Vice President, Finance & Accounting

Our Heritage: An American Original Since 1977

Founded on the Upper East Side of New York City by brothers Jay and Kevin McLaughlin, J.McLaughlin was built on a simple idea: great style feels personal.

From a single neighborhood shop to nearly 200 stores nationwide, we have always believed in being local and loyal—to our customers, our communities, and one another. Today, nearly 1,000 employees bring the brand to life across the country, from Maine to Maui.

For over 20 years, our corporate home has been in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration continue to shape our next chapter.

Giving back is part of who we are. We support the communities we serve through local partnerships, charitable initiatives, and a belief that businesses should leave places better than they found them.

Overview: 

The Vice President (VP) of Finance & Accounting will serve as a strategic and influential partner to the CFO and executive leadership team, driving financial excellence, operational rigor, and data-driven decision-making across J.McLaughlin. This leader will oversee Accounting, FP&A, reporting, and operational finance, ensuring the company has the financial foundations, visibility, and controls required to support sustained omnichannel growth.

This role provides significant exposure to private equity sponsors and the Board of Directors, contributing directly to value creation initiatives including EBITDA expansion, margin improvement, inventory optimization, and cash flow enhancement. The VP will help shape long-term strategic planning, elevate financial transparency, and strengthen organizational accountability while contributing to a collaborative, high-performing and values driven workplace.

This position is primarily based in our Greenpoint, Brooklyn office and follows aa hybrid schedule, dependent on role and business needs.

About the role

Essential Functions*:

Strategic Finance & Value Creation

- Partner with the CFO and executive leadership to execute the company’s value creation plan focused on revenue growth, operational efficiency, and profitability.

- Deliver actionable financial insights across omnichannel growth, digital expansion, retail productivity, margin optimization, pricing strategy, and supply chain performance.

- Build and refine financial models to assess new initiatives, capital investments, store openings, and category expansions.

Board & Private Equity Sponsor Engagement

- Prepare quarterly board materials, investor updates, and comprehensive financial reporting packages.

- Translate operating results into clear, strategic financial narratives and forward-looking insights.

- Respond to private equity sponsor requests with timely, accurate, and thoughtful analysis.

Accounting & Financial Operations

- Oversee general ledger, AP/AR, inventory accounting, fixed assets, leases, and revenue recognition.

- Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes with focus on speed, accuracy, and transparency.

- Ensure full GAAP compliance, strong internal controls, and audit readiness.

FP&A & Performance Management

- Lead budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, and performance management.

- Develop KPI dashboards to track performance across retail, e-commerce, and wholesale channels.

- Conduct detailed variance analysis, identify business drivers, and recommend actions to drive financial improvement.

- Lead monthly financial review meetings with cross-functional leaders.

Inventory, Gross Margin & Working Capital

- Partner with merchandising, planning, and production teams to optimize inventory turns, sell-through, markdown efficiency, and gross margin.

- Enhance visibility into SKU-, category-, and channel-level profitability.

- Oversee inventory valuation methodologies, reserves, and aging.

Cash Flow & Lender Reporting

- Support cash flow forecasting, liquidity planning, and working capital optimization initiatives.

- Assist in monthly lender reporting and covenant compliance.

- Identify and drive opportunities to improve cash conversion cycles and operational leverage.

Systems, Controls & Process Improvement

- Drive enhancements to financial systems, ERP tools, and reporting capabilities including appropriately leveraging AI capabilities.

- Implement process improvements and automation that increase accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.

- Build scalable processes that support future growth and potential exit readiness.

Team Leadership

- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing finance and accounting organization.

- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement.

Additional Job Responsibilities:

• Other related duties as assigned

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

What we are looking for

Skills & Requirements:

- 15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including senior leadership roles.

- Experience in apparel, retail, or consumer brands strongly preferred.

- Background working with private equity sponsors or investor-backed companies highly preferred.

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; CPA strongly preferred; MBA a plus.

- Deep expertise in GAAP reporting, financial modeling, FP&A, inventory accounting, and omnichannel retail finance.

- Strong business acumen with cross-functional exposure (merchandising, stores, operations, marketing).

- Advanced Excel proficiency and experience with major ERP platforms (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).

- Experienced leader with deep people management, development and change management skills.