Finatal is retained on a rapidly growing supplier of liquid cooling solutions to the global data center market. The business is professionalizing its operations and building the foundations for long-term value creation.
The business designs and sells its products, procures components and materials globally and utilizes outsourced assemblers, primarily in China. Our client is looking for someone with exposure to procurement, supply chain and integration.
The Opportunity
This represents a rare opportunity to join a high-growth, PE-backed business as its first CFO. Working closely with the CEO, Board and PE Sponsor, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the next chapter of the company's growth story.
This is a first-CFO appointment in a small but fast-growing business.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Partner with the UK-based CEO as the principal finance voice in commercial decision-making - pricing, deal structuring, supplier terms and the working capital consequences of both.
- Advise the CEO and Board on capital allocation, contract profitability and risk.
- Support the development and delivery of the value creation plan.
Finance Transformation
- Design and implement the accounting process end to end including chart of accounts, accounting system, month-end close calendar, balance sheet reconciliations and controls.
- Deliver a reliable, timely monthly close and a management pack with meaningful KPI reporting.
- Establish and document the group's revenue recognition policy under US GAAP.
- Build landed cost models that produce true unit cost across component purchase, assembly fee, freight, duty, delivery and installation.
- Establish budgeting, forecasting and cash flow planning.
Private Equity & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the primary finance contact for the private equity and the Board.
- Establish and manage the group audit and the relationship with auditors, tax advisers and external accountants, and deliver the reporting required under the group's debt facilities.
- Support the group's tax residency governance, including board meeting records and the maintenance of US decision-making substance.
Operational & Commercial Finance
- Own procurement and supply chain finance including supplier payment terms, purchase commitments, trade finance, freight, tariffs and customs duty on imported goods.
- Establish control over inventory held at the outsourced assembler and in transit - title, valuation, counts and obsolescence.
- Manage working capital against long lead times and lumpy high-value contracts, including the cash profile of orders through procurement, assembly, shipping, installation and commissioning.
- Partner with operations on lead times, supplier performance and cost.
Essential Experience
- Implementing accounting system changes - personally worked on close process and controls implementation projects.
- Personally delivering the monthly close - hands-on responsibility for preparing the consolidation and balance sheet reconciliations, rather than reviewing work produced by a team.
- US GAAP reporting and consolidation in a multi-entity international group.
- Multi-jurisdictional group reporting, with local statutory obligations alongside a group basis, and multi-currency consolidation.
- Transfer pricing and intercompany - setting and operating policies.
- Supply chain and procurement finance in a business with outsourced manufacture or assembly.
- Commercial partnering with a CEO or founder on pricing and deal decisions, with the credibility to challenge.
- CPA preferrable
