The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) / Director - Business Operations is a senior executive and strategic business partner to the CEO and COO, responsible for providing financial leadership and directing key administrative and business support functions across the organization. This position serves as the executive leader for Accounting, Risk Management, Human Resources, and Information Technology, ensuring these departments operate effectively and in alignment with the company's strategic and operational objectives.
The role combines traditional CFO responsibilities, including financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, job costing, work-in-progress (WIP) reporting, cash flow management, internal controls, and financial compliance, with broad business operations oversight.
In partnership with executive leadership and operational management, the CFO / Business Operations Director drives financial performance, strengthens organizational processes, manages financial and contractual risk, and supports sustainable growth. This individual is responsible for maintaining the company's financial health, liquidity, capital structure, bonding capacity, and banking and surety relationships while fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement.
The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker and hands-on leader who understands the financial and operational complexities of the construction industry and can translate financial information into actionable business decisions.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Executive Leadership & Strategic Planning
- Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, partnering with the CEO and COO to establish, execute, and monitor the company's long-term financial and operational strategy.
- Provide strategic financial guidance and recommendations regarding capital allocation, business expansion, equipment and fleet investments, technology adoption, organizational structure, and resource planning.
- Evaluate investment opportunities using financial modeling, return-on-investment (ROI) analysis, risk assessments, and projected business performance.
- Lead company-wide financial planning initiatives and utilize industry benchmarking, peer group comparisons, and key performance indicators to identify opportunities for improved profitability and operational performance.
- Participate in strategic planning, organizational development, succession planning, and major business initiatives, including acquisitions, process improvements, and technology investments.
- Provide executive leadership and financial insight to support informed decision-making throughout the organization.
2. Financial Management, Planning & Reporting
- Direct the annual budgeting process, working collaboratively with executive leadership, department managers, and operational leaders to establish realistic financial goals and accountability.
- Monitor budget-to-actual performance and conduct monthly and quarterly financial reviews, identifying variances, trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Develop and maintain financial forecasts, cash flow projections, scenario analyses, and long-range financial models.
- Oversee job costing, project financial reporting, and work-in-progress (WIP) analysis in partnership with Operations and Accounting to ensure accurate revenue recognition, cost projections, backlog reporting, and gross margin forecasting.
- Identify potential project financial issues, including cost overruns, labor inefficiencies, schedule impacts, margin erosion, and unfavorable contract performance.
- Establish and maintain financial reporting systems that provide timely, accurate, and meaningful information to executive leadership, ownership, and department managers.
- Direct the preparation and presentation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
- Develop financial models to evaluate equipment purchases and disposals, fleet lifecycle costs, staffing levels, labor productivity, and other significant capital expenditures.
- Establish and maintain strong internal controls, financial policies, and accounting procedures to protect company assets and ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting.
- Ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), applicable tax regulations, and construction industry accounting requirements.
3. Cash Flow, Capital Structure, Banking & Bonding
- Manage the company's overall cash flow, liquidity, working capital, and capital structure to support current operations and long-term growth.
- Develop cash flow forecasts and proactively identify potential liquidity needs and financing requirements.
- Monitor and manage the company's bonding capacity, working capital, equity position, and financial requirements necessary to support current and future project opportunities.
- Maintain compliance with lender covenants, surety requirements, and other financial obligations.
- Establish and maintain productive relationships with banks, lenders, bonding agencies, sureties, insurance providers, and other financial partners.
- Coordinate financial reporting and required documentation for banking, bonding, insurance, and lending relationships.
- Evaluate financing alternatives and capital investment strategies to support the company's financial objectives and growth plans.
4. Accounting, Tax & Compliance
- Provide executive leadership and oversight of the Accounting Department, ensuring effective financial management, accurate reporting, and timely completion of accounting responsibilities.
- Establish accounting policies, procedures, controls, and reporting standards that support consistency, accuracy, and accountability.
- Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, general ledger, fixed assets, job cost accounting, and financial close processes.
- Direct the annual financial audit, reviews, tax planning, and tax filings in coordination with external accounting firms and tax advisors.
- Develop and optimize the company's tax strategy while ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
- Evaluate accounting systems, financial processes, and technology to improve efficiency, reporting accuracy, and financial visibility.
- Ensure appropriate financial controls and compliance practices are maintained throughout the organization.
5. Business Operations & Departmental Leadership
- Provide executive leadership and oversight for the Accounting Department, Risk Management, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
- Work directly with department leaders and managers to establish departmental objectives, performance expectations, budgets, and accountability measures.
- Ensure business support functions are aligned with field operations and the company's overall strategic objectives.
- Integrate departmental processes and systems to improve communication, coordination, and efficiency between office personnel, project teams, and field operations.
- Establish standardized workflows, standard operating procedures (SOPs), operational dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Evaluate organizational processes and identify opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce administrative costs, and improve service to internal and external customers.
- Provide leadership, coaching, and professional development to department managers and their teams.
- Establish clear performance expectations, development plans, and succession strategies for direct reports.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
6. Operational & Project Financial Performance
- Partner with the CEO, COO, and Operations leadership to regularly review project performance, backlog, labor productivity, cost trends, and projected profitability.
