Head of Finance

About the company

Forge is a privately backed commercial AV services platform created together with Potamus Equity. The company operates in the commercial audio-visual space, where content, technology, and physical environments come together through the display, sound, and collaboration systems used in workplaces. The US market is estimated at over $15B and is spread across many independent regional businesses. The sector is also moving away from one-time installation projects and toward recurring, results-driven managed services.

Forge’s approach is to buy strong regional AV companies, preserve their brand identity, local leadership, and culture, and provide the shared infrastructure, back-office support, and managed services capabilities that smaller regional firms typically cannot build on their own.

The opportunity

This is a founding finance role. As the company’s first finance hire, you will report directly to the CEO and create the finance function from scratch. The scope includes financial operations across the operating companies, board reporting, accounting systems, and the analytical support needed for decision-making as the business grows through acquisitions.

You will be building functions that do not yet exist and will eventually recruit and grow a team. In an acquisition-led platform, finance becomes the foundation of the business: reliable numbers, a fast close, a clear view of cash, and strong acquisition models are what enable disciplined growth and integration. In this role, the Head of Finance serves as the CEO’s analytical partner and the board’s trusted source of truth.

The role is suited to someone who is ambitious, hands-on, and comfortable working from a blank slate. Backgrounds such as consulting, investing, or operating leadership may all be relevant, as long as you bring enough accounting knowledge to lead the work and strong analytical skill to partner closely with the business.

Reporting structure: This position reports to the CEO and works closely with the COO and leaders across the operating companies. The location is flexible, with travel to operating companies expected as the platform expands.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the monthly close process for each operating company and for the consolidated Forge platform, including chart-of-accounts design and standardization and migration of acquired businesses to GAAP-based accrual accounting.
• Prepare accurate, timely financial reporting at both the operating-company and consolidated levels, establish internal controls as the business scales, and coordinate with outside accountants, tax advisors, and lenders.
• Develop rolling forecasts for revenue, expenses, and cash; own the annual budget; and manage quarterly reporting against budget.
• Create board-level reporting packs with variance analysis and clear conclusions, and support the CEO and COO on capital allocation and strategic decisions.
• Build acquisition and scenario models, support financial due diligence, and lead post-close financial integration for newly acquired businesses.
• Evaluate ERP options, recommend an implementation plan aligned to growth milestones, build consolidation and reporting infrastructure, and establish job-level costing at each operating company.
• Own a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast across operating companies, monitor working capital, oversee lender reporting and compliance, and support platform-wide procurement and vendor management.
• Recruit, develop, and manage a lean but effective finance team as the platform grows.

What the ideal candidate looks like

The right person is a builder and operator who is energized by ambiguity and starting from zero. They are comfortable making progress with incomplete information and do not wait for perfect conditions before acting. They combine practical discipline with sound judgment, knowing when to rely on established frameworks and when to return to first principles. They are the kind of finance partner that CEOs, COOs, and operating leaders trust in important discussions. They are low-ego, highly accountable, and focused on doing the work that matters most.

Commitment to hiring

Forge aims to build a platform where people from many different backgrounds, identities, and life experiences can do the best work of their careers. Candidates are assessed on capability, judgment, and alignment with the company values of Own It, Stronger Together, and Never Settle. The hiring process is intended to be fair, transparent, and human. Forge is an equal opportunity employer.

Additional information

Location is flexible, but travel to operating companies will be required as the platform expands.