Chief Financial Officer in Pasadena, California at Scratchpay

Who We Are

Scratch Financial (“Scratch”) is a late stage venture-backed financial technology business based in Pasadena, California. At Scratch, everything starts and ends with our mission: being the payment partner of choice for veterinary practices and helping pet parents access the care their animals need without financial barriers. Driven by our award-winning technology, Scratch has become the fastest growing financing provider in veterinary care, with a partner network of 15,000+ practices across the U.S. and Canada.

Scratch has 2 main products:

Scratch Pay: Point-of-sale client facing lending, including a BNPL offering and longer-term payment plansScratch Checkout: Payment processing that is integrated with the veterinary practice management software

We are a company built on the foundation of transforming the way pet healthcare payments are done, and we are looking for innovators who share our commitment to shaping the future of veterinary care financing. If putting compassion first, helping tell the story of groundbreaking products and continuously learning & refining to achieve exceptional outcomes sounds like you, then we encourage you to apply.

Position Overview

We're looking for a CFO who has been here before — someone who has managed complex lending facilities, built relationships with debt capital providers, and guided a company through a significant exit. This isn't a role for someone looking to learn what a credit facility is or experience their first M&A process. We need a seasoned operator who can hit the ground running, earn the trust of our board and investors quickly, and build the financial infrastructure to support the next chapter of Scratch's growth.

You'll report directly to the CEO and lead a team of 5 across FP&A, accounting, and finance operations. You'll be a key voice in company strategy and the primary financial partner to the executive team, board, and external capital providers.

What You'll Own

Capital Strategy & Debt Facility Management

Own all relationships with debt capital providers — warehouse lenders, forward flow partners, and other structured finance counterpartiesManage covenant compliance, borrowing base reporting, and facility utilization across existing lending facilitiesLead negotiations for new or expanded credit facilities as the portfolio growsDevelop and maintain the capital plan, ensuring the business has adequate liquidity to fund origination volume at target economics

Exit Readiness & Strategic Finance

Serve as the company's primary financial lead on any M&A, recapitalization, or exit processMaintain financial reporting, data room materials, and management presentations in a state of ongoing readinessBuild and maintain the financial model used for board reporting, investor updates, and transaction diligencePartner with the CEO and board to evaluate strategic alternatives and assess transaction structure

FP&A

Own the annual budget and quarterly forecast process, with clear accountability from business unit ownersPartner closely with the commercial team on revenue forecasting, pipeline modeling, and GTM investment decisionsWork alongside the SVP of Product to build rigorous ROI frameworks for new product line development and technology investments — ensuring capital is allocated to the highest-value opportunitiesPartner with the CEO to maintain the company's OKR framework, ensuring KPIs have clear definitions, measurable targets, and accountability from business unit owners

Financial Reporting & Compliance

Own the integrity of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements across GAAP reporting, lender compliance, and management reportingBuild and improve financial controls, accounting policies, and operational finance processesManage relationships with external auditors and tax advisorsOversee tax, audit, and regulatory financial reporting

Investor & Board Relations

Serve as primary financial point of contact for existing equity investors and board membersOwn board meeting materials, investor updates, and financial narrativeBuild relationships with prospective strategic and financial acquirers as part of ongoing exit readinessManage the annual audit process and relationships with external auditors

Team Leadership

Directly manage a team of 5 spanning FP&A, accounting, and finance operationsSet clear expectations, develop team members' skills, and build a high-trust, high-output cultureIdentify gaps and make strategic hires as the company scalesBe a resource to the team on complex accounting, modeling, and process questionsWhat We Are Looking For

Must-Haves

Direct, hands-on experience managing lending facilities and debt capital relationships — you've negotiated term sheets, managed covenants, and worked through facility amendments; you can speak to the detailsExperience leading or co-leading a $100M+ exit process (M&A, acquisition, or recapitalization), with $200M+ strongly preferred — you know what diligence feels like from the inside and have the scars to prove itTrack record of building or materially improving financial infrastructure at a growth-stage companyStrong communicator who can translate complex financial concepts for board members, debt investors, and internal non-finance stakeholders alikeExperience managing a finance team, with a demonstrated ability to develop people and hold a high bar for output

Nice-to-Haves

Background in consumer lending, fintech, or marketplace lendingExperience with structured finance, securitization, or forward flow agreement negotiationCPA, CFA, or investment banking backgroundFamiliarity with the regulatory reporting requirements of a licensed lenderExperience working with PE- or VC-backed boards

What Success Looks Like in Year One

Existing debt facilities are well-managed, covenant compliance is clean, and you've established strong working relationships with all capital providersThe board and investors have confidence in the accuracy and clarity of financial reportingThe company is exit-ready: financial model is current, data room is organized, and management narrative is crispFP&A and close processes run on time with minimal fire drillsYour team of 5 is stronger, more capable, and better coordinated than when you arrived

This Role Isn't for Everyone

We want to be upfront: this is a player-coach role, and that won't change as we grow. We're a lean team, and the CFO we're looking for is someone who is as comfortable building a debt facility model or reconciling a borrowing base certificate on a Wednesday afternoon as they are presenting to the board on Thursday morning.

Specifically, this probably isn't the right role if you:

Prefer to review work rather than do it, and see hands-on finance tasks as below your levelNeed a fully built-out team and established processes before you can be productiveAre more comfortable in large-company finance environments where specialization is the normMeasure your impact primarily by the size of your org chart

If that sounds limiting, it should — we're being intentional about it. If it sounds like exactly what you're looking for, we'd love to talk.

Why You'll Love Working HereThe anticipated base salary range for this position is $300,000 to $400,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include, but are not limited to; the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, the type and length of knowledge and skills for the position, education, training, etc. Scratch is a multi-state employer and final compensation within this range could be impacted by work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.Meaningful equity participation with upside tied to the company’s long term growth

Scratch is a remote-first company, giving ultimate flexibility to today's nomadic work style. For those who prefer a hybrid model, we do have an office space in Pasadena available for use (which is stocked with snacks & various beverages). We offer unlimited PTO, covered healthcare, 401k match, cell plan reimbursement, and monthly recognition opportunities. We also provide learning platforms and resources for all to keep growing. Not only that, but we have an equity retention policy to ensure you grow as the company grows financially, as well. And if your family is growing, we offer generous parental leave, too!

How to Apply

Ready to join our team? To apply, please visit our Scratch Careers Page. Be sure to:

Submit your resume.Answer the custom questions provided.Feel free to add any additional information or documents you believe are relevant to your application.

We look forward to reviewing your application!

*Our team will ONLY contact you from the domain @scratchpay.com or @ats.rippling.com

Our Commitment

We’re innovators who care deeply about the lives of pets, their owners, and veterinary professionals. We believe diversity strengthens our team and drives better solutions.

Scratch is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Scratch considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.