Chief Financial Officer

Our client is seeking a highly experienced Chief Financial Officer with a proven track record of driving financial turnarounds in private equity-backed environments. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in assessing organizational financial health, implementing cost-optimization strategies, and developing strategic growth plans that enhance profitability and long-term value. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of working closely with senior management to navigate complex financial situations and implement effective solutions to achieve financial stability. Using hands-on technical expertise, the CFO will oversee all aspects of the finance function, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, tax planning, and treasury management. The CFO will be a key partner to the CEO and executive team, providing strategic financial insights and analysis to inform business decisions.

Our client is an industrial fabrication firm with two production facilities, amid a strategic transformation from traditional fabrication to an engineered solutions provider. With 100 employees, they're building something scalable, world-class, and ready to lead in sectors like AI data centers, industrial power and equipment, and national defense. This comprehensive reposition touches every aspect of their business. Their evolution demands a sophisticated finance function that can support both our current operations and our ambitious growth trajectory. They are seeking a Chief Financial Officer who can help strengthen that foundation while they expand their capabilities, enhance processes, and cultivate a performance culture that is a magnet for top talent.

Join a hungry and loyal team committed to transforming from the inside out. Their people are highly skilled fabricators, engineers, and operational experts who bring decades of industrial experience combined with a love for innovation. They are straightforward problem-solvers who take pride in turning complex challenges into elegant solutions. The leadership team you will work alongside values direct communication, continuous improvement, and results over rhetoric. As they evolve into a more sophisticated organization, they need someone who can help drive a hands-on, reliable culture while introducing more structured finance and accounting systems. The CFO will collaborate with cross-functional leaders to implement systems that honor their industrial heritage while preparing them for enterprise relationships and growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial strategy and operations within private equity-backed organizations, aligning capital structure, governance, and reporting with investor expectations.
• Drive successful exits by preparing the organization for sale, managing due diligence, and optimizing value creation initiatives.
• Oversee M&A activities including financial modeling, deal structuring, integration planning, and post-acquisition performance management.
• Develop and implement financial strategy aligned with overall business objectives; Build scalable financial systems, controls, and reporting frameworks that support growth across multi-entity structures.
• Serve as the primary liaison with external stakeholders such as private equity partners, lenders, auditors, and board members to ensure financial transparency and trust.
• Responsible for compliance, governance, treasury, and investor relations; Ensure inherent governance standards are maintained across all financial operations.
• Prepare and present financial statements, reports, and analyses to the CEO and other stakeholders.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow planning to ensure financial stability and liquidity.
• Develop and implement tax strategies to minimize tax liabilities.
• Oversee internal controls and compliance with financial regulations.
• Identify and evaluate investment opportunities and manage capital allocation.
• Partner with other departments across the organization to support business growth initiatives.
• Review and improve the efficiency of finance transaction processing and internal controls.
• Manage and oversee the Visual ERP system, including updates.
• Provide oversight of IT, with IT reporting into the CFO role.

Strategic Business Partner

• Partner with the Senior Leadership Team on operational and strategic issues as they arise and provide
• strategic recommendations to the CEO, including financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, ROI analysis, and revenue/expense analysis.
• Lead development of strategic plans, annual sales forecasts, and operating budgets as an integral member of the executive management team and provide consultative support to planning initiatives through financial and management information analyses, reports, and recommendations.
• Create financial models to support key strategic decision-making
• Evaluate and determine the financial impact of new business initiatives

Financial reporting

• Publish accurate and timely financial reports with meaningful narrative analysis of the company's performance.
• Design and implement reports needed to track key indicators of growth, efficiency, and potential areas for expansion or cost-cutting.

Cost Accounting/Profitability Analysis

• Develop, implement, and oversee a robust cost accounting system for manufacturing operations, ensuring accurate identification, allocation, and analysis of production costs.
• Analyze variances between actual and budgeted costs, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions.
• Provide cost data and insights to support cost reduction initiatives, product pricing decisions, and profitability analysis.
• Work closely with production and engineering teams to optimize manufacturing processes and improve cost efficiency.
• Perform cost and profitability analysis for business units, customers, product lines, and products
• Review costs and set selling prices for all Manufacturing Division products and significant projects or products in the Distribution and Special Accounts division
• Partner with Quality and Operations to identify opportunities to reduce cost and eliminate waste

External relationships

• Act as a key liaison with external stakeholders, including banks, auditors, and investors.
• Provide required financial information to banks and outside accountants, including financial statements and information required for company and shareholder tax returns
• Build and maintain strong banking relationships, ensuring compliance with standard banking covenants.
• Review work of outside accountants, including prepared financial statements and tax returns

Inventory

• Review and maintain internal control policies and procedures relating to inventory accuracy and transaction processing
• Review and investigate measures of inventory accuracy, including cycle count accuracy, physical inventory results, and other adjustments
• Identify key performance indicators relating specifically to inventory accuracy and financial performance. Design and implement analytical reporting to monitor and manage inventory performance
• Work with operations personnel to review and manage inventory portfolios

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or Economics required; Advanced degree in a related field, MBA and/or CPA or CFA preferred.
• Experience leading financial turnarounds in complex or distressed Private Equity situations.
• 10+ years of experience in a senior finance role in a manufacturing environment; Proven track record of success in leading and managing a finance team.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP systems and modules including financial management, inventory control, sales and purchasing. Visual strongly preferred.
• Strong GAAP, Internal Controls knowledge, and cost accounting principles required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience with tax planning and compliance is a plus.
• Exceptional general business knowledge