Finance & Business Operations Lead

OceanComm, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 days of paid vacation, increasing with tenure

Paid sick leave with carryover

Flexible schedule with core hours

Close mentorship and training

Incentive stock options

Job summary

OceanComm, Inc. is seeking a high-potential operator in Chicago, IL, to support critical finance and HR workflows. You'll report to the CEO and aid in developing durable systems for operational leadership.

The role involves enhancing accounting controls, managing compliance processes, and automating workflows as the company scales. A degree in a relevant field and understanding of basic finance operations are essential.

Qualifications

• Pursuing or recently completed a degree in a relevant field.
• Understanding of basic finance operations and business processes.
• Ability to automate repetitive tasks and improve workflows.

Responsibilities

• Prepare payroll inputs, enforce expense policy, and maintain accounting workflows.
• Manage onboarding, offboarding, and benefits administration.
• Generate NDAs and ensure compliance with contracts and regulations.
• Write SOPs and deploy software solutions to enhance operational systems.

Skills

Basic accounting understanding

Finance operations awareness

Systems-thinking

Emotional intelligence

High integrity

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Management Information Systems, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

QuickBooks

ERP systems (e.g. Acumatica, NetSuite, Odoo)

Job description

We need a high-potential operator—someone early in their career who understands accounting, finance, and business systems, and wants to grow into a broad operating leadership role.

Reporting directly to the CEO, and working in partnership with our external accounting firm and advisors, you will own the day-to-day execution of critical finance, HR, contract, and compliance workflows. As you learn the business, you will begin replacing ad hoc processes with durable systems: SOPs, dashboards, approval workflows, and software-enabled automation. Over time, you may grow into a senior operations leadership position responsible for the business systems, processes, and organizational infrastructure that support the company’s long-term scale.

About Us

Underwater, the wireless transfer of a single picture used to take an hour. We brought to market wireless modems that transfer data 100 to 1000 times faster. Legacy modems were basically status/command links; our modems can control undersea drones with live video feedback - a game changer for exploring the underwater world. Because radio waves attenuate quickly underwater, our modems use sound waves to communicate.

You will not be a small cog in a large corporate machine. You will help build the operating backbone of a tech company growing from its R&D-focused beginnings into a mature operational business.

What You Will Do

• Operational Finance: Serve as the bridge between our team and our finance systems. You will prepare payroll inputs, enforce expense policy, follow up on AR, review AP, and help maintain clean accounting workflows. Over time, you will improve the controls, reporting, and approval processes behind them.
• People & HR Administration: Own onboarding, offboarding, benefits administration, employee records, and performance-review logistics. Help make these workflows consistent, professional, and scalable as the company grows.
• Contracts & Compliance: Generate NDAs and other standard company forms, review outside forms, flag unusual terms for leadership or counsel, and help maintain and improve our processes for compliance with FAR/DFARS, DCAA, export controls, and related requirements.
• Process Architecture: Don't just complete the checklist—improve the system. You will write SOPs, build trackers and dashboards, automate repetitive workflows, and deploy software solutions to help the business scale from 20 to 100+ employees.

• Education: Pursuing or recently completed a bachelor's or master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Management Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Finance & Business Foundation: You understand basic accounting, finance operations, and business processes.
• Systems-Thinker: You naturally look for ways to automate repetitive tasks, improve workflows, and connect data between different software platforms.
• Polite but Firm: You have excellent emotional intelligence but are totally unflappable when it comes to enforcing company policies, following up with colleagues, and maintaining operational discipline without creating unnecessary friction.
• Highly Trustworthy: You will be handling sensitive compensation, personnel, financial, and contract information. Discretion and high integrity are essential.
• U.S. Person: You will help ensure compliance with U.S. export-control laws and will have access to export-controlled information. U.S. Person status is required.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Professional experience, internships, or co-ops in accounting, audit, finance operations, business operations, or internal systems.
• Experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting systems.
• Exposure to regulated, government, defense, or engineering environments.
• Interest in helping evaluate and eventually transition the company from QuickBooks to a mid-market ERP system such as Acumatica, NetSuite, or Odoo.

• Paid vacation starting at 20 days per year, increasing with tenure.
• Paid sick leave with carryover.
• Flexible schedule with core hours.
• Close mentorship and training.
• Incentive stock options.

Compensation

The pay range for this position is $80,000 – $105,000 per year. Actual pay will depend on the candidate’s experience and skills demonstrated during interviews and other evaluations.

OceanComm is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vet.