Chief Financial Officer Greater Salina, KS Area

Chief Financial Office

Job Summary:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as the primary strategic financial business partner to the Chief Executive Officer and is a vital driver on the Executive Leadership Team. Moving beyond traditional backward-looking accounting, the CFO is an agile, forward-thinking leader who architects enterprise capital structure, strategic treasury management, corporate growth and M&A initiatives, modern IT/AI technology enablement, and strategic purchasing. The CFO bridges high-level corporate vision with ground-level operational value creation—partnering closely with operations and sales to maximize margins, optimize cash conversion cycles, deploy modern analytics, and foster an empowered, high-trust administrative bench.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Accounting Manager (direct oversight of accounting and finance staff; responsible for all general ledger operations, internal financial reporting, month-end close, tax compliance, audit coordination, and day-to-day internal controls)
• IT Manager (overseeing enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, ERP systems, and AI-driven process automation)
• Purchasing Manager (strategic procurement, vendor terms, raw material sourcing, and inventory replenishment)

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Planning & Capital Architecture

• Partner with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to formulate, execute, and monitor long - range strategic plans, annual operating budgets, and capital deployment strategies that support dynamic corporate growth.
• Build dynamic, multi-year financial forecasts, scenario models, and cash flow projections to support operational capacity planning and enterprise investments.
• Establish investment hurdle rates, discounted cash flow (DCF) models, and underwriting frameworks to evaluate major capital expenditures, manufacturing equipment acquisitions, facility expansions, and new service lines. • Deliver executive-level financial intelligence, KPI scorecards, and strategic commentary to the CEO.
• Deliver executive-level financial intelligence, KPI scorecards, and strategic commentary to the CEO.

Treasury, Cash Flow & Working Capital Optimization

• Direct enterprise treasury strategy, including aggressive cash conversion cycle management, liquidity planning, working capital optimization, and short-term investment policies.
• Manage and negotiate commercial banking agreements, revolving credit facilities, term debt, and financing arrangements; ensure strict compliance with debt covenants.
• Optimize enterprise billing, collections, and vendor payment schedules to maximize free cash flow velocity across all divisions.

Corporate Development, M&A & Strategic Growth

• Partner with the CEO to identify, evaluate, and pursue strategic growth opportunities, including acquisitions, add-on buyouts, joint ventures, geographic expansion, and vertical integration initiatives.
• Lead end-to-end financial due diligence, valuation modeling, quality of earnings evaluation, transaction structuring, and financial covenant integration.
• Spearhead post-merger integration of acquired financial systems, accounting practices, banking arrangements, and operational reporting.

Technology, AI & Advanced Business Analytics

• Direct enterprise Information Technology strategy through the IT Manager, ensuring robust network reliability, cybersecurity resilience, and disaster recovery.
• Drive modern technology adoption, evaluating and integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, machine learning applications, and workflow automation into financial analysis, administrative workflows, and operational reporting.
• Champion the continuous enhancement of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, maximizing data integrity, automating interdepartmental handoffs, and deploying real-time business intelligence dashboards.

Operational Partnership, Job Costing & Commercial Analytics

• Act as an embedded strategic consultant to plant operations, field services, and sales leadership, translating complex operational data into gross margin improvements and throughput efficiency.
• Direct manufacturing cost accounting strategy, ensuring real-time visibility into work-in-process (WIP), labor and overhead absorption, standard vs. actual job costing, machine rate structures, and inventory valuation.
• Partner with commercial teams to analyze customer line profitability, proposal analytics, contract terms, and value-based pricing strategies.

Governance, Administration, Risk & Supply Chain Oversight

• Empower and mentor the Accounting Manager to independently lead transactional accounting, general ledger maintenance, monthly/annual closes, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and tax filings.
• Coordinate external annual financial audit reviews, tax preparation, and banking compliance, ensuring adherence to GAAP and maintaining rigorous internal controls.
• Supervise the Purchasing Manager to optimize vendor terms, manage supply chain risk, control raw material costs, and streamline inventory levels.
• Direct enterprise risk management programs, evaluating financial, operational, cybersecurity, legal, commercial insurance (property, casualty, liability, D&O), and business continuity risks.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Proven strategic financial modeling, treasury, and capital allocation capability, with the agility to connect shop-floor metrics directly to enterprise balance-sheet outcomes.
• Forward-thinking technical orientation with genuine enthusiasm for modern data architectures, ERP optimization, business intelligence platforms, and practical AI/automation use cases.
• High emotional intelligence and collaborative servant-leadership style; proven ability to mentor and empower an established team.
• Strong commercial acumen and deep familiarity with industrial manufacturing cost accounting (standard vs. actual, job costing, WIP tracking, and inventory economics).
• Exceptional executive communication and storytelling skills—capable of engaging comfortably with shop technicians, banking partners, executive peers, and ownership alike.
• Absolute personal and professional integrity, discretion, and ethical leadership

Education and Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related business discipline required; Master of Business Administration (MBA) and/or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential strongly preferred.
• Experience Required: 7–10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, with at least 3–5 years in a CFO, VP of Finance, Director of Finance, or senior strategic financial management role within a precision manufacturing, industrial service, machining, or heavy repair environment.
• Knowledge Required: Mastery of GAAP, multi-scenario financial modeling, commercial credit and treasury management, manufacturing ERP systems, and M&A due diligence/integration. Familiarity with emerging AI productivity tools and enterprise business intelligence platforms is strongly desired.

Independent Action:

Duties are performed with executive latitude under the strategic guidance of the Chief Executive Officer. The CFO possesses substantial authority to define enterprise financial policies, lead banking and debt negotiations, execute treasury strategies, and direct administrative, purchasing, and IT functions. Major corporate policies, debt covenants, M&A transactions, and board governance items are coordinated directly in partnership with the CEO