Director of Finance

FleetPulse

FleetPulse

Accounting & Finance

Chicago, IL, USA

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

Location

Chicago

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

Executive

Compensation

  • $120K – $135K • Offers Equity • Offers Bonus

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Reporting & Month-End Close

  • Own the end-to-end monthly close process—managing journal entries, account reconciliations, and variance analysis—and deliver accurate financials to leadership on a consistent, predictable schedule.

  • Prepare and present monthly and quarterly financial packages for the CEO and board, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPI dashboards.

  • Establish and enforce accounting policies and internal controls appropriate for a high-growth SaaS company.

Accounts Receivable & Accounts Payable

  • Own and continuously improve the AR process: invoicing, collections, aging management, and customer billing reconciliation. Reduce DSO and ensure cash collection keeps pace with revenue growth.

  • Own the AP process: vendor onboarding, invoice approval workflows, payment runs, and expense management. Drive efficiency while maintaining strong vendor relationships.

  • Identify process gaps and implement improvements—whether through better tooling, automation, or tightened workflows—to scale AR and AP without proportional headcount growth.

Tax & Compliance

  • Manage all federal, state, and local tax filings (income tax, sales tax, payroll tax) in coordination with external tax advisors; ensure FleetPulse is fully compliant across all jurisdictions.

  • Maintain corporate records and manage audit readiness; coordinate annual audits or reviews with external accountants.

  • Stay ahead of tax planning opportunities relevant to a venture-backed SaaS company (R&D tax credits, state nexus, etc.).

Forecasting & Budgeting

  • Lead the annual budget process: partner with department heads to build a bottoms-up operating plan that is realistic, aligned to strategic priorities, and board-ready.

  • Maintain a rolling 12-month financial forecast, updating assumptions based on actuals and business developments; surface risks and opportunities proactively.

  • Own cash flow forecasting and runway visibility; keep the CEO informed of treasury position at all times.

  • Build and maintain financial models that support strategic decisions—pricing, headcount, new customer economics, and capital allocation.

Systems & Infrastructure

  • Evaluate, select, and implement an ERP system that scales with FleetPulse’s growth—owning the full lifecycle from vendor selection through migration and go-live.

  • Define and manage the broader finance tech stack (billing, expense management, payroll, etc.) to support a lean, automated operation.

  • Serve as the internal owner of financial data integrity and reporting infrastructure.

Strategic Partnership

  • Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO on business model decisions, commercial deal structures, board preparation, and investor reporting.

  • Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Customer Success, and Operations to ensure financial processes support (rather than impede) the business.

  • Support future fundraising processes, including data room preparation, financial due diligence, and investor communications.

OUTCOMES (PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES)

First 30 Days

  • Immerse in FleetPulse’s business: understand revenue model, key customers, current financial processes, and the existing accounting setup. Build strong working relationships with the CEO, leadership team, and any current accounting/bookkeeping resources.

  • Audit the current state: assess the close process, chart of accounts, existing systems, and AR/AP workflows; identify the most urgent gaps and quick wins.

  • Own your first month-end close, even if imperfect, and deliver a clear-eyed post-mortem with a prioritized improvement plan.

  • Evaluate ERP options: identify 2–3 candidate platforms appropriate for FleetPulse’s stage and complexity, complete demos, and deliver a recommendation with rationale to the CEO.

First 60 Days

  • Implement your highest-priority process improvements to the close, AR, and AP workflows—materially tightening cycle times and reducing manual effort.

  • Deliver the first fully owned FleetPulse financial package: monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and KPI summary, on time and ready for board-level review.

  • Kick off the ERP migration: finalize the vendor selection, execute the contract, and begin the implementation—data migration, configuration, and UAT planning underway.

  • Establish a recurring financial reporting cadence with the CEO and initiate the first pass of a rolling 12-month forecast.

First 90 Days

  • Complete the ERP migration: go live on the new system with clean historical data migrated, existing workflows transitioned, and the team trained and operational.

  • Complete the first full annual budget cycle or a mid-year reforecast, depending on timing, with full department-level detail and board-ready presentation.

  • Have a fully documented, repeatable close process in place with a target close timeline of 5 business days or fewer.

  • Present a 6-month finance roadmap to the CEO: what you’ve built, what’s next, and where the function needs to go as the company scales.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS & BEHAVIORS)

  • Equally comfortable closing the books and building a five-year model; doesn’t wait to be asked and doesn’t outsource what can be done in-house. Full-Stack Finance Ownership:

  • Has a strong point of view on how finance operations should run, the tools that support them, and the discipline to implement improvements without needing a large team. Systems & Process Builder:

  • Can work through complexity in financial data, identify what’s driving variances, and communicate insights clearly to non-finance stakeholders. Analytical Rigor:

  • Has operated in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment and understands the trade-offs between speed, rigor, and scale. Startup Fluency:

  • Comfortable at the CEO’s side for board prep, investor conversations, and business model discussions—not just reporting on what happened, but shaping what comes next. Strategic Partner:

  • Brings an uncompromising standard to financial reporting, internal controls, and compliance—without letting perfect be the enemy of good. High Integrity:

CULTURAL FIT

  • “Let’s figure it out!!” attitude — bias for action and relentless problem-solving

  • Builder mentality — energized by creating structure and process where there isn’t any yet

  • Humble, low-ego, curious, and resilient

  • Energized by ambiguity; motivated by hard problems and real ownership

  • Resonates with FleetPulse’s mission to unlock the full profit potential of every trailer

  • Deep care about accuracy, integrity, and doing things right the first time

  • Fits into a fast-moving, collaborative culture that values debate, accountability, and kindness

WHY JOIN FLEETPULSE

  • Step into a high-impact, first-in-seat finance role with the opportunity to build a function from scratch at an inflection-point company.

  • Direct access to the CEO and full context on strategy, customers, and roadmap — no layers, no politics.

  • Strong investor backing and major OEM distribution partnerships put FleetPulse on a steep growth trajectory.

  • Work with a team that moves fast, balances ambition with sustainability, and makes room for diverse perspectives (no hierarchy).

  • Real ownership: you’ll set the direction for how finance works at FleetPulse for years to come.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

  • 5+ years of progressive finance experience, including direct ownership of accounting close, financial reporting, and FP&A functions.

  • Prior experience as the senior-most finance resource at a startup or growth-stage company; ideally SaaS or technology.

  • Hands-on experience owning tax compliance and working with external tax advisors.

  • Demonstrated experience implementing or managing an ERP migration (QuickBooks Online Advanced, or similar).

  • Strong financial modeling skills; advanced Excel or Google Sheets proficiency required.

  • Strong perspective on leveraging AI in Finance function.

  • CPA strongly preferred.

  • Based in Chicago, IL.

📩 Does this sound like you? We’d love to learn more.

Compensation Range: $120K - $135K