CFO

Irvine, CA

$275-350K plus 40% bonus

Keys:

15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including 5+ years in a senior financial executive and/or CFO role.
Proven experience in multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, or retail environments; familiarity with real-estate development and asset management strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple P&Ls, entity structures, and growth-oriented portfolios.
Deep understanding of restaurant unit economics, labor management, and operational KPIs.

As Chief Financial Officer, you will serve as a key strategic partner to the CEO, Board of Directors, and executive leadership team—providing vision, stewardship, and data-driven insight to guide sustainable growth across our multi-unit restaurant portfolio and real-estate development pipeline. You will oversee all areas of financial management, capital strategy, risk, and compliance while ensuring operational excellence, fiscal discipline, and long-term enterprise value creation.

This role requires a dynamic and hands-on leader capable of navigating complex, multi-entity environments—balancing restaurant operations, new unit growth, and real-estate investment initiatives under a unified strategic framework.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Strategic & Financial Leadership

Partner with the CEO, Board, and senior leadership to shape long-term financial strategy, capital allocation, and growth priorities across both operating and development portfolios.
Lead enterprise financial planning, analysis, and reporting, ensuring alignment between corporate objectives and unit-level performance.
Drive M&A activity—including financial due diligence, valuation modeling, transaction structuring, and integration execution.
Oversee cash management, debt structures, and banking relationships to optimize capital efficiency and liquidity.
Develop and execute financing and capital allocation strategies for new restaurant and real-estate projects.
Manage external financial audit, financial shareholder relations including dividend distribution, and long-term incentive plan (LTIP) programs

Operational & Analytical Excellence

Partner with operations to monitor and enhance unit-level profitability, labor efficiency, food and beverage costs, and other margin improvement initiatives.
Deliver clear and timely financial insights, KPIs, and dashboards that enable proactive data-driven decision-making at both the executive and field levels.
Implement scalable systems and processes that streamline reporting, forecasting, and close cycles across multiple entities.
Lead budgeting, forecasting, and performance management across restaurants, real-estate holdings, and corporate functions.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Oversee all accounting, audit, and tax functions, ensuring compliance with GAAP, state/federal regulations, and industry standards.
Strengthen internal controls and financial governance across decentralized operations.
Co-manage insurance strategy and broker relationships, ensuring comprehensive property and casualty coverage and proactive risk mitigation while reducing premium costs.
Support legal and risk teams in lease negotiation, claims management, and compliance oversight for both operating and development assets.

People & Culture

Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing finance, accounting, and IT organization focused on accuracy, agility, and accountability.
Foster a culture of transparency, continuous improvement, and operational partnership across departments.
Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, President, and Board—translating complex financial data into actionable strategy.

ESSENTIAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications:

15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including 5+ years in a senior financial executive and/or CFO role.
Proven experience in multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, or retail environments; familiarity with real-estate development and asset management strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple P&Ls, entity structures, and growth-oriented portfolios.
Deep understanding of restaurant unit economics, labor management, and operational KPIs.
Record of accomplishment leading M&A, capital markets, or structured financing initiatives.
Hands-on ability in systems transformation, ERP optimization, and business intelligence / data-warehouse environments. Experience implementing and using A.I. solutions a plus.
Effective communication and relationship-building skills; able to influence across all levels of the organization and external partners.
Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field; CPA and/or MBA preferred.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic thinker with strong analytical rigor and commercial acumen.
Entrepreneurial mindset, capable of balancing long-term vision with tactical execution.
Skilled in managing cross-functional collaboration between finance, operations, development, and IT.
Committed to continuous improvement and organizational scalability.
Adept at leveraging technology to drive efficiency and organizational scalability.

Blake-Ryan & Associates

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