Direct-to-consumer Brands Finance Recruiting

How long did your last search take?

How much did the empty seat cost while you waited?

Every week a finance seat stays empty costs you in overtime, late closes and work that waits. We go straight to people already doing the job.

Start a Search Work out what the vacancy costs you

01

What does this hire really come down to?

Your finance function in direct-to-consumer commerce lives or dies by its ability to map digital transactions to physical cash. You need a leader who treats payment gateways, returns management, and third-party logistics as part of the core accounting record. If your finance lead cannot reconcile a transaction through every settlement step, your margins remain theoretical rather than real.

Growth in this sector often outpaces the supporting financial infrastructure, leaving leadership with blind spots in inventory valuation and channel profitability. A capable hire fixes these structural gaps immediately by connecting procurement and fulfillment data directly to the ledger. They stop guessing about contribution margins and start providing a precise view of your daily cash position, unit economics, and actual burn.

You require an operator who possesses technical familiarity with your specific tech stack but also the commercial sense to challenge spending. They must bridge the gap between marketing customer acquisition costs and warehouse labor volatility. When you find this balance, your reporting moves from reactive spreadsheet management to a source of reliable, actionable data for every ownership decision.

02

What do we check before you see anyone?

01Experience reconciling gross revenue from payment processors against net cash deposits to confirm the ledger reflects actual settlement reality.
02Demonstrated ability to build inventory reserves that account for actual return rates, damage loss, and long-term storage fee structures.
03Competence in linking shipping data from third-party logistics providers directly to cost-of-goods-sold calculations for accurate gross margin reporting.
04Understanding of how to calculate customer acquisition costs across distinct marketing channels to verify long-term profitability per cohort.
05Practical history working within your specific accounting software and middleware to automate data flow rather than relying on manual manipulation.
06Ability to explain the impact of current cash flow constraints to non-financial stakeholders while maintaining necessary audit trails for investors.

03

Where do we find them?

We source candidates from organizations managing physical product movement through fragmented digital channels. We look specifically for finance professionals in brands that own their inventory, manage complex return logistics, and face high-volume payment reconciliation challenges daily. These individuals are moving because their current firm has plateaued or lacks the scale to match their technical ambition.

The best candidates for your seat are currently operating in environments where every sale creates a multi-step financial ripple. They leave their current roles when they realize their internal systems are too manual to support further growth or when they seek a brand with a more rigorous reporting cadence. We identify those who have already navigated the scaling pain points you currently face.

04

Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?

01Prioritizing general accounting experience over the specific, messy operational reality of reconciling thousands of small-dollar digital transactions across multiple platforms.
02Assuming a candidate from a large, static retail firm can handle the speed and lack of established internal controls in a leaner brand.
03Failing to confirm whether the prospect has ever managed the intersection of inventory logistics and financial reporting during a high-growth period.

05

The search in three steps

01We conduct a deep discovery phase to understand your specific operating model, existing systems, and the current gaps in your financial reporting cadence.
02Our team engages passive, employed professionals directly, focusing only on those who demonstrate clear experience with your specific inventory and payment challenges.
03We provide a qualified shortlist of candidates who understand your business model, followed by a vetting process that confirms their ability to solve your unique problems.

06

Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?

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How your Controller search runs

How does The Six-Step Search work?

One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.

Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.

Start a Search

Questions people ask

How long does the search process usually take?

We avoid arbitrary timelines that force premature decisions. You will receive a high-quality shortlist based on our direct outreach, but the speed depends on the complexity of your specific requirements and market availability.

How do you validate a candidate before we spend time interviewing them?

We qualify candidates against your technical stack and operating model before your first interview. Every conversation remains focused on actual software outputs and their specific experience with your reporting ledger.

If our top candidate is pressured to stay at their current company, how do you handle it?

We discuss potential counteroffer risks early in the process to assess candidate motivations. If they are moving for professional growth or alignment with your business model, they are far less likely to accept a retention incentive.

How is our brand identity kept secret during the recruiting phase?

We protect your identity and the sensitive details of your financial environment during the initial outreach. The search remains strictly private until we have established a clear match with a serious, vetted candidate.

What are the terms regarding your search fees?

Scale your brand team by hiring only when you find the right fit. We receive payment after you extend an offer and the candidate accepts.

What about counteroffers on a Controller hire?

We ask every Controller candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.

What is your guarantee?

We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.

What don't you do?

We do not post your Controller job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.