Client Services CFO - Consumer Products

Client Services CFO - Consumer Products

Department: Client Services CFO

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Remote - US

Description

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.

Who We Are

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.

What Makes This Role Different

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 Consumer Products 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 Consumer Products 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.

Key Responsibilities

This Role Requires

Sales DNA + Financial Credibility

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.

Executive Presence + Strategic Impact

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.

Team Player Mentality + Standards Discipline

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.

Leadership + Talent Development

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.

Builder Mentality + Portfolio Discipline

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.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Portfolio Growth

• Own the full Consumer Products 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

Strategic Advisory & Client Management

• Serve as primary relationship owner and CFO advisor for your portfolio of Consumer Products 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

Team Leadership & Service Delivery

• 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

Portfolio P&L Management

• 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

Platform Intelligence & Continuous Improvement

• 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

Required Experience

Must Haves

• 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 Consumer Products 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

Industry & Technical Expertise

Deep expertise in at least one of the following:

• Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) / E-commerce: Customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), channel economics, fulfillment and logistics cost management, Shopify/Amazon ecosystem fluency• Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG): Trade spend management, retailer margin structures, inventory management, COGS optimization, promotional ROI analysis, retail partner negotiations• Omnichannel Retail / Brand: Wholesale vs. DTC channel mix, inventory turns, sell-through rates, gross margin management, retail expansion planning, supply chain finance

Critical Mindsets

• 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

Job Benefits

Job Title: CFO, Consumer Products Practice
Reports To:  Managing Director
Location: Remote-flexible with occasional travel

DEI Statement: At Propeller Industries, we encourage our employees and our clients to bring their true selves to the organization. We believe that a diverse team enables us to cultivate and improve upon our culture of inclusion and collaboration. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome the contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. So however you identify and whatever your background, we encourage you to apply for this role if you share our passion for helping great entrepreneurs build great companies. We look forward to meeting you!

Salary range: $240,000 - $300,000 plus bonus, benefits and 401k match

Current Benefits Offered: 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 and Remote Work.  We also help you grow in your professional life.