Chief Financial Officer Independent Contractor (1099)

Attivo Partners

12d•$195 - $245•Remote

About The Position

Attivo Partners is seeking entrepreneurial, forward-thinking Chief Financial Officers to serve as senior, client-facing strategic finance leaders for a portfolio of venture-backed and emerging-growth companies. The CFO acts as a trusted fractional advisor to founders, CEOs, executive teams, boards, and investors, supporting companies across industries including SaaS, AI, robotics, American Dynamism, and FinTech. The role owns the health and quality of client relationships, engagement economics, and partnership growth, while also contributing to Attivo’s growth by expanding services for existing clients and sourcing new business. The CFO leads financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, reporting, cash and treasury management, financings, transaction readiness, compliance, and risk management. They help clients develop and implement the finance function’s operating system, including core finance systems, workflows, AI tools, and automation, while maintaining sound judgment, controls, and data integrity. The role also oversees and develops client engagement teams, manages delivery quality and profitability, and identifies opportunities to improve clients’ finance operations and business outcomes. The position is an independent contractor (1099) engagement. Hours vary based on the client portfolio and engagement needs. New York City or the San Francisco Bay Area is preferred; remote work is possible, with in-person client, networking, and firm events. Compensation is $195–$245 per hour, commensurate with experience, plus commission for closed client referrals. Independent contractors are not eligible for employee benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
At least 10 years of senior financial leadership experience, including at least 5 years as a CFO or VP of Finance.
At least 5 years of experience with venture-backed, emerging-growth companies.
Strategic thinking and the ability to connect financial data to business decisions and clearly communicate insights to founders, boards, and investors.
Growth mindset, curiosity, coachability, adaptability, and motivation to learn new industries, business models, and tools.
Grit, ownership, follow-through, and the ability to deliver in ambiguous circumstances and anticipate client needs.
Ability to manage multiple client relationships in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Excellent executive communication and interpersonal skills, including board and investor presentations and explaining complex finance to audiences with varying levels of financial knowledge.
Commercial judgment and comfort leading conversations about scope, pricing, and new opportunities.
Commitment to quality, client expansion, and engagement profitability, with high integrity and sound business judgment.
Working knowledge of AI and automation tools applicable to finance and operations, and enthusiasm for applying them responsibly.
Entrepreneurial spirit and passion for startups and emerging-growth companies.
Proven experience leading equity and/or debt financings and supporting board and investor relations.
Strong technical accounting foundation, including GAAP reporting and ASC 606 revenue recognition, sufficient to review and sign off on deliverable quality.
Advanced financial modeling skills in Excel and/or Google Sheets.
Demonstrated experience designing the finance function’s operating system, including data, workflows, AI agents, and controls; able to use AI-native tools and apply frameworks for deciding what to automate, build, or buy and evaluating ROI.
Proven ability to build, train, and resource a small, high-leverage team where AI fluency is a baseline skill, while enabling faster finance operations and maintaining source-level audit trails.

Nice To Haves

MBA and/or CPA.
Experience in a fractional CFO, professional services, or multi-client advisory environment.
Track record of growing client relationships and/or sourcing new business.
Experience with modern finance systems such as NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Ramp, Bill.com, and FP&A platforms.
Location in New York City or the San Francisco Bay Area; proximity to clients and the venture ecosystem in these markets is a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as a fractional CFO and strategic advisor to CEOs, founders, executive teams, boards, and investors across a portfolio of client companies.
Lead financial planning, forecasting, and budgeting, including three-statement models, scenario analysis, and runway planning.
Oversee financial statements, management reporting, KPI dashboards, and board materials in compliance with GAAP.
Evaluate and implement core finance systems across ERP, billing and revenue, spending, and financial planning, and help build the client’s finance operating system.
Manage cash flow, treasury, and capital deployment.
Guide clients through equity and debt financings, prepare data rooms, and support investor due diligence.
Advise on M&A, strategic transactions, exit readiness, due diligence, and integration planning.
Identify opportunities involving pricing, unit economics, ASC 606 revenue recognition, contract structure, non-dilutive funding, entity and tax strategy, and operational efficiency.
Oversee audits, reviews, and tax compliance, and maintain relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, bankers, and legal counsel.
Identify and manage financial and business risks and maintain stage-appropriate internal controls.
Act as the primary senior client contact and lead monthly or quarterly client business reviews.
Set and update expectations for engagement scope, staffing, timing, and pricing; address delivery concerns and client feedback promptly.
Build client trust through regular check-ins and advocate for process improvements and effective working norms.
Monitor team hours and costs against client estimates and budgets with the Engagement Lead; review invoices and quarterly engagement profitability and realization.
Initiate discussions about fee adjustments when scope, workload, or staffing no longer align with estimates.
Review and sign off on client deliverables, spot-check quality, and work through details alongside the team as needed.
Lead and coach assigned accounting and finance professionals, define role expectations, provide feedback, and contribute to semi-annual performance reviews.
Use FP&A, tax, financing, and M&A diligence work to develop senior team members; help prioritize workloads and support growth aligned with client needs.
Expand client relationships through additional services, scope adjustments, and fee increases; introduce clients to new capabilities and systems.
Source new client relationships through networks of founders, venture capital firms, lenders, accelerators, and professional advisors.
Represent Attivo through thought leadership, events, and community involvement; support testimonials and referrals.
Partner with Attivo leadership on service offerings, pricing, and firm-wide growth initiatives.
Recommend and coordinate finance systems and AI-enabled workflows, including forecasting, reporting, document processing, and workflow automation.
Ensure human judgment, controls, and data integrity remain central to new tools and workflows, and share effective practices across Attivo.
Build and lead a small, high-leverage team, moving finance toward real-time operations while maintaining audit trails from reported numbers to source data.