Position Overview:
We are seeking an experienced VP, Finance & Strategic Operations to serve as a senior strategic and financial leader within a fast-growing, entrepreneurial organization operating across North America.
This is not a traditional, accounting-led finance role. This role services as a senior member of the organization sitting on our SLT. The role covers many facets including financial planning & analysis, accounting operations, and cross-border financial strategy, while building the systems, processes, and team structure needed to support a scaling, sales-driven organization. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable operating in the details - AP/AR, reporting, commission structures - and operating at the executive table, shaping company strategy and presenting business insight to senior leadership.
Duties & Responsibilities
Accounting and Organizational Stewardship
- Own the accounting function end-to-end, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and adherence to accounting best practices.
- Ensure accurate, timely financial record-keeping and close processes across US and Canadian entities.
- Bring CPA-level rigor to the agency's books, policies, and financial practices.
- Lead cross-border financial strategy, including US/Canadian tax considerations and transfer pricing between entities.
- Own and continually strengthen the company's commission and bonus program, ensuring it is effective, well-governed, and aligned to a sales/commission-based business model.
- Build operational structure from the ground up including lead evaluation and implementation of finance systems/tools (e.g., accounting, expense, and payroll platforms) to support scalable, automated reporting.
- Operate as a hands-on leader within a start-up environment, building a lean, scalable team structure that can grow with the business.
- Recruit, lead, and develop a finance team setting the tone for a high-performing, collaborative function.
Commercial Economics and Business Governance
- Bring commercial fluency to rate structures, talent deal economics, and fee/margin conversations, supporting pricing and scope decisions.
- Develop frameworks for understanding profitability by client, business unit, service offering, market and revenue stream.
- Provide strategic recommendations regarding revenue growth, margin expansion, cost structure, resource allocation and capital deployment.
- Build and strengthen financial planning, forecasting, reporting, and business insight across the organization.
Strategic Leadership
- Serve as a senior financial advisor to the CEO, COO, CoSS, and fellow Senior Leadership Team members, providing clear recommendations on growth, profitability, investment and risk.
- Develop KPIs and performance dashboards that give leadership timely visibility into the health of the business.
- Hold a leadership seat at the table, bringing an enterprise-wide perspective to leadership conversations, developing and influencing overall company strategy
- Partner cross-functionally with business development, talent, and operations teams to translate financial insight into decisions.
- Identify, assess and execute potential acquisitions, investments, strategic partnerships and joint ventures.
Experience / Background
- 12-15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including significant experience in senior finance leadership roles.
- Experience working across both US and Canadian markets, with a strong understanding of cross-border strategies including taxation and transfer pricing.
- Proven experience building operational and team structure, including developing new processes and systems from scratch.
- Experience leading and developing a team of at least two people.
- Hands-on leadership experience in a start-up environment, comfortable with small and scalable team structures.
- Advanced analytics skills, with the ability to build complex financial models to drive informed decision-making.
- CPA designation or equivalent professional accounting qualification.
- Experience developing executive-level reporting materials for senior leadership teams and business stakeholders.
- Experience in a sales/commission-based environment, including ownership of an effective commission or bonus program.
- Experience managing organizations with multiple legal entities and intercompany relationships is considered a bonus
- Previous experience within a marketing, advertising, media, communications, talent, influencer, creator or related agency business is ideal, but not required.
