Grace Hill, Senior Associate, Finance & Strategy}

Both large and small projects at DoorDash started on Day 1 for Grace, empowered to own her career growth and take on opportunities that lacked ownership.

“Within my first 90 days, I was able to support a new planning tool implementation and conduct training, model corporate real estate transactions, and drive quarterly planning with all new business partners,” Grace said. “Being in such a fast-paced environment forces you to constantly evolve.”

Support in understanding how to navigate building and fostering cross-functional relationships — in addition to combating against the ever-present imposter syndrome — has stemmed from guidance from leadership and Grace’s involvement in our Women@ Employee Resource Group. 

“The (Women@ ERG) has been a wonderful resource to form connections with peers and mentors across the company,” Grace said. “When I first joined, I couldn’t shake the imposter syndrome and small mistakes made me doubt my abilities. Leaning on and learning from an internal network helped reframe and soften my definition of success.

As Grace continues to grow her career at DoorDash, she’s found balance in work-life integration, thriving in our Flexible Workplace model.

“We actually have a working group that focuses on boosting engagement within the F&S team. Whether it’s a week-long offsite or a local happy hour, a recharge day after a long sprint, or a mentorship program, our team is always planning events to help boost team morale,” Grace said. “Living near corporate headquarters feels like the best of both worlds. Remote work offers an added layer of flexibility, but nothing will replace a live white boarding session!”

All of Grace’s experiences add up to what she sees as a bright future for herself while the company continues to grow.

“It's been an especially exciting time to be on the team,” Grace said. “We’ve built out enough basic reporting that we now need to strategically think through operational complexity and measure progress, versus ticking and tying numbers. This work will uniquely challenge and elevate each one of us regardless of team or title, and that’s what makes it so exciting. The growth potential feels limitless, as long as we show up each day in search of our 1% improvement.”

Learn about opportunities to grow your career as part of our Finance and Strategy team at our upcoming technical event. Check out open opportunities today.

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