Fractional CFO (CPA)

Fractional CFO (CPA)

Axle CPA Advisory | Remote | Part-Time (W-2), scaling to full-time This search is being conducted by Hot Take HR LLC on behalf of Axle CPA Advisory.

About Axle

Axle CPA Advisory provides fractional CFO, controller, and accounting services to architecture and engineering firms nationwide. Founder and CEO Chris Wall brings a background spanning banking, private equity, real estate, and finance, and built Axle to give growing firms the caliber of financial leadership that large, well-capitalized companies take for granted. Axle is led by a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and offers ownership transition and exit planning as a separate service alongside the fractional CFO practice. We work alongside our clients' existing bookkeeping teams and layer Axle's own forecasting, KPI, and reporting software on top of the systems they already use. Axle is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and operates remote-first with clients nationwide.

About the Role

The Fractional CFO serves as the trusted financial advisor to a dedicated pod of architecture and engineering clients and holds a seat in each client's leadership meetings. This role is advisory at its core. You will interpret financial results, help owners make decisions on hiring, pricing, and growth, and communicate both favorable and difficult news with candor and professionalism. You will report directly to Chris Wall, Founder and CEO. This is a part-time W-2 position to start. As your client pod expands, your hours and compensation will grow toward full-time.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary financial advisor for an assigned pod of A/E clients
• Own the accuracy and timeliness of all deliverables for your client pod
• Lead four to six meetings per client per month via Teams, including a standing seat in client leadership meetings, presenting financial statements, KPIs, cash flow, and forecasts in clear, accessible terms
• Oversee month-end close, including WIP and unbilled review, in QuickBooks Online (or Xero, as applicable). Most clients have their own in-house accounting teams; your role is to agree with their output or help them amend it as necessary
• Review revenue recognition and report on utilization, net multiplier, overhead rate, and project margin
• Compare earned fee to hours and track change orders so scope changes are managed or billed
• Build and maintain driver-based forecasts tied to hours, rates, backlog, and project margin using cash flow software
• Prepare financial statements, KPI dashboards, and cash flow reporting in Reach Reporting
• Monitor cash through 13-week cash flow views and AR aging
• Deliver lender-ready monthly reporting and support FAR-ready overhead rate schedules for clients with public-sector work, where included in client scope
• Deliver add-on services where included in client scope, including bill pay and approval workflows and expense tracking in BILL, bank and credit card reconciliations, payroll administration, and client invoicing and collections
• Review project accounting data within clients' QuickBooks Online, Deltek Ajera, Vantagepoint, or BQE Core systems (read-only access)
• Benchmark client results against A/E industry standards, rebuilt by project, studio, or office
• Lead the structured eight-week client onboarding: historical cleanup, chart of accounts, revenue recognition decisions, forecast build, and KPI setup
• Understand each client's scope and pricing, and recommend scope or pricing changes as client needs evolve
• Maintain recurring tasks and close checklists in ClickUp and client records in HubSpot
• Collaborate internally through Slack, Teams, Calendly, and Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, OneDrive)

This role does not include audit, review, compilation, or other attest services, or tax return preparation. Axle does not bill hourly, so clients are encouraged to ask questions between meetings; responsiveness between scheduled meetings is part of the role.

As Axle's first client-facing hire, you will handle both advisory work and hands-on delivery across your pod. Your ramp period begins with one or two clients alongside Chris before your pod expands.

Qualifications

• Active CPA license in good standing in any U.S. state
• 6+ years of accounting or finance experience, including direct client advisory work
• Direct experience in or with an architecture or engineering firm, or equivalent project-based professional services experience
• Exceptional verbal communication and presentation skills, with demonstrated comfort advising business owners and delivering both positive and difficult news
• Working proficiency in several of the platforms listed above, with priority on client accounting and finance tools: QuickBooks Online or Xero, BILL, Reach Reporting, and Excel
• Task-oriented, technologically literate, and self-motivated in a remote work environment
• Strong fit with Axle's core values

Preferred

• Experience leading client-facing advisory relationships at a fractional CFO, virtual CFO, or outsourced accounting firm
• Working knowledge of A/E project accounting, including WIP, utilization, and multipliers
• Experience with Deltek Ajera, Vantagepoint, or BQE Core

Work Arrangement

• W-2 employee, part-time to start
• Estimated 15 to 20 hours per client per month

For example, a three-client pod is about 10 to 14 hours per week, and a six-client pod is about 21 to 28 hours per week

• Hours scale with the assigned client pod, beginning with a lighter commitment and growing toward full-time as the pod grows
• Remote-first, with availability required Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Compensation and Benefits

• Base compensation is $70 to $85 per hour as a part-time employee. Conversion to a full-time salaried position is tied to pod growth.
• You will also be eligible for an annual bonus based on your client pod's collected revenue over the prior 12 months, including onboarding fees. The bonus is designed to bring your total compensation to a target share of the revenue your pod generates, and it rewards client retention, quality delivery, and the ability to take on a larger pod. Final bonus terms are set out in a written compensation plan.

Benefits: Company-provided laptop or laptop allowance. Monthly technology stipend after six months of employment. Health benefits upon full-time conversion.

Anticipated Start Date

As soon as you are available, ideally November 2026. We are happy to accommodate a standard two-week notice period.

How We Work

• Candor. We care about people personally and challenge them directly, with honest, specific, and timely feedback.
• Collaboration. We join our clients' teams and cover for one another.
• Adaptability. Our clients' firms change, and so do we.
• Empowerment. We teach clients to use their numbers, not just receive them.
• Humor. Finance is serious, but meetings don't have to be boring.

Application Process

Hot Take HR LLC is managing this search on behalf of Axle CPA Advisory. All applications must be submitted through this posting. Applications will be accepted through November 30th. Please do not contact Axle CPA Advisory, its founder, or its team members directly by phone, email, social media, or in person regarding this position. All candidate communication will come from Hot Take HR LLC.

Agency and Third-Party Recruiters

Hot Take HR LLC is the exclusive recruiting partner for this position. Axle CPA Advisory and Hot Take HR LLC are not accepting resumes or candidate submissions from other staffing agencies or third-party recruiters. Unsolicited submissions will not be considered, and no fee will be paid for any candidate referred outside of this engagement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Axle CPA Advisory is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable Accommodation

Axle CPA Advisory is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. Applicants who need an accommodation to apply or interview may contact [email protected]. This contact is reserved for accommodation requests only.

Essential Functions and Work Environment

This is a remote position performed in a home office environment. It requires regular use of a computer and video conferencing, reliable high-speed internet, and a private workspace suitable for confidential client meetings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

Pay: $70.00 - $85.00 per hour

Expected hours: 10.0 – 14.0 per week

Application Question(s):

• In 2-3 sentences, briefly describe your experience working with or advising architecture, engineering, or other project-based professional services firms. What was your role?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Work Location: Remote