Chief Financial Officer

RHH202304

Manufacturing

THE COMPANY

Confidential – Automotive Manufacturing

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our client seeks a strategic Chief Financial Officer who will be a vital executive leadership team member, playing a critical role in driving the organization toward its goals and financial success. As the steward of the company’s financial health, the CFO will work closely with the CEO and other leadership team members to develop and implement the organization’s vision, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future. They will tell the story of the company through numbers. Not only understanding the financial picture, but also serving as a cross-functional value-added partner in strategy, business decisions, and problem-solving adopting a horizontal stewardship mindset.

Our client’s dynamic culture promotes and celebrates diversity and inclusion. They value their people first and are dedicated to empowering and investing in teammates to help them grow and prosper while giving back to the community. They are committed to integrity and doing things right. This is an opportunity to greatly impact an already successful company. This position reports to the CEO and has three direct reports with teams.

JOB DEFINITION

The CFO will be a visible servant leader, an excellent communicator, and an influencer that drives a high-performance culture. They will be responsible for making decisions that lead to achieving financial and non-financial goals. They will effectively manage and optimize financial resources, create accurate forecasts, and mitigate risks. As a cross-functional leader, the CFO will collaborate with various departments to promote operational efficiency, cost control, and innovation. They will be instrumental in providing data-driven insights that inform key decision-making and enable the company to seize growth opportunities. They will investigate potential growth opportunities and use analysis and insight to determine benefits, risks, and threats to the company. By fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, the CFO will empower the finance and accounting team to drive the organization’s success and contribute to its long-term growth and stability.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished financial leader with well-developed emotional intelligence. The successful candidate will practice humility, be open-minded, a strong collaborator, and people-focused.

SKILLS

The CFO will be responsible for the day-to-day financial affairs of the company.

Develop company and finance organizational strategies by contributing financial and accounting information, analysis, recommendations, strategic thinking, and direction.
Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting, while maintaining compliance with relevant accounting standards, tax laws, and regulations.
Establish, monitor, and report on critical measurements including but not limited to revenue growth, gross profit margin, operating profit margin, net profit margin, and EBITDA.
Collaborating with other departments, oversee the development of FP&A including financial forecasts that encompass sales projections, production costs, inventory levels, and cash flow management. Continually monitor and adjust forecasts in response to evolving market dynamics, thereby maintaining accuracy, agility, and resilience.
Analyze results, initiate corrective actions, and minimize the impact of variances.
Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks, including interest rate, currency, credit, and operational risks, to protect the company’s financial stability and performance.
Oversee the management of current assets and liabilities, ensuring adequate liquidity to cover short-term obligations and operational needs.
Monitor property, plant, equipment, and technology investments, ensuring alignment with long-term strategic goals.
Develop financial strategies by creating a budget, forecasting capital, facilities, and staff requirements, identifying monetary resources, and developing action plans.
Analyze organization operations to find opportunities for improvement, cost reduction, and systems enhancement.
Help to determine production, quality, and customer-service strategies.
Represent the company and build relationships with banks, other financial institutions, CPAs, attorneys, insurance and benefits providers, and other business stakeholders.
Develop organization prospects by studying economic trends, revenue opportunities, acquisition and expansion prospects, and accumulating capital to fund expansion.
Update knowledge by remaining aware of new regulations, participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional and community organizations.

Leadership and Management:

Create an atmosphere of open communication, mutual trust, and respect that fosters a growth mindset where team members feel empowered to share ideas, learn from one another, and contribute to the organization’s success.
Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements and inspire the team to continually push boundaries and strive for excellence.
Drive performance and hold the team accountable by setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback and guidance, establishing a robust performance management system that tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) and ties them to individual and team goals.
Communicate and enforce company culture, policies, and procedures.
Responsible for building a strong team and succession/continuity planning. Recruit, train, coach, and promote people based on their talents, goals, and the company’s needs.
Plan, monitor, appraise and review job contributions. Plan and review compensation strategies.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

Minimum of 10 years of experience in senior-level finance positions with responsibility for the day-to-day financial operations of an organization of at least $500M in annual sales.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Highly focused on execution and results, organized and analytical; initiates as opposed to reacts.
Experience with the Entrepreneurial Operating System is a plus.
A proven ability to build, lead and motivate teams.
A sense of humor, fun, and camaraderie.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related discipline is required, MBA is desired.

If you have these qualifications and are looking for a challenging career, please submit your Resume using the button below.

Todd Hohauser

CEO & Lead Consultant

Kate Scott

Director, Executive Recruitment