CFO

Summary

Join 1848 Ventures as their first full-time CFO and become a strategic partner to the Managing Partner, shaping the studio’s capital approach and driving sustainable growth. You will architect the operating model, lead capital deployment, build forecasting and investment frameworks, and oversee legal, risk, and IT. This role blends the agility of a startup with the financial rigor of a venture-backed organization, requiring you to build and scale back-office infrastructure while partnering with ventures. You will help align investment strategies with the AI-first, SMB-focused strategy. The ideal candidate is energized by ambiguity, fluent in early-stage SaaS economics, and passionate about building from the ground up. This is a remote role with approximately 25% expected travel.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in venture capital financing, fundraising, and capital strategy
• Strong understanding of SaaS metrics, financial modeling, and valuation
• Experience with M&A, investor relations, and exit strategy execution
• Extensive experience as a senior financial leader in venture-backed SaaS businesses
• Proven ability to lead across multiple back-office functions (Finance, Legal, IT, Procurement)
• Ability to balance corporate governance and startup agility
• Exceptional communicator with the ability to influence senior leadership and investors
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field. Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to the Managing Partner and leadership team, driving the financial and investment strategy for 1848 Ventures and its portfolio companies
• Establish the finance function at 1848V, building foundational systems, reporting frameworks, and scalable budgeting processes
• Develop financial models that support the lifecycle of SaaS startups, from ideation to scale, ensuring efficient capital allocation and long-term growth
• Lead due diligence, valuation, and deal structuring for venture investments, acquisitions, and liquidity events
• Balance financial control with the agility needed to support a fast-paced venture-building environment
• Influence the design and implementation of tools to support financial visibility and enable faster decisions
• Engage with our proprietary Total Net Value (TNV) Model to assess venture potential and refine financial strategies
• Oversee financial reporting, including SaaS metrics, burn rates, and performance benchmarks
• Develop investment frameworks and approval packages for Seed and Series A funding rounds, ensuring alignment with business strategy and capital requirements
• Build financial dashboards and metrics to track venture performance, incorporating milestone-based funding models
• Support portfolio capital allocation and scenario planning across multiple ventures, adapting to stage and risk profile
• Guide exit strategies, including M&A, strategic sales, and other liquidity events
• Serve as the financial liaison between 1848 Ventures and Westfield (1848V’s corporate investor), ensuring alignment on reporting cadence, capital investments, financial performance, and compliance
• Present financial updates, investment strategies, and exit plans to Westfield senior leadership
• Help manage governance touchpoints and act as a thought partner on long-term capital strategy and portfolio returns
• Optimize the interface between venture studio operations and corporate financial frameworks, ensuring efficiency and flexibility
• Design and implement finance systems and tools that support automation, visibility, and investment workflows across ventures
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, ensuring financial systems scale with our growth
• Provide financial training and resources to venture teams, enabling data-driven decision-making
• Enhance internal financial discipline, risk management, and compliance while maintaining the speed and experimentation required in an innovation environment
• Identify gaps in financial operations and introduce scalable, repeatable processes to address them
• Establish and evolve financial processes to support new ventures and subsidiaries, ensuring compliance with SaaS accounting standards (GAAP, ASC 606, etc.)
• Oversee accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax compliance, capital management, and vendor management
• Manage capital allocation and investment strategies across the portfolio
• Assess financial risk exposure in contracts and agreements, safeguarding operational integrity
• Lead the legal strategy for 1848 Ventures and its portfolio companies, ensuring compliance with corporate governance, contracts, and regulatory frameworks
• Manage relationships with external legal counsel; build internal systems to support contracting and risk evaluation
• Drive IT strategy to support scalable, secure, and high-performing infrastructure for 1848 Ventures and its portfolio
• Ensure compliance with data security, privacy laws, and IT governance best practices while maintaining the speed and flexibility of a startup environment
• Collaborate with Westfield stakeholders as needed on finance, legal, and IT initiatives
• Optimize back-office functions to increase efficiency and support business needs
• Partner with the People & Culture Team to shape compensation, benefits, and incentive structures that attract top-tier talent

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with milestone-based funding models and scenario modeling across portfolios
• Experience building finance systems in ambiguous, scaling environments
• Understanding of stochastic modeling and advanced financial forecasting
• Experience working in regulated environments
• Background in machine learning/AI-powered ventures