Director of Finance & Accounting at Hello Innovation in Detroit, MI

Job description

• We’re looking for a highly driven Director of Finance & Accounting to lead our finance and accounting department and help shape the financial future of Hello Innovation. Reporting directly to the CEO, you’ll own everything from the integrity of our books to the insights behind our biggest business decisions. You’ll build the team, systems and financial strategy that help us protect our cash, grow profitably and put our resources behind the ideas that matter most.
• This isn’t a role where you inherit a playbook and keep the machine running. You’ll challenge how the work gets done. We’re looking for an AI-native leader who starts with a better question: how can AI and automation help us do this faster, smarter and more accurately? You’ll turn that thinking into real workflows that eliminate busywork, sharpen forecasts and give our team more time to solve meaningful problems.
• If you aren’t hungry to learn, build and make a real impact, this isn’t the role for you. You’ll need to see the big picture, get deep into the details and roll up your sleeves when the work calls for it. From closing the books to challenging an investment decision, you own the outcome.

Responsibilities

• Own finance and accounting, end to end. Set the department’s priorities, build and develop the team, and hold internal and external partners accountable for accurate, timely work.
• Shape our financial future. Partner directly with the CEO on financial strategy, resource allocation and business reinvestment decisions. Translate company goals into actionable financial plans and KPIs that tell us whether we’re winning.
• Keep the books accurate and the close on track. Own the general ledger, reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable, and the monthly and year-end close. Deliver timely, reliable financial statements and management reporting.
• Turn financial insight into action. Lead budgeting, forecasting and scenario planning. Explain what’s driving performance, surface risks early and identify opportunities to improve margins, reduce waste and grow profitably.
• Protect and put our cash to work. Own cash flow forecasting, liquidity planning and working capital. Make clear recommendations on how to allocate cash across business priorities, manage financial risk and maximize the value of our resources.
• Build an AI-first finance function. Redesign workflows across accounting, reporting and planning using AI and automation. Prioritize improvements that reduce manual effort, shorten turnaround times and improve accuracy—and measure the results.
• Make speed and rigor work together. Establish clear standards for data quality, confidential information, access and review of AI-assisted work. Keep financial outputs traceable to source records and maintain appropriate human approval for payments, accounting entries and other consequential decisions.
• Build infrastructure that can keep up. Own the finance systems, processes and controls that support our growth. Connect data across the business so leaders can get dependable answers without a scramble.
• Stay ahead of tax and compliance. Own the tax calendar and coordinate with external specialists to meet filing and reporting requirements, support tax planning and keep records ready for review.
• Own the financial side of compensation and benefits. Oversee payroll accuracy, compensation planning and benefits costs, partnering with the people responsible for HR and benefits administration.

Requirements

• You think like an owner. Every dollar has a job, and you know what it is. You connect financial decisions to business outcomes, challenge assumptions and know when to push for growth and when to protect cash.
• ...And a modern-day MacGyver. Hand you messy data, limited resources and a tight deadline, and you'll come back with an answer and a plan. You see ahead to what's possible and build breakthrough strategies with what's in front of you.
• You're AI-native, and you have the receipts. AI is already how you work every day. You've used it to speed up a close, automate reconciliations, sharpen a forecast or cut hours of busywork, and you know how to get your team working that way too. You can walk us through what you built, how you validated it and what it changed.
• You trust the numbers because you've done the work. Your accounting fundamentals are rock solid, and you know how to build accurate books, reliable reporting and practical controls. You trace every output back to the source and never confuse a confident answer with a correct one.
• You're a systems thinker who lives to streamline operations. You see the big picture, zoom in to the details and understand how every piece fits together. You'd rather fix a problem at the source than patch it twice, and automate a workflow once than repeat it forever.
• You get sh*t done, and you build teams that do, too. You've led small, scrappy teams and aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves, whether that means coaching a team member or digging into an intercompany reconciliation. When the work grows, your first move is to redesign it, not add headcount.
• You make the complex simple. You turn a P&L into a point of view: what's happening, why it matters and what we should do next. You'll challenge leadership when the numbers call for it and explain them to anyone without hiding behind jargon.
• This isn't your first rodeo. 8+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including 3+ years leading the function as a Director, Controller or Head of Finance. You've been accountable for both the numbers and the team behind them. A CPA or CMA certification is a plus.

Skills

Required

• Accounting fundamentals
• Financial reporting
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Cash flow management
• AI-native workflow automation
• Systems thinking
• Leadership and team building

Preferred

• CPA or CMA certification

Benefits

• Meaningful work. This is not just a job. You can find a job anywhere. This is a place for the bold to get paid to give a sh*t and make a real impact on people’s lives when they need it most.
• Be a part of something (really) big. Our products touch over 45 million people every month, and we are chasing problems that billions suffer from. Not just any problem, the ones that are filled with purpose and meaning. This is your chance to be more than a number and make history.
• No red tape. Say goodbye to pointless meetings or political hoops to jump through. We’re scrappy, believe in autonomy and empower our teams to do whatever it takes to do the unthinkable.
• Learning animal environment. Learn more here than any other place on earth. We make sure you never stop growing and offer an allowance for continued learning.
• We ignite the best in you. We exist not only to deliver meaningful innovation, but to ignite and inspire the creative problem solver in you.
• A creative, come-as-you-are environment. Our team never stops pushing you to be the best that you can be and still makes time to have some fun.
• Top of market pay. Along with a full benefits package including health, dental and 401k.
• Plus many more. Additional perks include daily catered lunches, team activities, paid holidays, bonuses and much more.