DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY:

We are seeking a highly disciplined, systems-oriented Director of Finance to own company-level financial management, enterprise KPIs, and data integrity across all financial and operational reporting. This role is critical to ensuring that leadership, lenders, and the Board are making decisions based on accurate, reconciled, and timely financial information .

The Director of Finance will have end-to-end ownership of company-wide KPIs , ensuring all underlying data sources are integrated, validated, and reporting correctly. This role will lead the departmental budgeting process from the ground up , serve as the primary financial partner to department leaders through a structured monthly operating cadence, and take full ownership of Board of Directors reporting and recurring executive deliverables .

In addition, this role will manage external financial communication with banking partners , including preparation and delivery of monthly and ad‐hoc reporting, covenant support schedules, liquidity reporting, and responses to bank inquiries. The Director of Finance will act as a key point of contact ensuring consistency, accuracy, and professionalism in all lender-facing financial materials, in close coordination with the CFO.

A central expectation of this role is a strong emphasis on automation and AI-enabled process improvement across accounting and finance. The Director of Finance will identify and implement scalable solutions to reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and enhance the speed and reliability of financial reporting, budgeting, and KPI tracking.

This role goes beyond traditional accounting oversight—it is about owning and continuously improving the financial operating system of the company , internally and externally.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Company-Level KPI Ownership & Data Integrity

• Own the definition, governance, and ongoing accuracy of company-level financial and operational KPIs
• Ensure all KPI data sources (ERP, project systems, CRM, payroll, AP/AR, procurement, etc.) are:
  • Properly integrated
  • Reconciled to financial systems
  • Consistently and accurately reported
• Establish clear data ownership, validation rules, and controls across departments
• Actively identify and correct data gaps, inconsistencies, or process breakdowns impacting reporting integrity
• Serve as final sign-off for KPI accuracy used by executive leadership and the Board

2. Departmental Budgeting & Forecasting (Built from Scratch)

• Design, lead, and manage the annual budgeting process end-to-end , starting from a clean, structured framework
• Partner with department leaders to:
  • Build bottoms-up budgets
  • Align spend with strategic priorities and KPIs
  • Establish clear accountability for budget ownership
• Own rolling forecasts, variance analysis, and reforecasting cadence
• Translate operational plans into financial outcomes with clear assumptions and drivers
• Ensure budgeting and forecasting outputs are audit-defensible and leadership-ready

3. Monthly Financial Communication & Business Partnering

• Serve as the primary finance interface to department leaders on a monthly operating cadence
• Prepare and lead monthly financial reviews covering:
  • Actuals vs. budget
  • KPI performance
  • Cash flow and working capital implications
• Communicate financial results clearly to non-finance leaders with a focus on:
  • Insights
  • Root-cause analysis
  • Actionable next steps
• Drive financial discipline while maintaining a collaborative, data-driven approach

4. Board of Directors Reporting & Executive Deliverables

• Own preparation of monthly and recurring Board of Directors decks
• Ensure board materials are:
  • Accurate, consistent, and well-structured
  • Clearly tied to company KPIs, strategy, and performance
  • Executive-level, concise, and decision-oriented
• Partner with the CFO on narrative development, trends, risks, and forward-looking insights
• Maintain a single source of truth for board reporting and historical performance data

5. Automation & AI-Enabled Finance Transformation

• Actively identify manual, error-prone, or inefficient accounting and finance processes
• Lead the design and implementation of automation and AI-based improvements , including (but not limited to):
  • Financial close acceleration
  • KPI reporting and dashboards
  • Budgeting and forecast workflows
  • AP/AR, accruals, reconciliations, and variance analysis
• Partner with IT and operations to ensure finance automation aligns with enterprise systems and security standards
• Establish scalable processes that reduce reliance on spreadsheets and manual work

6. Team Leadership & Process Discipline

• Lead, mentor, and develop finance team members as appropriate
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations
• Drive strong internal controls, documentation, and process consistency
• Serve as a force multiplier for the CFO by independently owning critical finance functions

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration required.
• Eight years or more of related experience required.
• Certified Public Accountant designation preferred.

· Excellent management and supervisory skills.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Excellent organizational and time management skills.

· Proficient in accounting and tax preparation software.

· Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software.

· Ability to work accurately and quickly under company deadlines.

· Cooperative, courteous, flexible and good natured.

· Conscientious, persistent, resourceful, productive and active.

· Must have the ability to exercise considerable judgment and discretion in establishing and maintaining good working relationships and deal with employees in an efficient and professional manner.

· Trade show experience a plus

· Must have reliable transportation.

· Must have attention to detail and accuracy.

· Ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks and commitment to meeting and exceeding deadlines and goals.

· Valid driver’s license.

The Trade Group is a full-service exhibit house dedicated to delivering world class creative solutions partnered with superior customer experiences. We specialize in designing, fabricating, delivering, installing, dismantling, storing and managing trade show exhibits and corporate events for a diverse range of clients.
We are seeking a team member that brings energy, a drive for excellence and proactivity, and a desire to contribute to a 200+ person community both professionally and culturally.

Company Description

The Trade Group is a full-service exhibit house dedicated to delivering world class creative solutions partnered with superior customer experiences. We specialize in designing, fabricating, delivering, installing, dismantling, storing and managing trade show exhibits and corporate events for a diverse range of clients.\r\nWe are seeking a team member that brings energy, a drive for excellence and proactivity, and a desire to contribute to a 200+ person community both professionally and culturally.