Director, Shared Services Finance | Onsite in Baton Rouge, LA

Vaco by Highspring; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring seeks a Director of Shared Services Finance to lead centralized finance operations across Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Billing, Cash Application, and related transactional processes. This role drives standardization, automation, internal controls, and service delivery improvements for scalable growth.

The leader will partner with Operations, Procurement, Sales, Tax, Treasury, and Executive Leadership to optimize working capital, deliver strategic reporting, and raise

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA preferred but not required.
• 10+ years of progressive finance/shared services experience.
• 5+ years leading large transactional finance teams.
• Experience managing 25+ employees.
• Multi-site experience.
• Experience leading process improvement and transformation initiatives.
• Strong exposure to working capital management.
• Industry experience in Industrial Services, Rail, Manufacturing, Logistics or related fields.

Responsibilities

• Lead all Shared Services Finance operations across the organization.
• Establish service delivery standards and performance expectations.
• Develop and execute the Shared Services strategy and operating model.
• Create a culture of accountability, customer service, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Manage staffing, workforce planning, training and succession planning.
• Oversee AP/AR/Billing and related processes with automation focus.
• Partner with Treasury and Tax to optimize cash flow and controls.
• Implement standardized procedures and dashboards with SLAs.

Skills

Leadership

Financial operations

Process improvement

ERP systems

Power BI

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business Administration

Tools

Oracle ERP

SAP

JD Edwards

Infor

Microsoft Dynamics

Power BI

Excel

Job description

The Director of Shared Services Finance is responsible for leading and optimizing the company's centralized finance operations, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Billing, Cash Application, Credit & Collections, Indirect Tax, Customer Master Data, Vendor Master Data, and related transactional finance processes. This role is accountable for delivering efficient, scalable, and well-controlled finance operations that support the organization's growth objectives. The Director will drive process standardization, operational excellence, automation, service delivery performance, internal controls, and continuous improvement initiatives across all business units. The position requires a proven leader with experience managing large teams of clerical and administrative personnel in a high-volume transactional environment while maintaining strong service levels, compliance, and financial controls. The Director will work closely with Operations, Procurement, Sales, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Information Technology, and Executive Leadership to improve processes, enhance customer and vendor experience, and support working capital optimization initiatives.

Success Measures (First 12-24 Months), the successful candidate will:

• Improve billing cycle times and invoice accuracy.
• Reduce DSO and improve cash collections.
• Reduce AP processing costs through automation.
• Standardize shared services processes across all business units.
• Establish performance dashboards and service-level agreements.
• Improve internal controls and audit readiness.
• Reduce manual effort through technology and workflow improvements.
• Build a scalable shared services organization capable of supporting future growth.

Responsibilities:

Shared Services Leadership

• Lead all Shared Services Finance operations across the organization.
• Establish service delivery standards and performance expectations.
• Develop and execute the Shared Services strategy and operating model.
• Create a culture focused on accountability, customer service, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Manage staffing, workforce planning, training, employee development, and succession planning.
• Lead a large team of managers, supervisors, and transaction-processing personnel.

Accounts Payable

• Oversee the end-to-end procure-to-pay process.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of supplier invoices.
• Improve payment cycle times and discount capture opportunities.
• Maintain strong vendor relationships and dispute resolution processes.
• Ensure compliance with company approval and purchasing policies.
• Drive AP automation and workflow improvements.

Key Metrics

• Cost per Invoice Processed
• Discount Capture Rate
• AP Aging

Accounts Receivable & Collections

• Lead customer account management and collection activities.
• Develop collection strategies to improve cash flow.
• Partner with business unit leadership on credit risk management.
• Reduce past-due balances and bad debt exposure.
• Manage customer dispute resolution processes.

Key Metrics

• Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
• Collection Effectiveness Index
• Bad Debt Expense
• AR Aging
• Cash Collection Performance

Billing & Revenue Operations

• Lead all customer billing activities.
• Ensure timely and accurate invoicing across business units.
• Standardize billing processes and controls.
• Improve billing cycle times and invoice accuracy.
• Partner with operations to improve service ticket-to-invoice conversion.

Key Metrics

• Unbilled Revenue

Cash Application

• Oversee the application of customer payments.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of cash receipts.
• Coordinate with Treasury and AR teams to improve cash visibility.

Key Metrics

• Cash Application Accuracy
• Unapplied Cash %
• Processing Cycle Time

Indirect Tax Administration

• Oversee sales and use tax compliance processes.
• Ensure accurate tax application on customer invoices and vendor transactions.
• Support indirect tax audits and regulatory inquiries.
• Coordinate with external advisors and tax professionals.

Key Metrics

• Tax Filing Accuracy
• Audit Results
• Compliance Timeliness

Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.
• Drive implementation of automation technologies and AI-enabled solutions.
• Lead ERP optimization initiatives.
• Establish standardized procedures across all business units.
• Implement best practices and shared service performance metrics.

Internal Controls & Compliance

• Ensure strong internal controls across all transactional finance functions.
• Support internal and external audit requirements.
• Maintain compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and monitor key control activities.
• Ensure proper segregation of duties and approval workflows.

Business Partnership

• Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, HR, Treasury, Tax, and Accounting teams.
• Support acquisitions, integrations, and business transformation initiatives.
• Provide reporting and analysis to senior leadership.
• Serve as a strategic advisor for transaction-process-related improvements.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• CPA preferred but not required.
• 10+ years of progressive finance, accounting, or shared services experience.
• 5+ years leading large transactional finance organizations.
• Experience managing teams of 25+ employees.
• Experience operating in a multi-site environment.
• Experience leading process improvement and transformation initiatives.
• Strong exposure to working capital management.
• Preferred Industry Experience: Industrial Services, Rail Services, Manufacturing, Logistics & Transportation, Chemical Industry, Field Services, Business Services Organizations.
• Technical Skills: ERP Systems (Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, JD Edwards, Infor), Accounts Payable Automation Platforms, Billing Systems, Workflow Tools, Power BI, Advanced Excel, Process Mapping and Lean Methodologies.
• Operational Leadership: Process Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Change Management, Workforce Planning, Performance Management
• Business Leadership: Customer Focus, Financial Acumen, Strategic Thinking, Problem Solving, Cross-Functional Collaboration
• People Leadership: Team Development, Coaching and Mentoring, Employee Engagement, Accountability, Building High-Performance Teams

Leadership Competencies:

• Operational Leadership: Process Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Change Management, Workforce Planning, Performance Management
• Business Leadership: Customer Focus, Financial Acumen, Strategic Thinking, Problem Solving, Cross-Functional Collaboration
• People Leadership: Team Development, Coaching and Mentoring, Employee Engagement, Accountability, Building High-Performance Teams

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail]. Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.