Finance Manager, Accounting & FP&A — Greater Los Angeles, CA | Pacific Executive Search

Finance Manager, Accounting & FP&A

(Job ID: 2017)

Greater Los Angeles, CA

Hybrid

Direct Hire

Fin Serv - Investment

$110,000 – $150,000 base

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Overview

A $2 billion alternative asset management firm based in Southern California is expanding its finance leadership with a hands-on Accounting and FP&A Manager. Reporting directly to the COO, this position offers direct engagement with senior executives to enhance financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting processes within a compact, focused team. The role emphasizes leveraging technology and automation to elevate accounting operations and financial planning in a sophisticated investment management environment.

Title: Finance Manager, Accounting & FP&A
Industry: Venture Capital
Location: Greater Los Angeles

Responsibilities

Develop and update detailed financial forecasts and budgets across revenue streams and expense categories to support strategic decision-making.
Compile and deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports tailored for senior leadership, ensuring accuracy and adherence to deadlines.
Optimize and maintain the finance technology stack by streamlining workflows, enhancing data integrity, and integrating automation tools including AI solutions.
Support core accounting functions such as accounts payable and receivable, payroll, general ledger maintenance, and month-end close activities with rigorous controls and documentation.
Coordinate tax preparation efforts with external Big 4 advisors, managing timelines, data inputs, and follow-up to ensure timely and precise filings.
Assist senior management with long-term organizational planning, including headcount analysis and cost projections to inform resource allocation.
Provide backup and review support for daily accounting operations, ensuring compliance with established policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of three years’ progressive experience in accounting, corporate finance, or FP&A, preferably within investment management, financial services, or public accounting.
- Proven expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting with direct interaction with senior leadership.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and familiarity with general ledger systems such as QuickBooks Online or comparable platforms.
- Strong aptitude for technology-driven process improvements and automation in finance workflows.
- Ability to work onsite in Santa Monica, CA at least three days per week.
Nice-to-Have:
- CPA certification, CPA candidacy, or experience in a Big 4 public accounting environment.
- Exposure to private equity, venture capital, or fund accounting practices.
- Experience coordinating tax compliance and filings alongside external auditors or tax advisors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why are finance and accounting roles in private equity-backed companies different?
Because the expectations are usually sharper. These environments often involve more pace, more visibility, more accountability, and more change than slower-moving businesses. Candidates are often expected to produce cleaner reporting, better discipline, and faster adaptation while operating under leadership that is highly focused on results. Pacific Executive Search's private equity insights explain why these environments require more specialized hiring.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.

Finance Manager, Accounting & FP&A

Overview

Responsibilities

Qualifications

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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