Role Summary

Our client a fast growing manufacturing company is looking for a Chief Financial Officer. Exceptional at financial strategy, the Chief Financial Officer will spark excitement about the ways to bring value to the company’s strategic, financial and information technology processes. With a long trend of annual growth, our client is passionate about thoughtful, sustainable, profitable growth, and is looking for a strategic leader to collaborate in growing the company.

As a key member of the executive leadership team, the CFO will demonstrate both financial and information technology thought leadership as well as a holistic view of the business. This will enable the CFO to gain agreement on key companywide initiatives and drive long range strategy and financial planning. With deep experience in strategic finance and accounting in both large and mid-market companies, the CFO will bring a growthful mindset to the practices and processes that will help our client flex and scale.

Success Factors (First 12-24 Months):

Financial Strategist: With a collaborative method, the CFO will develop and implement financial strategies to support the company's growth objectives, profitability, and overall business strategy. Upleveling the team to manage financial planning, analysis, and processes, including cash flow analysis, expense management, and profitability analysis, you provide financial insights and recommendations to the CEO and the executive team for long-term planning and strategic initiatives.

Long Range Planning Guru: With remarkable leadership, the CFO will lead and oversee long term strategic and financial planning, annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling to ensure alignment with business goals. The CFO will know how to crack the code on Investment & Capital Deployment, and reassess the company’s long-term investment strategies, identifying new areas for growth or increased returns.

Respected Leader: An inspirational leader and motivator, the CFO will mentor, and develop the finance and information technology team to build a high-performing department that supports the company's financial and technology objectives. The team will thrive as the CFO will foster a culture of collaboration, development, and continuous improvement and the CFO will hold individuals and teams accountable for meeting deadlines and targets.

Next Level Company Integrator: The CFO will have a vision and will have collaborated with the team as they drive for results and performance to deliver on the company strategies. The CFO will establish clear goals, KPIs, and performance metrics for individuals and teams and communicate expectations transparently so that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Regularly, the CFO will review performance data to track progress toward goals and identify areas for improvement.

Decision Maker: The CFO will have a proficiency in using financial technology, data analytics, and AI tools for forecasting and strategic planning. The CFO will make tough decisions with confidence, based on data, experience, and input from relevant stakeholders. It will be second nature for the CFO to prioritize tasks, projects, and resources according to their impact on the company’s strategic goals and business growth.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Business Partnership (Functional Leadership & Value-Add):

Finance & Accounting Team Excellence:
Near bullet-proof numbers, i.e. error-free; added insights, anticipate questions.
F&A team will “raise their ceilings” (i.e. “punch above their weight”)
Functional partners will help write the performance reviews of all F&A folks, including the CFO
Succession planning
I.T. – Run it like a business. Service Level Agreement KPI’s. “Contracted” Cost per transaction. Target to be competitive with third party service
Embedded* financial analytical support into teams: Product Supply; Sales; Marketing; Product Development; I.T. Vision is that each team has expert financial counsel available well upstream from decisions/actions with financial or forecast impact. (*Embedded means an F&A person joins their team meetings)
Assist / consult (aid in negotiating, as asked) with trade terms, supplier terms, contractual terms
Business Process Leadership. E.G. Planning, CapEx, Strategy Update methodologies & support, period-close
Selling – With Sales & Marketing, join key account calls to sell programs and brand value.
{with team} Ensuring decisions ladder up to Mission, Vision, align with Core Competencies and flow from our sustainable competitive advantage(s)
{with Marketing & Sales} Trade Spend Strategy, Principles, and Program design and implementation (in my opinion, a prerequisite to sustainable trade spend control & ROI)

Governance (Clear Understanding of Roles, Deliverables, Levers):

Clear Delegations of Authority (Spend Thresholds; Decision Roles {e.g. RACII matrix})
Robust, detailed and vetted Forecast: Ground-up, Topline to Bottom Line, P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow
Executive Scorecarding. Clear at-a-glance, weekly & monthly Key Performance Indicators & Drivers of the business. Understandable by all; avoids jargon or esoteric concepts
Regular Capture of Risks & Opportunities to the Plan; agree Owners and Actions, course-corrections
SG&A Dollar & Headcount Budgets by Function, or Department, or Cost Center
Contractual compliance; bank covenants compliance; tax compliance

Control (No Surprises):

Actuals Reporting. Bulletproof-accurate and close to period-close
Internal controls: Rigorous audit regimen; Account reconciliations; review of balance sheet accounts with executive owners; adherence to Company policies; proper segregation of duties
Cost Variance Due-To insight: Price; Volume; Exchange; Waste; Mix
G&A Spend-vs-Budget Reporting
Trade Spend & Deductions Management (required for Profitability by Customer)
Cost Reduction/Avoidance
Waste reduction
Cost-Savings Project Tracking / Inclusion into forecast
Asset Management – Aging of Inventory & A/R. Tracking of Working Capital measures: Inventory Weeks, Days Sales Outstanding in A/R; Days Payables Outstanding in A/P
Risk Management – Insurance management; Hedge policy; Bad Debt Risk Mgmt.

Analytics Decision Support & Rationale; Actionable Insights):

Return-on-Assets (may be possible to drill down into ROA by-category)
Business Insights (most/least profitable; “bleeders” analysis; velocities; SKU “tail” review)
(with Supply Chain) Logistics cost review / optimization. Return-on-inventory.
Competitive benchmarks (incl. G&A spend % Sales; R&D spend; Selling expense % Sales; etc.)
Analysis of Profitability by Customer
Sales “Tree” (drivers of growth): Volume; Price; Mix (Product- & Channel-mix); Trade Spend Change
Capital budgeting. CapEx pre-investment financial analysis; post-audits
Trade Spend & Marketing Spend Analytics, ROI’s

Personal Characteristics:

Fact- and principle-based
Strong leader for finance, accounting and I.T. teams: provides them visibility, challenging assignments and career growth
Collaborative with Leadership Team, functional partners & CEO
Practices “straight talk”

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or CPA preferred
Proven experience (10+ years) as a CFO or senior financial leader in the CPG or related industry
Strong understanding of CPG industry dynamics, such as supply chain, manufacturing, retail distribution, and pricing strategies
Expertise in financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting, capital management, and risk management
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute financial strategies that drive business growth and profitability
Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
Proficient in financial software, AI, ERP systems, and advanced Microsoft Excel skills

Key Competencies:

Strategic Vision: Ability to think strategically and align financial objectives with the company’s long-term goals
Analytical Thinking: Strong analytical skills to interpret complex financial data and provide actionable recommendations
Leadership and Collaboration: Ability to lead and manage finance, and foster a culture of accountability, while effectively collaborating with all business partners to drive cohesive financial strategies and outcomes
Integrity and Accountability: Demonstrates high ethical standards, transparency, and accountability in all financial activities and decisions
Technology and Digital Acumen: Ability to leverage financial data and technology to drive business insights, decision making, and direct improvements in finance
Financial Reporting and Compliance: Ability to apply strong knowledge of regulatory compliance, risk management and internal controls to our client’s operational and financial goals
Business Acumen: Proficiency in Cost Management, working capital management, manufacturing and supply chain operations

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