About the CFO role
A CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, is the executive who owns a company's financial strategy and its financial health. The role goes far beyond overseeing accounting: a CFO shapes capital allocation, leads fundraising and banking relationships, builds the financial model behind the company's plans, manages risk, and acts as the CEO's closest partner on every decision with money attached, which is nearly all of them.
What the role looks like depends heavily on stage. A startup CFO spends much of their time on fundraising, runway, unit economics, and building the finance function from scratch. A CFO at an established company focuses on capital structure, investor or board relations, M&A, and leading a team that spans accounting, FP&A, tax, and treasury. Public-company CFOs add earnings communication and regulatory reporting to that list.
Because CFO searches are expensive to get wrong, your posting should be honest about the mandate. Say what the finance function looks like today, what the next 18 months hold (a fundraise, an audit, international expansion, a possible exit), and how the board is involved. Strong CFO candidates choose roles based on the problem they are hired to solve, so lead with that problem.
CFO job description template
Job brief
We are looking for a CFO to lead our financial strategy and build a finance function that scales with the company. Your responsibilities will include owning budgeting and forecasting, managing cash and capital allocation, leading fundraising and investor relations, overseeing accounting and compliance, and advising the CEO and board on the financial implications of every major decision. To succeed in this role, you should combine analytical rigor with commercial judgment and executive presence. Ultimately, you will give the company a financial engine and a strategy the board can trust.
Responsibilities
- Own the company's financial strategy, long-range model, and capital allocation decisions
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning, and hold the organization to its plan
- Manage cash flow, runway, and treasury, including banking and credit relationships
- Lead fundraising processes, from preparing materials to negotiating terms
- Oversee accounting, close, audit, tax, and statutory compliance through the controller
- Present financial results, risks, and recommendations to the board and investors
- Build and lead the finance team across accounting, FP&A, and operations
- Set pricing, margin, and unit-economics guardrails with commercial leaders
- Own enterprise risk management, insurance, and key financial controls
- Lead financial due diligence for M&A, partnerships, or exit processes
Requirements and skills
- 10 or more years in senior finance roles, including executive-level ownership of a P&L view
- Track record as a CFO, VP of Finance, or finance director at a comparable stage or scale
- Hands-on fundraising, debt, or M&A transaction experience relevant to your plans
- Deep fluency in financial modeling, unit economics, and management reporting
- Strong grasp of accounting, audit, and compliance, enough to lead controllers credibly
- Experience presenting to boards and investors and managing those relationships
- Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary finance teams
- Degree in finance, economics, or business; MBA, CPA, or CFA is a plus, not a substitute for track record
Nice to have
- Experience in your industry or business model, such as SaaS, marketplace, or manufacturing
- Exposure to international operations, transfer pricing, and multi-entity structures
- Experience taking a company through an exit, IPO, or major acquisition
- Operational range beyond finance, such as owning legal, IT, or people operations
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