CFO

Gradel Professional Search; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Gradel Professional Search seeks a Chief Financial Officer for a private equity-owned manufacturing client in Cleveland. You will lead finance and accounting, drive budgeting and forecasting, and collaborate with executive leadership and ownership to improve performance and prepare for a sale process.

The role requires strong accounting fundamentals, manufacturing cost insight, and a proven ability to transform financial processes. Epicor ERP experience and a lean finance mindset are preferred.

Qualifications

• CFO or senior finance leader with responsibility for both business performance and accounting execution.
• Strong accounting fundamentals and hands-on month-end close & financial reporting.
• Experience in manufacturing, including cost margins and profitability drivers.
• Proven ability to improve budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and financial processes.
• Confident to challenge leadership, drive accountability, and push action.
• Experience leading a lean finance team and collaborating with owners.
• Private equity, sale-process, or transaction diligence experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead all finance and accounting activities with the President, exec team, and PE ownership.
• Drive budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and forward-looking planning.
• Identify performance gaps and work with leaders to implement improvements.
• Oversee month-end close, reporting, and accounting accuracy.
• Consolidate fragmented data into consistent, reliable financial processes.
• Strengthen controls, reporting discipline, and Epicor ERP usage.
• Lead financial prep for the sale process with bankers and ownership.
• Develop the lean accounting team and plan additional support as needed.

Skills

CFO or senior finance leadership

Accounting fundamentals

Budgeting & forecasting

Leadership & accountability

Lean finance

Private equity / sale diligence

Tools

Epicor ERP

Job description

Our client is a private equity-owned manufacturing business seeking a Chief Financial Officer to drive financial and operating performance, strengthen accounting processes, and support an upcoming sale process.

Duties

• Lead all finance and accounting activities, partnering with the President, executive leadership, and private equity ownership.
• Drive budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and forward-looking business planning.
• Identify performance gaps, challenge operating assumptions, and work with leaders to execute measurable improvements.
• Oversee month-end close, financial reporting, and accounting accuracy, working through detailed accounting issues as needed.
• Consolidate spreadsheet-based reporting and disconnected data sources into consistent, reliable financial processes.
• Strengthen financial controls, reporting discipline, and the use of Epicor ERP.
• Lead financial preparation for the sale process, including data requests, diligence, and coordination with investment bankers and ownership.
• Assess and develop the lean accounting team, identifying additional controller or staff accounting support as needed.

Requirements

• CFO or senior finance leadership experience with responsibility for both business performance and accounting execution.
• Strong accounting fundamentals and hands-on experience managing month-end close and financial reporting.
• Experience in manufacturing, with an understanding of operating costs, margins, and profitability drivers.
• Proven ability to improve budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and financial processes.
• Confidence and credibility to challenge leadership, establish accountability, and drive action.
• Experience leading a lean finance team and working directly with executive leadership and owners.
• Private equity, sale-process, or transaction diligence experience preferred.
• Epicor ERP experience preferred.