Company Overview:
Interlight is a fast-growing, Hammond, Indiana-based specialty lighting distributor serving commercial, industrial, and institutional customers across North America. With a robust eCommerce platform and deep SKU complexity across lamps, ballasts, fixtures, and specialty lighting components, Interlight combines digital sophistication with operational excellence. Backed by private equity, the company is focused on scalable growth, operational discipline, margin expansion, and strategic acquisition opportunities.
Position Summary:
The VP Finance is the senior financial leader of Interlight and a strategic partner to the CEO and private equity sponsor. This role owns the full finance function — accounting operations, treasury, payroll and benefits, tax compliance, and financial reporting — directing a team of three (Staff Accountant, AP Specialist, and AR Specialist) who execute the transactional work, while the VP Finance sets standards, reviews and approves outputs, and drives the company's financial strategy. This is a full-time, remote role. The VP Finance will partner closely with accounting, AP/AR, and operations teams and maintain strong oversight of cash and transaction controls, coordinating primarily through virtual collaboration tools.
Key Responsibilities: Financial Strategy & Leadership
- Serve as strategic financial advisor to the CEO and private equity sponsor.
- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning.
- Drive EBITDA growth, working capital optimization, and cash flow discipline.
- Build and maintain KPI dashboards (channel margin, sales mix, gross margin, new-product tracking) in Power BI and Excel.
- Own private equity reporting, lender compliance, and covenant/borrowing base reporting. Accounting Operations & Month-End Close
- Direct the monthly close process executed by the Staff Accountant: journal entries, cash reconciliations, and reclass entries.
- Review and approve account reconciliations across cash, AR, AP, prepaid inventory, and accrued payables.
- Review and approve the assembled P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, and the monthly management narrative, before distribution.
- Ensure GAAP compliance and audit readiness across the close cycle.
- Oversee inventory valuation and prepaid inventory reconciliation against open purchase orders with international vendors. Treasury & Cash Management
- Set cash management strategy and oversee daily bank account review and cash transfers performed by the team.
- Oversee platform cash settlements (Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Stripe, PayPal) and approve outgoing payments (credit card, Bill.com, FedEx, UPS).
- Maintain visibility into cash position to support forecasting and working-capital decisions. Payroll & Benefits Administration
- Oversee end-to-end payroll processing (Paycom), ensuring accuracy of timecards, wage/salary updates, and employee data.
- Oversee 401(k) plan administration (enrollments, rate changes, contribution uploads, withdrawals, Form 5500-SF) and health insurance/benefits administration.
- Ensure timely and accurate year-end payroll tax filings (W-2) and contractor 1099 filings. AP / AR Oversight & Credit Card Administration
- Directly manage the AP Specialist and AR Specialist; set priorities and quality standards for AP/AR processing.
- Partner with the Sales Manager to review and set customer credit terms and conduct periodic credit reviews.
- Oversee the corporate credit card program (Ramp), including spend controls, limit approvals, and new card issuance.
- Approve weekly AP payment runs and monitor past-due payables and receivables. Sales Tax & Regulatory Compliance
- Own multi-state sales tax compliance strategy, including Avalara configuration and new-state registrations.
- Oversee state sales tax license renewals and payment processing.
- Manage the relationship with outside SALT (state and local tax) advisors. Audit, Debt & Board Reporting
- Lead the annual financial statement audit end-to-end, including planning, testing, and completion.
- Prepare and submit monthly financial reporting packages to lending partners, including financial statements and borrowing base certificates.
- Prepare and submit quarterly covenant compliance certificates to lending partners.
- Own lender covenant calculations and borrowing base certificates.
- Prepare and distribute weekly cash flow reports.
- Prepare quarterly board deck materials and lead quarterly board meetings attended by the Board and lending partners.
- Serve as primary point of contact for lenders and the private equity sponsor. Commission & Incentive Administration
- Own the design and approval of the sales/channel commission calculation model.
- Approve quarterly commission model updates and incentive payroll uploads. Strategic Growth & M&A
- Support acquisition analysis, financial modeling, and integration planning.
- Lead due diligence processes for potential acquisitions.
- Prepare board-ready financial models and scenario planning. Team Leadership & Culture
- Directly manage a team of three: one Staff Accountant, one Accounts Payable (AP) Specialist, and one Accounts Receivable (AR) Specialist.
- Set goals, review work quality, and coach the team across close, AP, and AR processes.
- Build and mentor a high-performing accounting and finance team as the company scales.
- Instill accountability, process discipline, and a continuous improvement mindset across the finance function.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Sales, Purchasing, and eCommerce.
Ideal Candidate Profile: Experience
- 10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience.
- Prior VP Finance, Controller, or Assistant Controller experience in distribution, eCommerce, or industrial products.
- Experience managing a small accounting team (staff accountant and/or AP/AR) preferred.
- Private equity-backed company experience strongly preferred.
- ERP experience (Microsoft Dynamics or comparable) required; ERP implementation or optimization experience a plus.
- M&A experience preferred. Technical Expertise
- Strong GAAP foundation.
- Advanced Excel and financial modeling capabilities.
- Experience with inventory accounting and cost analysis.
- KPI dashboard development and BI tools experience (Power BI).
- Familiarity with Paycom, Bill.com, Ramp, and Avalara a plus. Leadership Characteristics
- Hands-on but strategic; comfortable both directing a small team and rolling up sleeves when needed.
- Data-driven and analytically rigorous.
- High sense of urgency and ownership over cash and transaction accuracy.
- Operationally curious.
- Strong communicator capable of interacting with PE sponsors, lenders, auditors, and frontline team members.
Compensation & Benefits: •
Base Salary: $120,000 – $150,000
- Performance Bonus: 30% target
- Health, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off Reporting Structure
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer / Senior Operating Partner •
Direct Reports:
Staff Accountant, Accounts Payable (AP) Specialist, Accounts Receivable (AR) Specialist • Board Interaction: Leads quarterly board meetings (attended by the Board and lending partners); primary financial point of contact for lenders and auditors
