POSITION/TITLE: Chief Financial Officer
REPORTS TO: CEO
LOCATION: Chicago, IL
SEARCH NUMBER: XHX1025

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THE COMPANY

A mid-market, multi-site professional services firm located in Chicago.

 

THE POSITION

 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer will serve as a pivotal leader for the corporation who will help the CEO and senior leadership team manage the business at both a strategic and operational level.  While being responsible for all financial activities of the company, the CFO will also bring a “strategic business partner” orientation to the CFO’s office and serve as a major contributor to the direction of the company.

 

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for directing the overall financial reporting, analysis, accounting and treasury, including cash management, banking relationships, and financial projections.  He/She will support the CEO on overall business planning and strategic initiatives.  Essential duties and responsibilities include::

• Lead all financial functions including Accounting, Tax, Treasury, and Planning.
• From a CFO perspective, drive the development and implementation of a broad range of financial planning and analysis issues, e.g., capital structure, lease strategies, risk strategies, and the evaluation of new business opportunities.
• Proactively work with the management team to develop annual business plans and operating budgets.  Coordinate the preparation and distribution of budget templates, analyze budgeting revenues and expenses, prepare and distribute budget reports.
• Analyze operational performance, budgetary issues, and financial performance at macro and micro levels and help develop plans to anticipate and address problem areas, deviations, and/or shortfalls.  Establish metrics that evaluate performance levels and identify potential business challenges.
• Support operational executives in reviewing financial results, analyzing variances to budget and previous year; identify trends, determine system improvements.  Work closely and partner with senior leadership, the Board of Directors, and external auditors.
• Direct the overall financial plans and accounting practices.  Oversee financial and accounting system controls and standards, and ensure accurate and timely financial and statistical reports for management and Board of Directors.
• Communicate company financial results to primary lenders, investors, outside auditor and Board of Directors.
• Optimize the handling of banking relationships and initiating appropriate strategies to enhance cash position; minimize interest and other borrowing costs.  Secure loan and lease financing as needed.  Maintain excellent relationships with banks, clients, and other business partners.
• Work with the external tax firm, oversee preparation of all tax filings, and provide appropriate supporting schedules as required.  Work with external auditor to produce annual audited financial statements.
• Maintain security by evaluating, monitoring, and reporting on internal control policies and procedures.  Interface with various company leaders to implement internal controls and operational policies and procedures.
• Understand and enforce accounting and tax regulations; recommend new procedures.
• Develop and refine processes and policies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the financial function; this includes driving the optimization of the systems and systems requirements that support the financial function and its collection and management of the corporation’s financial data.
• Oversee and direct the preparation and issuance of the Company’s financials and ensure that tax returns are filed accurately and timely with federal, state, and local authorities; continually searching for tax saving strategies.
• Lead the analysis and provide direction on all risk management issues, including insurance, benefit plans, real estate decisions, etc.

 

THE INDIVIDUAL

The Chief Financial Officer must be a seasoned, articulate and broad-based financial leader with experience in a multi-unit services or hospitality industry.  The successful candidate will have held a senior financial position that included significant interface with senior managers, Board of Directors, and the banking community.  Important strengths of the ideal candidate include:

• Business Partner Leadership – Provides compelling and decisive guidance and direction in a collaborative manner to help the corporation reach its business goals.
• Strategic Acumen – Synthesizes the complex operating variables across the organization to help proactively develop solutions for the company’s growth objectives and anticipate future challenges.
• Financial Acumen – Possesses extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the full range of CFO activities and practices.  General business acumen is essential as demonstrated by experience leading complex financial operations and transactions.  Understands business dynamics and ability to drive accounting and control processes effectively.
• Integrity – Does the right thing, having the courage of own convictions, and adhering to strongly held principles and values.
• Communication – Highly articulate and able to convey important messages in a clear and compelling manner.  Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.  Ability to work with all levels in the company.
• Building Teams – Selects, develops, and motivates groups of people working together in a committed way to achieve common goals.  Strong leader with proven experience managing and motivating staff.  Has supervised a Home Office Accounting Staff and multiple Field Controllers.
• MBA or CPA required with at least 10 years experience in accounting and financial reporting leadership.

 

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