Chief Financial Officer

Overview

This is a long-established, global manufacturing company with operations across the U.S. and EMEA. The organization serves a diverse customer base in over 120 countries and operates in multiple manufacturing facilities. This is a publicly traded company and is executing an ambitious value‑creation plan focused on operational excellence, innovation, and both organic and inorganic growth.

About the Role

The company is seeking a strategic, forward‑looking Chief Financial Officer who can partner closely with the CEO and executive team. The ideal leader will help elevate the organization’s financial capabilities, strengthen systems and reporting, and drive a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead all corporate finance functions
• Build and develop a high‑performing global finance team and enhance financial systems, reporting tools, dashboards, and analytics.
• Drive a forecast‑based management culture and support major capital investments, restructuring initiatives, and strategic decision‑making.
• Partner cross‑functionally to improve operational performance, margin enhancement, and profitability.
• Support M&A strategy, including evaluation, modeling, and integration.
• Serve as a key advisor to the CEO and Board, ensuring strong governance, transparency, and disciplined execution.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of finance leadership, including at least 5 years as CFO of a mid‑sized or larger manufacturing‑focused business (CPG, packaging, chemicals, food & beverage, or diversified industrial preferred). A Divisional CFO or a Regional CFO could be acceptable.
• Must have worked in manufacturing companies larger than $400M in revenue.
• Deep experience in FP&A and financial systems.
• Proven ability to lead organizational change, upgrade teams, and implement scalable processes.

Required Skills

• Highly strategic, proactive, and commercially minded /strong operational orientation, ideally from protein, food manufacturing, or food packaging, or other CPG manufacturing.
• Hands‑on, collaborative, and able to build strong relationships across all levels.
• Data‑driven, detail‑oriented, and comfortable challenging assumptions.
• A strong communicator with high integrity, energy, and a “roll‑up‑your‑sleeves” approach.
• Deep understanding of cost accounting, yield, scrap, absorption, and margin drivers.
• Comfort in 24/7, custom manufacturing environments rather than widget-based production.
• International experience is critical (approximately 70% of the business is outside the U.S.)
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and global teams.
• Willingness to be based in Chicago and travel internationally ~10–20%.

This CFO:

• Acts as the CEO's right hand and second set of eyes across the business
• Flags issues proactively and helps prioritize what truly matters
• Operates deeply in the weeds of the business, especially around operations
• Spends meaningful time with plants and general managers
• Helps restore operational focus, discipline, and execution

Leadership style and fit

The CEO is very hands-on and expects the CFO to be the same. He wants someone who will act independently, make decisions, and push back respectfully. Decisiveness and confidence are non‑negotiable — past failure in the role was due to passivity. This is not a role for someone who needs perfect data or a heavy structure to move.

Business context

The company is ~ $500M+ global manufacturing business. The CFO will play a central role in putting KPIs, measurement systems, and operational rigor in place to sustain improvement. The CFO must be credible with lenders (even though the CAO manages day-to-day bank relationships). Bottom line: this is a high‑impact, high‑expectation CFO role for someone who enjoys operating at the intersection of finance, manufacturing, and leadership — and who wants a real seat at the table.

Resumes should be sent to  or apply through the posting