Fractional CFO / Contractor

As a Fractional CFO at Mahway, your primary responsibilities will include overseeing budgets for various portfolio companies, conducting monthly financial reviews with each CEO to assess their financial health, and leading strategic financial planning tailored for startups. You'll be managing budget reconciliations and working closely with Mahway leadership to model growth strategies and optimize burn rates across our ventures.

To qualify for the Fractional CFO position at Mahway, candidates should have at least 8 years of experience in finance, preferably in investment banking, venture capital, or FP&A. Specific experience in startup environments or high-growth can be beneficial, alongside advanced skills in financial modeling and budgeting. Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with entrepreneurs and investors are crucial.

The Fractional CFO role is essential to Mahway's mission as it provides the financial insight and strategic direction needed to successfully launch multiple venture-backed companies each year. By ensuring financial clarity and operational readiness, the Fractional CFO helps establish a robust foundation for each startup, enabling them to scale effectively and navigate the challenges of growth.

In the first year, the Fractional CFO will be expected to operationalize financial reviews across active portfolio companies, establish a routine for financial closing and reporting, and deliver scenario-based financial models. Long-term goals include building a financial operating system to facilitate the launch of new ventures and driving financial optimization to enhance overall performance across Mahway's portfolio.

A successful Fractional CFO at Mahway should be familiar with G-Workspace, Notion, and Slack, among other productivity and accounting tools. These applications are crucial for maintaining seamless communication and managing financial functions effectively, enabling the CFO to coordinate with both internal teams and outsourced accounting resources.

In preparing for this question, discuss your systematic approach towards developing financial forecasts, including conducting market analysis, establishing startup burn rates, and outlining budgetary allocations based on projected growth.

When addressing this question, focus on specific instances where you've built financial models that illustrate various scenarios. Highlight your proficiency in aligning budgets with business strategies, as well as your methods for ensuring accuracy in budget versus actuals.

Share examples of how you've collaborated with multiple startups or portfolio companies in the past. Emphasize your role in supporting their financial operations and strategy, and your ability to tailor financial advice to their unique needs.

Discuss the organization strategies you implement, such as scheduling regular check-ins and using project management tools to keep track of deadlines and financial data from each portfolio company, ensuring clarity and compliance throughout the review process.

Outline your priorities, such as getting to know each portfolio company's current financial status, establishing communication channels with CEOs, and setting up a timely reporting cadence to streamline financial management and reviews.

Narrate a specific challenge, such as tight deadlines for financial reporting or discrepancies in financial data, and describe how you tackled it, focusing on your analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities.

Highlight your approach to identifying discrepancies or errors, your importance of transparency in correcting them, and your methods for implementing safeguards to prevent future issues while maintaining stakeholder trust.

Showcase your ability to simplify financial jargon into understandable terms for stakeholders without a financial background. Provide examples of how you've successfully conveyed crucial information about budgets and forecasts in a relatable way.

Discuss how a CFO should serve as a strategic partner, leveraging financial insights to inform decision-making, manage risks, and capitalize on growth opportunities, ultimately helping the startup navigate its trajectory efficiently.

Explain your understanding of relevant regulations and your strategies to ensure compliance, including regular audits and adopting best practices for financial management standards tailored for each venture's unique situation.