Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Licensed Broker / IAR

About Axe Recruiting & Our Client
Axe Recruiting has been engaged to recruit a CFO who is also a licensed broker / IAR for a U.S.-based, gold-backed fintech / neo-banking company.
The company provides:

• A digital platform with cash-app–style UX

• Physical gold buying and holding

• IRA rollovers and other retirement funding into gold-backed products

• Stock and futures trading via a licensed brokerage structure

Position Summary

The CFO will lead all financial strategy, capital planning, and broker-dealer financial oversight.
This role combines:

• CFO responsibilities, and

• Licensed broker / IAR responsibilities, including earning brokerage commissions.

This position is equity + commission only – there is no base salary.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Finance & Capital Planning

• Build and maintain the company’s financial model (revenue, costs, unit economics, scenarios).

• Design and manage capital strategy (VC, strategic investors, private capital, etc.).

• Support and negotiate term sheets, valuation, equity, and governance terms.

• Advise the CEO on cap table structure, dilution, and long-term value creation.

Broker-Dealer Financial Oversight

• Act as the financial leader / principal for the broker-dealer function.

• Oversee books and records, net capital computations, and required reserves.

• Coordinate regulatory financial reporting (e.g., FOCUS and related filings).

• Work with legal/compliance staff on FINRA/SEC financial requirements.

• Implement and maintain internal controls over:

  • Client funds and custodial accounts

  • Physical gold inventory and reconciliation

  • Flows between the app, payment processor(s), banks, and vaults

Financial Operations & Risk Management

• Establish and manage financial operations:

  • Payment and settlement processes

  • Trade capture and reconciliation

  • Commission and fee calculations

• Identify and manage market, liquidity, counterparty, and operational risks.

• Coordinate audits and examinations with external auditors and regulators.

• Oversee tax planning and compliance with external advisors.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Support

• Provide financial input on product, pricing, and margin strategy.

• Design and validate commission and incentive plans for sales staff.

• Build a small, efficient finance team over time (accounting, FP&A, ops) as needed.

Requirements

Experience

• Experience as CFO, FINOP, or senior finance leader in:

  • A broker-dealer, trading platform, RIA, or other regulated investment business.

• Demonstrated experience with:

  • Net capital rules, FOCUS reporting, broker-dealer audits

  • Financial modeling and scenario planning

  • Structuring and negotiating funding rounds

Licensing / Technical

• Holds (or has held) appropriate FINRA licenses to function as:

  • Financial/operational principal (e.g., Series 27/28 or equivalent), and

  • Registered representative / IAR (e.g., Series 7/24/63/65/66, or similar).

• Strong understanding of AML/KYC, financial controls, and supervision requirements.

Nice to Have

• Experience in gold / precious metals, gold IRAs, or alternative investments.

• Background in fintech / neo-banking / payments.

• Experience supporting a company on a path toward IPO or major strategic exit.

Personal Attributes

• Comfortable in a startup environment with lean infrastructure.

• Willing to work on equity + commission only.

• Strong judgment, high integrity, and respect for compliance and risk.

• Clear, direct communication style with senior stakeholders.

Compensation

• Equity:

  • Range indicated by the client: 0.001% – 0.01% of company equity, depending on valuation and team build-out.

• Commission:

  • Performance-based, tied to:

    • Brokerage production

    • Capital raised

    • Agreed financial/regulatory milestones

• Base Salary:

  • None. Equity + commission only.