Chief Financial Officer

Summary

The Chief Financial Officer will serve as a key strategic partner to the leadership team, providing the financial discipline and forward‑looking planning needed to scale a rapidly growing business. As we expand across retail, wholesale, and DTC channels and into international markets, this role oversees all financial operations, from FP&A and cash flow management to inventory optimization and long‑term strategic planning. We are seeking a decisive, conservative financial leader with deep FP&A expertise and a proven track record in high‑growth environments, someone who can implement robust systems, hold departments accountable to budgets, and provide the clarity and confidence required for high‑stakes decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy, Planning & Analysis

• Budgeting & Accountability: Implement rigorous department‑level budgeting processes and hold leadership accountable to those targets.
• Strategic Projections: Develop sophisticated financial models for new store build‑outs, real estate expansions, and wholesale opportunities, ensuring every LOI and growth initiative is fully stress‑tested.
• Financial Discipline: Act as a critical filter for the business; evaluate proposed initiatives against financial health, capacity, and ROI, with the willingness to challenge assumptions and say "no" when necessary.
• Executive Reporting: Provide clear, actionable insights to the executive team, offering confident, data‑backed recommendations on strategic moves rather than raw reporting.

Accounting, Close & Reporting

• Oversee the accounting team's monthly and annual close, ensuring reporting is accurate, timely, and consistent as transaction volume grows.
• Own the integrity of the financial statements and management reporting, maintaining well‑ documented, GAAP‑compliant records.
• Oversee external audit, tax filings, and statutory compliance across all entities, working with outside advisors where appropriate.

Cash Flow & Inventory Management

• Inventory Optimization: Develop strategies to balance the high capital requirements of inventory (particularly with jewelry costs) against wholesale growth and production flows.
• Cash Flow Leadership: Proactively manage cash flow in a high‑growth environment, ensuring sufficient liquidity to support expansion while maintaining operational stability.
• Capital & Credit: Lead negotiations for lines of credit and other capital resources, ensuring the company is well‑ positioned to fund future growth.

International Finance & Multi‑Currency Operations

• Manage finance across multiple currencies, including consolidation, foreign exchange exposure, and inter‑company transactions.
• Support entity structuring and cross‑border tax efficiency as the business operates and grows across markets such as the UK/EU, Korea, and Japan.
• Partner with local advisors and in‑market resources to ensure compliance and reliable reporting in each region.

Operational Leadership & Development

• Team Evolution: Assess and evolve the finance function to support the next phase of growth, building the structure and capabilities the business will need at scale.
• Process Improvement: Drive improvements to financial systems, reporting infrastructure, and internal controls, including NetSuite, and lead any ERP implementation or reimplementation required to support scale.
• Mentorship: Lead and develop the finance team, fostering a culture of accuracy, high performance, and accountability.

Risk Management & Corporate Governance

• Internal Controls & Compliance: Establish and maintain comprehensive internal control frameworks to ensure data integrity, mitigate fraud risk, and support audit readiness as the company scales.
• Regulatory & Tax Strategy: Oversee tax strategy and corporate structuring, keeping the business efficient and compliant as it enters new global markets.
• Risk Mitigation: Develop and implement enterprise risk management (ERM) policies, including comprehensive insurance strategies to protect against inventory loss, supply chain disruption, and business interruption.

Requirements

• 15+ years of financial leadership experience, ideally at the SVP of Finance or CFO level.
• Deep FP&A expertise: sophisticated financial modeling, forecasting, and scenario planning, including models for new store build‑outs, real estate expansion, and wholesale opportunities, with the ability to turn analysis into clear strategic recommendations.
• Direct experience in a high‑growth startup or scale‑up environment. This is essential; the financial and operational demands of rapid growth differ significantly from those of a mature or stable business.
• In‑house financial leadership experience, not solely consulting or advisory work. Candidates must have owned finance inside an operating company.
• Experience overseeing an accounting team and function, including monthly and annual close, financial reporting, audit, and tax.
• NetSuite experience required. Experience leading a NetSuite implementation or reimplementation is strongly preferred.
• International finance experience, including multi‑currency operations and cross‑border finance across markets such as the UK/EU, Korea, and Japan.
• Significant experience in retail or premium consumer‑facing businesses, with a strong preference for luxury or jewelry given the complexity of variable costs and production.
• Proven track record across wholesale and DTC business models, including the cash flow demands of high‑growth wholesale.
• Experience negotiating credit facilities and managing complex financial operations in a growth‑oriented company.
• Decisive, confident leadership style; comfortable making difficult calls and advising founders and executive leadership directly.
• Experience leading business transformation is a significant plus.