Vice President, Finance

MERU•Atlanta, GA

13h

About The Position

Meru LLC is seeking an experienced Vice President of Finance to serve as a senior financial leader for the firm. This individual will be responsible for the full scope of the firm’s financial operations, including reporting, accounting, treasury, compensation administration, and systems. The VP Finance reports directly to the COO and has direct management responsibility for the Director of Finance and Staff Accountant, with broader leadership across all finance functions. This role also provides critical support for risk management and contracting across the firm. The following is a list of areas of focus and is not meant to be exhaustive. Some of these duties may be delegated , and there may be additional tasks and areas of responsibility consistent with a lead finance and accounting role at a professional services firm.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required
12–15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience
Prior CFO, VP Finance, or Controller experience at a professional services or advisory firm preferred
Advanced proficiency in NetSuite (or comparable ERP)
Strong Excel and financial modeling skills
Familiarity with Rippling, Expensify, Harvest, and Power BI preferred
Deep knowledge of GAAP, ASC 606 revenue recognition, multi-state tax compliance, and internal controls
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a finance team, manage compensation processes, and collaborate with senior leadership and partners
Detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable operating in a high-growth, dynamic environment with competing priorities
Authorization to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

CPA and/or MBA strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee preparation and delivery of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting packages, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements
Maintain and continuously improve the firm’s financial reporting infrastructure within NetSuite and connected BI tools (Power BI)
Produce variance analyses, KPI dashboards, and executive-level commentary for leadership review
Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process in partnership with service line leads and the COO
Oversee the general ledger, chart of accounts, and month-end close process, ensuring accuracy and timeliness, in close coordination with Aprio (external bookkeeping and tax)
Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, and client billing operations across Fixed Fee, T&M, and Capital Advisory engagements
Ensure compliance with GAAP (future state – revenue recognition under ASC 606 and leases under ASC 842)
Coordinate federal and state tax filings; manage estimated tax payments, 1099 reporting, and multi-state apportionment requirements
Maintain robust internal controls, including bank account segregation of duties, and other fraud prevention protocols
Coordinate vendor invoices with the payment processing queue
Ensure appropriate owner review and approval prior to payment
Prepare and send weekly AP report to the COO for review and payment authorization
Ensure effective communication with vendors and strategic partners regarding payment status updates
Work closely with the COO to follow up with partners on aged receivables and support for collections, including a monthly AR aging review
Identify and escalate stale accounts receivable
Reconcile client retainer balances on a recurring basis
Identify amounts that require a reserve or need to be written off
Monitor daily cash positions and elevate liquidity needs in the operating account to COO/Managing Partners
Oversee vendor payments and payroll funding in coordination with Rippling (HR/payroll platform)
Partner with Capital Advisory leadership on firm-level working capital and fee receivable management
Review bonus accrual file, including calculations and applicable tax rates
Review offer letters for each new hire class to ensure accurate compensation data is captured
Calculate year-end staff bonus amounts based on offer letter terms and present findings to the firm’s compensation committee
Provide data and performance statistics to the compensation committee to support staff ratings
Assist with preparation and distribution of year-end compensation letters firm-wide
Support review of non-standard offer letter provisions to ensure consistency with firm policy and financial terms
Monthly, review the firm’s payroll run to ensure accuracy and compliance with state withholding requirements
Quarterly: review client receivables withheld from prior year partner compensation and prepare disbursements for amounts cleared for payment
Annually: guide the partner compensation process with the compensation committee and partner group, including scheduling and facilitating the process
Prepare partner compensation statistics for use by the committee; field questions and provide analytical support throughout the process
Calculate preliminary partner compensation by partner, based on agreed metrics and ratings, for committee review and approval
Serve as the primary finance stakeholder for Meru’s ongoing NetSuite ERP implementation, driving the project to completion in partnership with the COO and implementation partner (Chartered)
Own integration of NetSuite with Meru’s existing technology ecosystem — Rippling (payroll and HR), Expensify (expense management), Harvest (time tracking), and Power BI (reporting)
Lead migration of historical financial data from legacy systems (Harvest, Xero, and Power BI) into NetSuite, establishing clean data standards going forward
Own ongoing system administration, user training, and continuous improvement post go-live, identifying opportunities to automate and streamline financial workflows
Directly manage and develop the Director of Finance and Staff Accountant; provide functional leadership across the entire Finance team, setting priorities, reviewing work products, and ensuring accountability to deadlines and quality standards
Lead periodic Home Office calls and meetings; identify cross-functional opportunities for collaboration
Act as a strategic financial advisor to the COO and senior leadership on firm growth, profitability, and investment decisions
Review vendor and strategic partner contracts from a risk mitigation and cost optimization perspective; manage contracts and ensure proper storage on the firm’s network
Support the COO’s risk management function, including conflict check processes, engagement risk assessment, and firmwide compliance initiatives
Manage the firm’s Profits Interests Unit (PIU) program, including tracking grants, grant pricing, and ensuring proper contracting at time of grant
Manage the firm’s annual valuation process and create the firm’s 5 to 10 year projection model in conjunction with firm leadership
Support business development and client delivery teams with financial modeling, engagement economics, and ad hoc analysis
Collaborate across the firm’s functional teams and provide support around budget to actual analysis, contracting review, and other assistance required internally
Lead the firm’s conflict and risk mitigation efforts through implementation and management of firmwide conflict check and risk assessment processes