Chief Financial Officer
Morning Consult
Accounting & Finance
Remote
Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2023
About Morning Consult:
Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act.
Ideally this position will be based near one of our office locations (Washington, DC; New York, NY; or Chicago, IL).
The Role:
Morning Consult is hiring an experienced and driven CFO to lead all aspects of finance at Morning Consult, from accounting and FP&A to fundraising and M&A. As a key member of the executive leadership team reporting directly to the CEO, the CFO will play a critical role in major strategic initiatives and decisions across the organization.
Success in this role requires the intellectual curiosity and fluidity to dive into operating details and understand the mechanics of our SaaS and Usage-Based Revenue business model. Strong forecasting skills and a nuanced understanding of financial modeling are highly desired. Ideal candidates will embody a servant leadership approach with their team and will be able to influence those at all levels of the organization through quantitative facts and a deft interpersonal touch. Substantive experience leading deals and building credibility with financial sponsors -- such as large equity raises from growth equity firms, debt from commercial lenders, strategic acquisitions and/or navigating the IPO process -- is a prerequisite for the role.
Those in this role will have the opportunity to take an already high-performing team that’s built a strong financial foundation and take it to the next level, infusing financial analysis throughout the business. As the first-ever CFO at Morning Consult, you’ll have the ability to shape the organization as it is today, and moreover, help chart a future direction as we scale from over $100M in revenue to $1B.
What You’ll Be Working On:
- Leading all financial aspects of the company, including financial planning and forecasting, reporting, division budgeting, audit, tax, accounting, treasury, forecasting, capital structure and strategy and corporate development and acquisitions
- Building relationships across teams; serving as a collaborative, solution-oriented member of the leadership team, and as a strategic thought partner to the CEO
- Overseeing a GAAP-compliant, accrual-based accounting function that delivers timely and accurate recording of all business transactions; overseeing the team responsible for completing annual audits
- Owning the cash management function; maintaining internal controls and safeguards for receipt of revenue, expenses, receivables and payables
- Improving or implementing processes, systems and policies that increase operational efficiency and connect Finance to other parts of the business (including Sales, HR, Product and Marketing) for improved transparency and analysis
- Helping drive financial and business planning on a quarterly, annual and long-term basis; partnering effectively with business leaders to create and manage forecasts and budgets
- Working with Commercial and Sales leaders to update and improve sales forecasts, pipeline estimates, revenue projections and churn analysis
- Hiring, managing and fostering the development of a high-performing Finance team; cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, while also maintaining a high bar for performance and outcomes
- Proactively directing FP&A to assist senior leadership and the Board in the ongoing management of operations and future planning
- Helping lead negotiations and deals with investors and other external financial parties on a range of potential transactions or deals, from raising capital (debt or equity) to potential acquisitions
- Performing such other tasks and duties as may be required or assigned from time to time at the Company’s discretion
- Travel up to 25%, when necessary
About You and What You’ve Done:
- 15-20+ years of finance and business leadership experience as a CFO in a fast-paced, rapidly growing technology business and/or venture-backed mid-stage startup
- Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting or other related quantitative fields required
- MBA, CPA and/or CFA preferred
- Operational finance experience combined with a consistent track record of successfully collaborating with a diverse range of business leaders with minimal friction
- A strong understanding of SaaS or Usage-Based Revenue business model; uses this knowledge to provide perspective and to constructively challenge assumptions and conventional wisdom, especially around pricing, bundling, packaging and key performance indicators
- Experience leading equity and debt capital management; experience leading venture capital or growth equity-backed funding rounds (series C and beyond), acquisitions and/or IPO is strongly preferred
- Empathetic and outcomes-based team leadership, preferably of a distributed finance staff of 10+ team members
- Ability to effectively influence a variety of different internal and external stakeholders through strong written and verbal communication of quantitative and qualitative data
- Resourcefulness and a bias toward action, innovation and testing
- Willing to take feedback, learn and grow; an ethos of continuous self-improvement
Note: We view the above section as a guide, not a checklist. Research shows that underrepresented/marginalized groups are less likely to apply for a job if they feel that they don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. We welcome diverse and non-traditional backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t satisfy every single bullet on this list! It’s expected that you’ll learn and grow throughout your time at Morning Consult, so if you’re open to building new skills, we’d love to hear from you.
The expected salary range for this position is $300,000 - $400,000.
This role is eligible for an equity grant, which will be discussed in your initial recruiter conversation. Please see an overview of Morning Consult’s benefits on our Career Page.
We are committed to a work environment that is inclusive to all and free of discrimination. It is our policy to be an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, citizenship status or any other factors prohibited by law. Morning Consult will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals.
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