Job Description
About IW Group IW Group is the leading multicultural advertising and marketing agency with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Named Ad Age’s 2025 Multicultural Agency of the Year and recognized by PRWeek for 2025 Best in Multicultural Marketing , IW Group produces culture-shaping campaigns for global and national brands. IW Group drives impactful work by blending storytelling, cultural insight, and innovation to achieve measurable results. We represent multiple brands and deliver distinctive multicultural and cross-generational campaigns. The Role IW Group is seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of Finance & Accounting to lead and evolve our finance function and serve as a trusted strategic partner to executive leadership. This highly visible role blends strategic oversight with operational leadership and hands-on execution. Working closely with an experienced Fractional CFO, the Director will play a pivotal role in shaping financial strategy, driving performance improvements, and supporting the company’s continued growth and scalability. In addition, this position will gradually assume key responsibilities currently managed by the Controller, with a structured transition plan in place to ensure continuity and a seamless handoff. What You’ll Do Strategic & Leadership Responsibilities Partner with the CEO and Fractional CFO on financial strategy, planning, and business decision-making Provide forward-looking insights on profitability, growth, and operational performance Act as a financial thought partner to department leaders across the agency Translate financial data into actionable insights that drive agency performance, profitability, and scalability Partner with Account, Media, Creative, and Strategy teams to align financial goals with execution Contribute to long-term planning, including scenario modeling, investment decisions, and resource allocation Financial Oversight Lead all accounting and financial reporting functions Ensure accurate, timely, and insightful monthly and quarterly reporting Maintain strong internal controls and GAAP compliance Oversee the integrity of financial data across systems and reporting outputs Own budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes Build visibility into key agency metrics including: – Client and project profitability – Staff utilization and billability – Revenue forecasting and pipeline conversion Drive visibility into client profitability, utilization, and key performance metrics Identify opportunities to improve margins and operational efficiency Analyze variances and provide actionable recommendations, not just reporting Support pricing strategies, staffing models, and resource planning decisions Cash Flow & Treasury Management Oversee cash flow planning, forecasting, and liquidity management Manage banking relationships and treasury activities Optimize working capital, including receivables, payables, and cash positioning Ensure adequate cash availability to support operations and strategic initiatives Own cash flow forecasting in a project-based, client-driven revenue environment Partner with account teams to improve cash conversion and reduce revenue leakage Revenue, Expense & Systems Management Oversee agency-wide expense management, including vendor relationships and cost controls Monitor operating expenses against budget and provide actionable variance analysis Partner with department leaders to manage spending and improve cost efficiency Implement policies and processes to enhance financial discipline across the organization Establish and enforce agency-wide financial discipline and cost management practices Oversee revenue recognition, pricing, and billing processes Partner with account teams on forecasting and client financial performance Ensure accurate billing across retainer, project-based, and fee-based revenue models Partner with account leadership on scopes of work and client profitability Identify opportunities to improve pricing discipline and contract profitability Oversee and optimize Advantage (accounting) and Aqua (timekeeping) systems Improve financial workflows, reporting capabilities, and data integrity Lead initiatives to modernize and scale finance operations Ensure alignment between financial and operational systems for accurate reporting Risk, Compliance & Team Leadership