Director of Finance

PeopleLift • Vega Costera, PR

17d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Finance leads all financial operations for the organization, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax compliance and internal controls. As a strategic partner to executive leadership, this person turns financial data into decisions on pricing, product and route profitability, inventory, capital investment and working capital. The role manages the finance and accounting team and makes sure the company meets all local and federal financial and tax obligations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field.
• At least 8 years of progressive experience in accounting and finance, including at least 3 years in a management or leadership role.
• Experience in manufacturing, food distribution, consumer goods or a similar operations-heavy industry.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, cost accounting and financial reporting.
• Working knowledge of Puerto Rico tax requirements (Hacienda, IVU, CRIM, patentes municipales).
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite) and advanced Excel.
• Business-level fluency in Spanish and English, written and spoken. This is needed to communicate with local vendors, government agencies, auditors and U.S.-based partners.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), preferably licensed in Puerto Rico, or a CMA or MBA.
• Experience with inventory-intensive operations, including perishable goods, cold chain or route-based distribution.
• Experience leading an ERP implementation or finance transformation.
• Familiarity with Puerto Rico tax incentive programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the annual budget, rolling forecasts and long-range financial plan in partnership with executive leadership.
• Give leadership monthly analysis of performance against budget, key variances and recommended actions.
• Build and track KPIs for manufacturing and distribution, such as gross margin by product line and customer, cost per case, route profitability, inventory turns and days sales outstanding (DSO).
• Evaluate capital expenditure requests, equipment investments and expansion opportunities through ROI and cash-flow analysis.
• Oversee the full accounting cycle, including month-end and year-end close, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, and payroll accounting.
• Make sure financial statements are accurate, timely and GAAP-compliant.
• Manage the relationship with external auditors and lead the annual audit.
• Oversee cost accounting for manufacturing operations, including standard costing, bills of materials, production variances and COGS analysis.
• Manage cash flow, liquidity and banking relationships, including credit facilities and loan covenant compliance.
• Improve working capital through inventory control, collection practices and vendor payment terms.
• Oversee customer credit policies and credit risk management.
• Keep the company compliant with Puerto Rico and federal tax obligations. This includes income tax, Sales and Use Tax (IVU), municipal license taxes (patentes municipales), CRIM property taxes and filings through the Departamento de Hacienda (SURI).
• Work with external tax advisors on planning, including any applicable tax incentive decrees.
• Maintain internal controls, policies and procedures that protect company assets and support audit readiness.
• Lead, develop and mentor the finance and accounting team, setting clear goals and accountability.
• Drive process improvement and automation in the ERP and financial reporting tools.
• Work with Operations, Sales, Procurement and Logistics on financial decisions across the business.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and annual performance bonus
• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Retirement plan
• Paid vacation and sick leave in accordance with Puerto Rico law, plus company holidays
• Christmas bonus (Bono de Navidad) as required by Puerto Rico law

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director