VP, Finance & Controller

Location: Miami
Reports to: CEO
Department: Finance & Accounting

About Brightstar.ai

Brightstar.ai applies cutting-edge AI, data analytics, and decision science to help organizations unlock value at scale. We partner closely with portfolio companies and strategic clients to embed AI-driven capabilities across operations, product, and growth. As we scale, we are building an elite finance and accounting core that can support multi-entity structures, aggressive growth, and evolving capital dynamics.

As a senior leader, the VP of Finance & Controller will be a strategic enabler — ensuring financial rigor, compliance, scalable systems, and forward-looking insight to drive confident decisions at all levels of the organization.

Role & Impact

In this role, you will:

• Own the full accounting function — payroll, personnel utilization, billing time, billing third parties, general ledger, month-end, consolidation, intercompany, fixed assets, accruals, etc.

• Serve as central point of contact by portfolio companies for their bills, budgeting, multi-year plans that encompass the AI interventions, assisting with the build out of stronger finance & accounting teams, evaluation of personnel, policies, controls, systems, etc.

• Be responsible for external and internal financial reporting: prepare audited financial statements, management reporting, KPI dashboards, and transition financial reporting of portfolio companies to company standards and expectations.

• Oversee cash management, treasury, working capital, and banking relationships.

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling to support strategic growth initiatives, capital raises, M&A, and scenario planning.

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and annual reporting, to include fulsome FP&A around sources/causation of variances

• Drive cost, operational, and margin analyses; partner with business leaders to evaluate investments, pricing, and ROI decisions.

• Ensure compliance with appropriate accounting standards (e.g. US GAAP, IFRS as needed), tax filings, and audits (internal and external).

• Implement scalable financial systems, automation, and process improvements (ERP, consolidation tools, reporting tools) to support growth with efficiency.

• Manage relationships with auditors, tax advisors, and external financial partners.

• Provide mentorship, leadership, and development to the finance & accounting team.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership and to the Board (or Board Finance / Audit Committee) on financial strategy, capital structure, scenario planning, risk, and growth.

• Drive financial due diligence in acquisitions or investments and manage post-merger integration of finance processes.

Key Metrics / Goals

Your success will be measured by:

• Timeliness and accuracy of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close

• Quality, usability, and insightfulness of financial reports and dashboards

• Forecast vs actual variance (budget discipline)

• Cash conversion cycle, working capital efficiency

• Scalability / automation of finance processes (reduced manual effort, cycle time)

• Clean audit opinions and compliance metrics

• Contribution to strategic decisions (M&A, capital raises, investment prioritization)

• Team development and retention

Qualifications & Experience

Requirement

Description

Education & Licensing

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA strongly preferred

Experience

12+ years of progressive finance / accounting leadership experience in high-growth SaaS, AI/ML, tech, professional services, or data businesses; 3+ years in a CFO, Controller, or VP finance role

Technical & Domain Knowledge

Deep understanding of U.S. GAAP / IFRS, financial reporting, consolidation, intercompany accounting, tax, audit processes

Systems & Tools

Experience with modern financial systems (e.g. NetSuite, Adaptive Insights, Workday, etc.), BI/reporting tools, automation, and ERP integrations

Strategic Financial Acumen

Proven ability to lead financial planning, scenario modeling, capital allocation, M&A diligence, and investor reporting

Leadership & People

Strong people manager with ability to recruit, retain, and develop finance talent; collaborative cross-functional partner

Communication

Excellent presentation skills, able to translate financial insights to non-financial stakeholders (executives, board, investors)

Integrity & Controls Orientation

Rigorous mindset for internal controls, compliance, risk mitigation, audit readiness

Adaptability

Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments; ability to prioritize, pivot, and scale processes under changing demands

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Experience as CFO, Controller, or VP Finance with venture / growth equity / private equity-backed companies or as a Senior Consultant in a CFO Advisory firm

• Experience with managing financial operations of a professional services firm, i.e. managing KPIs including: utilization of FTEs, billability & billable rates, allocations, etc.

• Exposure to international operations, multi-currency, or consolidated global reporting

• Familiarity with AI / data businesses, SaaS metrics, or subscription revenue models

• Experience in M&A integration or carve-outs

• MBA or advanced degree in finance / strategy