Client Services CFO - B2B

Propeller Industries•New York, NY

25d•Remote

About The Position

Build a $3-5M Portfolio. Lead 20-40 Companies. Shape the Future of Finance. This isn't a fractional CFO gig—it's an embedded one. You'll build and own a portfolio of venture-backed companies worth $3-5M in annual revenue, with FP&A leverage, operational infrastructure, and team support that makes managing 20-40 clients not just possible, but profitable. Embedded means two things. First, you're embedded in your clients: attending leadership meetings, preparing for boards, earning the trust and access that traditional providers never achieve. Second, you're embedded in Propeller: working within our standards, leveraging our technology and data, contributing to a team that has your back and you have theirs. This isn't a job for lone wolves who want to do things their own way. It's a job for builders who want to be part of something bigger. You'll embed yourself in client leadership teams—not as a vendor, but as the trusted advisor who shapes strategy. And you'll build this like an MD at a professional services firm: maintaining standards, leveraging infrastructure, developing talent, and operating within a system designed to scale. This is an equity-track role for someone ready to build something that compounds. This is foundational work—and it's the future. Nearly 17 years ago, we set out to find a better way to help the country's leading startups navigate the financial hazards that follow their first institutional funding. Today, Propeller's 250+ full-time professionals across three continents serve as the embedded finance and accounting partner to some of the most iconic emerging companies in Consumer, Technology, Blockchain, and Business Services. Behind us: 1,300+ clients. Ahead of us: the transformation of professional services through AI-enabled intelligence. Our embedded teams integrate seamlessly into client operations in multi-year partnerships. We attend weekly leadership meetings, participate in board prep, collaborate on strategic decisions, and have direct access to client CEOs and CFOs. This embedded positioning creates trust, access, and influence that traditional providers never achieve. With our Financial Operating Platform—combining human judgment, precise accounting, data infrastructure, and AI-enabled insight through our Propeller Intelligence Engine (PIE)—we transform finance from a back-office function into the central nervous system of growth. Most fractional CFOs are solo practitioners—they handle their own business development, do the FP&A work themselves, and are capped by their own bandwidth. They operate in isolation with their own methods, their own mistakes, their own ceiling. At Propeller, you operate like an MD at a professional services firm: you own client relationships and strategic work while leveraging analysts, controllers, and accounting teams to handle execution. That's how 20-40 clients becomes manageable. That's how a $3-5M portfolio becomes realistic. But it only works if you're willing to work within a system—consistent standards, shared technology, collective intelligence, and mutual accountability. This role demands excellence in three dimensions: • Rainmaker: You own the full B2B sales cycle—prospecting, pitching, negotiating, closing. No one hands you clients. You build your book. • Strategic Partner: You serve as CFO-level advisor to sophisticated B2B operators—providing financial insight, operational guidance, and strategic perspective that drives decisions. • Team Leader: You build and lead engagement teams that deliver excellence—delegating work, developing talent, and ensuring quality that drives retention and referrals. Most CFO roles emphasize one dimension. This role requires all three. You genuinely enjoy business development. You understand that exceptional work creates referrals, but building a portfolio requires proactive cultivation of relationships. If you view sales as beneath you or need someone to hand you clients, this isn't your role. You walk into boardrooms and command respect. You translate financial data into strategic insight. You ask questions that reveal blind spots. You deliver difficult messages with clarity and confidence. If you prefer staying behind the spreadsheet or avoid difficult conversations, this isn't your role. You're willing to work within Propeller's standards, technology, and systems—while pushing to improve them. You delegate work to analysts and controllers instead of doing it all yourself. You contribute to collective intelligence instead of hoarding knowledge. If you need complete autonomy or prefer solo practice, this isn't your role. You build teams that execute with excellence. You set clear expectations, delegate effectively, and hold people accountable. You develop talent through coaching and feedback. You celebrate wins and learn from losses. If you avoid personnel decisions or prefer individual contributor work, this isn't your role. You're energized by building something from the ground up—a portfolio, a team, a reputation. You'll manage multiple client relationships simultaneously, each with different needs and stakeholders. Without systematic thinking and disciplined execution, quality suffers and relationships deteriorate. If you need immediate gratification or prefer maintaining existing operations, this isn't your role.

Requirements

CPA and/or MBA preferred
12+ years in finance/accounting with at least 5 years in CFO or senior financial leadership roles
Proven business development track record—demonstrable ability to identify, cultivate, and close new client relationships
Multi-client or consulting background strongly preferred (Big 4, boutique advisory, fractional CFO services, or similar)
Experience serving B2B companies generating $5M-$100M+ in revenue
Track record of building and leading high-performing teams
Strong executive presence—comfortable presenting to boards, CEOs, and sophisticated stakeholders
Experience developing financial processes and systems in complex, growing organizations
Deep expertise in at least one of the following:
B2B SaaS / Technology: Revenue recognition (ASC 606), deferred revenue, customer economics, unit economics, SaaS metrics
Professional Services: Project accounting, utilization management, resource planning, services margin optimization
Marketplaces / Fintech: GMV vs. revenue, take rates, trust accounting, regulatory considerations
Relationship-driven: You understand that great work creates opportunities, but growth requires proactive cultivation
Systems thinking: Ability to see patterns, codify intelligence, and contribute to scalable processes
Team player: Willing to work within shared standards while pushing to improve them
Entrepreneurial: Comfort with ambiguity, willingness to build, and drive to create value
Technical aptitude: Experience with modern tools and willingness to leverage AI-enabled platforms
Continuous learner: Curiosity about new industries, business models, and emerging technologies

Responsibilities

Own the full B2B sales cycle—from initial outreach through signed engagement
Build and maintain a robust pipeline through networking, referrals, and strategic outreach
Develop compelling proposals that articulate Propeller's value to sophisticated buyers
Collaborate with business development and leadership to pursue strategic opportunities
Expand within existing accounts and generate referrals from satisfied clients
Serve as primary relationship owner and CFO advisor for your portfolio of B2B clients
Transform monthly financial reviews from backward-looking reports into strategic conversations that drive decisions
Participate in client leadership meetings and board prep—earning direct access to CEOs
Provide financial insight, operational guidance, and business strategy support
Identify opportunities for service expansion—deeper engagement, new offerings, lifecycle extension
Build trust and credibility that positions Propeller as indispensable partner, not replaceable vendor
Build and lead engagement teams across U.S. and international personnel
Delegate FP&A, accounting, and controller work effectively—leveraging team capacity to scale your portfolio
Set clear expectations, hold teams accountable for quality and timeliness
Mentor and develop team members through coaching and feedback
Ensure deliverables meet Propeller's standards and exceed client expectations
Conduct regular portfolio reviews to identify improvement opportunities and share best practices
Own financial performance of your portfolio—optimizing margins, managing utilization, driving profitability
Balance client satisfaction with economic efficiency—ensuring sustainable, profitable relationships
Surface and address issues proactively before they impact results
Make informed decisions about resource allocation, pricing, and engagement scope
Leverage Propeller Intelligence Engine (PIE) and Data Lake (PDL) to deliver insights traditional CFOs cannot provide
Document workflows and surface repeatable intelligence for systematization through PropellerOS
Contribute to institutional knowledge—codifying what works and sharing insights across the organization
Continuously improve service delivery quality, efficiency, and client impact

Benefits

Generous Paid Time Off and Holiday pay
Comprehensive health benefits plus dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and life insurance
HSA contribution
Paid Family Leave
401k match
Remote Work
We also help you grow in your professional life.

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