Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Location: Amite, Louisiana
Regular day travel is required to company facilities in Greensburg, Louisiana and Washington, Louisiana.
About ForgeFront Industries
ForgeFront Industries is a diversified industrial manufacturing platform serving the electrical transmission, utility infrastructure, LNG, energy, industrial, refinery, and advanced manufacturing markets.
Our operating companies include:
- Southland Steel Fabricators
- Grid Structures
- Southland Industrial Coatings
- SolarPile USA
- Southland Trucking, Inc.
Through multiple Louisiana manufacturing facilities, ForgeFront provides vertically integrated solutions including structural steel fabrication, utility structures, galvanizing, protective coatings, transportation, and advanced manufacturing services to customers throughout North America.
Position Summary
ForgeFront Industries is seeking a hands-on Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead the financial operations of a growing multi-company manufacturing platform.
Direct experience in manufacturing, fabrication, industrial construction, or industrial services is required.
This is not a traditional corporate CFO position. We are seeking an operational finance leader who understands project-based businesses and is willing to be actively engaged in the day-to-day operations of the company.
The successful candidate will partner closely with the CEO, operations leadership, project management, estimating, and production teams to improve financial performance, strengthen reporting, enhance cash flow management, and develop scalable processes that support continued growth.
This role requires a visible leader who is comfortable spending time in our facilities, understanding how work is performed, building relationships with operational leaders, and helping drive accountability throughout the organization.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership
- Lead all accounting, finance, treasury, and financial reporting functions.
- Ensure timely and accurate monthly financial reporting.
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning.
- Develop meaningful financial and operational performance metrics.
- Maintain strong internal controls and financial discipline.
Manufacturing & Operational Finance
- Develop and maintain accurate job costing systems.
- Monitor project profitability, labor efficiency, and manufacturing performance.
- Analyze manufacturing variances and operational trends.
- Improve visibility into inventory, WIP, and production performance.
- Support estimating, project management, and operations with financial analysis and decision-making tools.
- Develop reporting and KPIs that drive accountability and performance.
- Maintain a visible presence within company operations and manufacturing facilities.
Cash Flow & Banking
- Lead cash flow forecasting and liquidity management.
- Manage banking relationships and lender reporting requirements.
- Oversee borrowing base reporting and debt compliance.
- Optimize working capital performance and cash conversion.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead and develop the accounting and finance team.
- Strengthen communication between finance and operations.
- Build scalable systems, processes, and reporting tools.
- Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Strategic Support
- Support capital investment decisions and growth initiatives.
- Assist with lender, board, and investor reporting.
- Provide financial insight to support strategic and operational decision-making.
Required Experience
- Minimum 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience.
- Minimum 5 years of financial leadership experience within a manufacturing, fabrication or industrial construction environment.
- Direct experience in manufacturing, fabrication or industrial construction is required.
- Demonstrated experience with:
- Job Cost Accounting
- Work-in-Process (WIP) Accounting
- Percentage-of-Completion Accounting
- Inventory Management
- Cash Flow Forecasting
- Banking and Lending Relationships
- Budgeting and Forecasting
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Experience leading accounting and finance teams.
- Experience partnering directly with operations leadership.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
- CPA designation preferred but not required.
- Experience leading finance within a multi-entity organization.
- Experience supporting founder-led companies.
- Experience implementing ERP, reporting, and business intelligence systems.
- Familiarity with Power BI and manufacturing reporting environments.
Key Characteristics
The successful candidate will be:
- Hands-on and detail-oriented.
- Comfortable working in manufacturing facilities and production environments.
- Operationally focused rather than purely financial.
- A strong team builder and process leader.
- Accountable, decisive, and action-oriented.
- Able to communicate effectively with executives, managers, project teams, and production personnel.
- Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Compensation
- Competitive base salary, performance-based bonus opportunity, and executive benefits package commensurate with experience.
