Role Responsibilities

Position Overview

Meru LLC is seeking an experienced Vice President of Finance to serve as a senior financial leader for the firm. This individual will be responsible for the full scope of the firm's financial operations, including reporting, accounting, treasury, compensation administration, and systems. The VP Finance reports directly to the COO and has direct management responsibility for the Director of Finance and Staff Accountant, with broader leadership across all finance functions. This role also provides critical support for risk management and contracting across the firm.

The following is a list of areas of focus and is not meant to be exhaustive. Some of these duties may be delegated, and there may be additional tasks and areas of responsibility consistent with a lead finance and accounting role at a professional services firm.

Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Oversee preparation and delivery of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting packages, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements

• Maintain and continuously improve the firm's financial reporting infrastructure within NetSuite and connected BI tools (Power BI)

• Produce variance analyses, KPI dashboards, and executive-level commentary for leadership review

• Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process in partnership with service line leads and the COO

Accounting & Compliance

• Oversee the general ledger, chart of accounts, and month-end close process, ensuring accuracy and timeliness, in close coordination with Aprio (external bookkeeping and tax)

• Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, and client billing operations across Fixed Fee, T&M, and Capital Advisory engagements

• Ensure compliance with GAAP (future state - revenue recognition under ASC 606 and leases under ASC 842)

• Coordinate federal and state tax filings; manage estimated tax payments, 1099 reporting, and multi-state apportionment requirements

• Maintain robust internal controls, including bank account segregation of duties, and other fraud prevention protocols

Accounts Payable

• Coordinate vendor invoices with the payment processing queue

• Ensure appropriate owner review and approval prior to payment

• Prepare and send weekly AP report to the COO for review and payment authorization

• Ensure effective communication with vendors and strategic partners regarding payment status updates

Accounts Receivable

• Work closely with the COO to follow up with partners on aged receivables and support for collections, including a monthly AR aging review

• Identify and escalate stale accounts receivable

• Reconcile client retainer balances on a recurring basis

• Identify amounts that require a reserve or need to be written off

Treasury & Cash Management

• Monitor daily cash positions and elevate liquidity needs in the operating account to COO/Managing Partners

• Oversee vendor payments and payroll funding in coordination with Rippling (HR/payroll platform)

• Partner with Capital Advisory leadership on firm-level working capital and fee receivable management

Staff Compensation

• Review bonus accrual file, including calculations and applicable tax rates

• Review offer letters for each new hire class to ensure accurate compensation data is captured

• Calculate year-end staff bonus amounts based on offer letter terms and present findings to the firm's compensation committee

• Provide data and performance statistics to the compensation committee to support staff ratings

• Assist with preparation and distribution of year-end compensation letters firm-wide

• Support review of non-standard offer letter provisions to ensure consistency with firm policy and financial terms

• Monthly, review the firm's payroll run to ensure accuracy and compliance with state withholding requirements

Partner Compensation

• Quarterly: review client receivables withheld from prior year partner compensation and prepare disbursements for amounts cleared for payment

• Annually: guide the partner compensation process with the compensation committee and partner group, including scheduling and facilitating the process

• Prepare partner compensation statistics for use by the committee; field questions and provide analytical support throughout the process

• Calculate preliminary partner compensation by partner, based on agreed metrics and ratings, for committee review and approval

NetSuite Implementation & Systems Integration

• Serve as the primary finance stakeholder for Meru's ongoing NetSuite ERP implementation, driving the project to completion in partnership with the COO and implementation partner (Chartered)

• Own integration of NetSuite with Meru's existing technology ecosystem - Rippling (payroll and HR), Expensify (expense management), Harvest (time tracking), and Power BI (reporting)

• Lead migration of historical financial data from legacy systems (Harvest, Xero, and Power BI) into NetSuite, establishing clean data standards going forward

• Own ongoing system administration, user training, and continuous improvement post go-live, identifying opportunities to automate and streamline financial workflows

Leadership & Strategic Support

• Directly manage and develop the Director of Finance and Staff Accountant; provide functional leadership across the entire Finance team, setting priorities, reviewing work products, and ensuring accountability to deadlines and quality standards

• Lead periodic Home Office calls and meetings; identify cross-functional opportunities for collaboration

• Act as a strategic financial advisor to the COO and senior leadership on firm growth, profitability, and investment decisions

• Review vendor and strategic partner contracts from a risk mitigation and cost optimization perspective; manage contracts and ensure proper storage on the firm's network

• Support the COO's risk management function, including conflict check processes, engagement risk assessment, and firmwide compliance initiatives

• Manage the firm's Profits Interests Unit (PIU) program, including tracking grants, grant pricing, and ensuring proper contracting at time of grant

• Manage the firm's annual valuation process and create the firm's 5 to 10 year projection model in conjunction with firm leadership

• Support business development and client delivery teams with financial modeling, engagement economics, and ad hoc analysis

• Collaborate across the firm's functional teams and provide support around budget to actual analysis, contracting review, and other assistance required internally

• Lead the firm's conflict and risk mitigation efforts through implementation and management of firmwide conflict check and risk assessment processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required; CPA and/or MBA strongly preferred
• 12-15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience; prior CFO, VP Finance, or Controller experience at a professional services or advisory firm preferred
• Advanced proficiency in NetSuite (or comparable ERP); strong Excel and financial modeling skills; familiarity with Rippling, Expensify, Harvest, and Power BI preferred
• Deep knowledge of GAAP, ASC 606 revenue recognition, multi-state tax compliance, and internal controls
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a finance team, manage compensation processes, and collaborate with senior leadership and partners
• Detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable operating in a high-growth, dynamic environment with competing priorities
• Authorization to work in the United States

Overview of MERU Service Lines

Performance Improvement

Help companies identify and achieve their full potential by leveraging a value-focused approach to driving sustainable margin expansion impact. Services include MERU 360° Assessment, Transformation Plan Development, Chief Transformation Officer placement, Cash Cycle and Working Capital Optimization, and Implementation Performance Management.

Turnaround & Restructuring

Partner with clients during uncertain times to help stabilize operations and rapidly triage the causes of financial distress, charting a path back to long-term sustainability. Services include Interim Management, Turnaround Plan Development and Execution, Liquidity Management, Stakeholder Negotiations, Strategic Alternatives Assessment, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Case Management.

Transaction Services

Partner with private equity firms across the investment lifecycle, from due diligence to portfolio value creation and exit planning. Services include Due Diligence, Pre-Close Planning, Post-Close Implementation, and Exit Planning.

Data Insights

Work with companies at all stages of their digital transformation journey to automate reporting processes, build scalable data platforms, and leverage predictive analytics to transform data from a liability into an asset. Services include Data Discovery and Analysis, Data Prep and Integration, Self-Service Analytics, Data Visualization and Reporting, Data Science and Advanced Analytics, and Strategy Enablement.