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.