- Ensure project managers and operational leaders have timely access to accurate financial information and the tools necessary to manage project performance.
- Work collaboratively with Operations to identify financial risks and develop corrective action plans when projects fall below established margin or performance expectations.
- Strengthen the financial and business acumen of project managers, superintendents, and department leaders.
- Establish consistent financial reporting and review processes that connect project execution with company-wide financial objectives.
- Evaluate staffing levels, equipment utilization, labor costs, and overhead allocations to support profitable operations.
- Promote financial accountability at all levels of the organization without compromising operational effectiveness or project execution.
7. Risk Management, Insurance & Contractual Oversight
- Provide executive direction and oversight of the company's enterprise risk management program in partnership with the Risk Management Manager and Operations leadership.
- Oversee insurance programs, claims activity, subcontractor compliance, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Monitor claims trends, insurance costs, experience modification rate (EMR), and other risk-related performance indicators.
- Establish processes to identify, evaluate, and mitigate financial, contractual, operational, safety, and project-related risks.
- Provide executive oversight of contract and commercial risk, including the review of major contracts, subcontracts, purchase agreements, and vendor agreements.
- Ensure appropriate contractual protections, insurance requirements, indemnification provisions, and financial safeguards are incorporated into agreements.
- Partner with Operations and Risk Management to strengthen subcontractor prequalification, compliance monitoring, and risk transfer practices.
- Identify opportunities to reduce losses, improve safety performance, minimize claims exposure, and protect company assets.
- Ensure appropriate coordination with legal counsel, insurance brokers, sureties, and other outside professionals when addressing significant risk exposures.
8. Human Resources & Information Technology Oversight
- Provide executive leadership to Human Resources, ensuring workforce planning, employee development, compensation practices, recruiting support, and organizational policies align with company objectives.
- Partner with HR leadership to strengthen employee retention, leadership development, performance management, succession planning, and organizational culture.
- Ensure HR practices and policies support compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations.
- Provide executive oversight of Information Technology, including systems strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data protection, and technology investments.
- Partner with IT leadership to ensure business systems effectively support financial reporting, project management, field operations, and administrative functions.
- Evaluate technology opportunities that improve productivity, information accessibility, system integration, and operational efficiency.
- Support the implementation, optimization, and ongoing development of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and construction management systems.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field required.
- MBA, CPA, CMA, or other relevant advanced professional designation preferred.
Professional Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive financial and operational leadership experience, preferably within the construction industry or a closely related project-based business.
- Demonstrated experience in senior financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, job costing, WIP reporting, contract accounting, and project financial management.
- Proven ability to manage company-wide financial operations, cash flow, working capital, capital planning, and financial performance.
- Experience managing banking, lending, bonding, surety, insurance, and external audit relationships.
- Demonstrated success leading multiple business support functions and developing effective departmental leadership teams.
- Experience implementing or improving financial systems, ERP platforms, internal controls, and company-wide business processes.
Technical Knowledge & Competencies
- Strong knowledge of GAAP, construction accounting practices, percentage-of-completion accounting, revenue recognition, job costing, and WIP reporting.
- Thorough understanding of construction financial management, including project profitability, backlog, cost-to-complete forecasting, labor productivity, and cash flow management.
- Knowledge of bonding capacity, surety requirements, insurance programs, subcontractor risk, and construction contract provisions.
- Experience with financial controls, regulatory compliance, financial audits, tax planning, and enterprise risk management.
- Proficiency with construction financial and project management systems such as Viewpoint, CMiC, Sage 300, and Procore financials.
- Strong financial modeling, analytical, forecasting, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to evaluate and implement technology solutions that improve financial accuracy, operational visibility, and organizational efficiency.
Leadership & Communication Skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and hold departmental leaders accountable for performance and results.
- Strong executive presence and the ability to influence and collaborate with senior leadership, ownership, and operational management.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to communicate complex financial information in a practical and understandable manner to non-financial leaders.
- Strong business judgment and the ability to balance financial discipline with operational priorities.
- Highly organized, results-oriented, and capable of managing multiple strategic initiatives in a deadline-driven environment.
- Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and commitment to protecting the financial and operational interests of the company.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The position operates in a professional, deadline-oriented environment that includes office settings, virtual meetings, and periodic visits to active construction sites.
- Primarily works in an office environment with occasional travel to construction sites, project offices, client meetings, and industry events.
- May occasionally be exposed to wet or humid conditions, extreme heat or cold, and varying weather conditions during site visits.
- Office noise levels are generally low to moderate; construction site noise levels may be moderate to high.
- Requires flexibility to manage competing priorities, meet financial reporting deadlines, and respond to changing business and operational needs.
POSITION EXPECTATIONS
The CFO / Business Operations Director is expected to operate as a strategic executive and business partner, not solely as the leader of the Finance and Accounting functions.
Success in this position requires the ability to connect financial performance with operational execution, develop strong departmental leadership, identify and mitigate business risks, and provide executive leadership that supports the company's long-term financial strength and growth.
The individual is expected to demonstrate ownership of results, proactive communication, sound financial judgment, and a commitment to continuous improvement while maintaining alignment with the CEO, COO, and the company's overall strategic direction.
