Director of Finance

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Reporting & Month-End Close

• Own the end-to-end monthly close process—managing journal entries, account reconciliations, and variance analysis—and deliver accurate financials to leadership on a consistent, predictable schedule.

• Prepare and present monthly and quarterly financial packages for the CEO and board, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPI dashboards.

• Establish and enforce accounting policies and internal controls appropriate for a high-growth SaaS company.

Accounts Receivable & Accounts Payable

• Own and continuously improve the AR process: invoicing, collections, aging management, and customer billing reconciliation. Reduce DSO and ensure cash collection keeps pace with revenue growth.

• Own the AP process: vendor onboarding, invoice approval workflows, payment runs, and expense management. Drive efficiency while maintaining strong vendor relationships.

• Identify process gaps and implement improvements—whether through better tooling, automation, or tightened workflows—to scale AR and AP without proportional headcount growth.

Tax & Compliance

• Manage all federal, state, and local tax filings (income tax, sales tax, payroll tax) in coordination with external tax advisors; ensure FleetPulse is fully compliant across all jurisdictions.

• Maintain corporate records and manage audit readiness; coordinate annual audits or reviews with external accountants.

• Stay ahead of tax planning opportunities relevant to a venture-backed SaaS company (R&D tax credits, state nexus, etc.).

Forecasting & Budgeting

• Lead the annual budget process: partner with department heads to build a bottoms-up operating plan that is realistic, aligned to strategic priorities, and board-ready.

• Maintain a rolling 12-month financial forecast, updating assumptions based on actuals and business developments; surface risks and opportunities proactively.

• Own cash flow forecasting and runway visibility; keep the CEO informed of treasury position at all times.

• Build and maintain financial models that support strategic decisions—pricing, headcount, new customer economics, and capital allocation.

Systems & Infrastructure

• Evaluate, select, and implement an ERP system that scales with FleetPulse’s growth—owning the full lifecycle from vendor selection through migration and go-live.

• Define and manage the broader finance tech stack (billing, expense management, payroll, etc.) to support a lean, automated operation.

• Serve as the internal owner of financial data integrity and reporting infrastructure.

Strategic Partnership

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO on business model decisions, commercial deal structures, board preparation, and investor reporting.

• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Customer Success, and Operations to ensure financial processes support (rather than impede) the business.

• Support future fundraising processes, including data room preparation, financial due diligence, and investor communications.

OUTCOMES (PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES)

First 30 Days

• Immerse in FleetPulse’s business: understand revenue model, key customers, current financial processes, and the existing accounting setup. Build strong working relationships with the CEO, leadership team, and any current accounting/bookkeeping resources.

• Audit the current state: assess the close process, chart of accounts, existing systems, and AR/AP workflows; identify the most urgent gaps and quick wins.

• Own your first month-end close, even if imperfect, and deliver a clear-eyed post-mortem with a prioritized improvement plan.

• Evaluate ERP options: identify 2–3 candidate platforms appropriate for FleetPulse’s stage and complexity, complete demos, and deliver a recommendation with rationale to the CEO.

First 60 Days

• Implement your highest-priority process improvements to the close, AR, and AP workflows—materially tightening cycle times and reducing manual effort.

• Deliver the first fully owned FleetPulse financial package: monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and KPI summary, on time and ready for board-level review.

• Kick off the ERP migration: finalize the vendor selection, execute the contract, and begin the implementation—data migration, configuration, and UAT planning underway.

• Establish a recurring financial reporting cadence with the CEO and initiate the first pass of a rolling 12-month forecast.

First 90 Days

• Complete the ERP migration: go live on the new system with clean historical data migrated, existing workflows transitioned, and the team trained and operational.

• Complete the first full annual budget cycle or a mid-year reforecast, depending on timing, with full department-level detail and board-ready presentation.

• Have a fully documented, repeatable close process in place with a target close timeline of 5 business days or fewer.

• Present a 6-month finance roadmap to the CEO: what you’ve built, what’s next, and where the function needs to go as the company scales.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS & BEHAVIORS)

• Equally comfortable closing the books and building a five-year model; doesn’t wait to be asked and doesn’t outsource what can be done in-house. Full-Stack Finance Ownership:

• Has a strong point of view on how finance operations should run, the tools that support them, and the discipline to implement improvements without needing a large team. Systems & Process Builder:

• Can work through complexity in financial data, identify what’s driving variances, and communicate insights clearly to non-finance stakeholders. Analytical Rigor:

• Has operated in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment and understands the trade-offs between speed, rigor, and scale. Startup Fluency:

• Comfortable at the CEO’s side for board prep, investor conversations, and business model discussions—not just reporting on what happened, but shaping what comes next. Strategic Partner:

• Brings an uncompromising standard to financial reporting, internal controls, and compliance—without letting perfect be the enemy of good. High Integrity:

CULTURAL FIT

• “Let’s figure it out!!” attitude — bias for action and relentless problem-solving

• Builder mentality — energized by creating structure and process where there isn’t any yet

• Humble, low-ego, curious, and resilient

• Energized by ambiguity; motivated by hard problems and real ownership

• Resonates with FleetPulse’s mission to unlock the full profit potential of every trailer

• Deep care about accuracy, integrity, and doing things right the first time

• Fits into a fast-moving, collaborative culture that values debate, accountability, and kindness

WHY JOIN FLEETPULSE

• Step into a high-impact, first-in-seat finance role with the opportunity to build a function from scratch at an inflection-point company.

• Direct access to the CEO and full context on strategy, customers, and roadmap — no layers, no politics.

• Strong investor backing and major OEM distribution partnerships put FleetPulse on a steep growth trajectory.

• Work with a team that moves fast, balances ambition with sustainability, and makes room for diverse perspectives (no hierarchy).

• Real ownership: you’ll set the direction for how finance works at FleetPulse for years to come.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of progressive finance experience, including direct ownership of accounting close, financial reporting, and FP&A functions.

• Prior experience as the senior-most finance resource at a startup or growth-stage company; ideally SaaS or technology.

• Hands-on experience owning tax compliance and working with external tax advisors.

• Demonstrated experience implementing or managing an ERP migration (QuickBooks Online Advanced, or similar).

• Strong financial modeling skills; advanced Excel or Google Sheets proficiency required.

• Strong perspective on leveraging AI in Finance function.

• CPA strongly preferred.

• Based in Chicago, IL.

📩 Does this sound like you? We’d love to learn more.