Chief Financial Officer
Confidential Search
New York, NY, USA (or remote, US East Coast)
The Opportunity
A growing, profitable, Five Elms-backed technology company is seeking a hands-on CFO to join its
management team and partner closely with the CEO and board.
The company has delivered consecutive years of growth and profitability and operates in a large,
fragmented market with a long runway ahead. Its business model combines recurring software
revenue with transactional and physical-product revenue streams, customer funds, and
international operations—creating a CFO role with unusual breadth and a close connection to the
business.
This is not a role for someone who wants to operate at arm's length. The CFO will own Finance
end to end while playing an active role across the company: helping shape priorities, bringing
ideas and perspective, solving complex problems, and working directly with teams on initiatives
where Finance is integral to the outcome.
The successful candidate will be equally comfortable shaping company-level decisions and
working hands-on alongside teams to make them happen. They will bring strong technical
finance capability, commercial judgement, high standards for execution, and the leadership required to build and develop a high-performing international Finance team.
What You'll Own
● Own the consolidated financial statements under US GAAP across multiple entities and
currencies, including intercompany and FX.
● Act as the technical owner of accounting, including revenue recognition, principal versus
agent judgements, and accounting for prepaid customer balances.
● Lead the external audit relationship, including group and statutory audits.
● Own the operating model, budget, forecast, and board and investor reporting.
● Partner with the CEO and management team on company priorities, and work hands-on
alongside teams across the business on complex projects and new initiatives where finance plays an important role—from shaping the approach and economics to solving problems and driving execution.
● Manage cash, working capital, banking, FX, tax, and the controls and reconciliations behind customer funds.
● Own the control environment and drive a faster, more efficient monthly close.
● Improve finance systems and automation, including NetSuite and key integrations, to keep
the function lean and effective as the business grows.
● Lead, develop, and performance-manage the international Finance team, setting clear
expectations and a high bar for performance.
What We're Looking For
● Qualified accountant (CPA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent) with hands-on accounting experience.
● Experience building operating models, budgets, forecasts, and board reporting for a PE-backed company.
● Strong business judgement and the ability to turn complex financial and operational issues
into clear implications, choices, and recommendations.
● Proven cross-functional leader who can move comfortably from company-level decisions to
hands-on collaboration with teams, bringing strong judgement to complex projects and initiatives.
● Strong people leader with experience setting clear expectations, developing high performers, and addressing underperformance directly.
● Strong US GAAP knowledge, including ASC 606 and principal versus agent judgements.
● Experience owning multi-entity, multi-currency consolidation and leading external audits.
● Experience designing and running internal controls in an audited environment.
● Working knowledge of indirect tax in at least one jurisdiction, such as US sales tax, UK VAT, or EU VAT, and experience directing external advisers.
● Corporate transaction experience, such as a fundraise, acquisition, or sale process, including due diligence.
● Hands-on ERP experience, ideally NetSuite, with a track record of using automation to improve efficiency.
Particularly Relevant Experience
● Physical goods, marketplace, or other transaction-heavy business models, including areas such as cost of goods, landed cost, or vendor rebates.
● Stored-value, prepaid, or payments businesses, including customer funds and breakage.
● International operations, particularly across the US, UK, and Europe.
● A first or second CFO role, or a VP Finance ready to step up, with experience leading finance in a fast-moving, scaling business while remaining hands-on, technically strong, and accountable for driving the function forward. Acquisition experience is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits
The role offers a base salary of $200,000 - $250,000 USD, equity, 401(k) with employer match,
comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible PTO, and additional benefits.
Final compensation will reflect experience, skills, and overall fit for the role.
