Chief Financial Officer

QLM Search; Illinois; On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

QLM Search is partnering with a high-growth food business in the United States seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead the finance function during a pivotal growth phase.

Reporting to the CEO and Board, the CFO will shape the strategic direction, build scalable financial systems, and partner across manufacturing, supply chain and commercial teams to improve profitability and shareholder value.

Qualifications

• CFO or senior finance leadership experience in Food/FMCG/Consumer.
• Experience in growth-oriented, entrepreneurial environments.
• Proven track record partnering CEO and Board on strategy.
• Strong commercial skills; improving margin, pricing, and performance.
• Experience with M&A, integrations, disposals, or corporate development.
• Experience building finance teams, systems and processes for growth.
• Understanding of manufacturing and supply chain economics.
• Ability to move between strategy and hands-on execution.
• GM mindset with ambition to influence broader business direction.

Responsibilities

• Partner the CEO and Board to develop and execute the strategic growth plan.
• Build financial infrastructure, processes, and capabilities to scale the business.
• Provide commercial insight to improve revenue, margin, and profitability.
• Lead initiatives across pricing, gross margin, RGM and cost optimization.
• Evaluate organic and inorganic growth opportunities, including M&A.
• Lead financial planning, forecasting, cash management, and reporting.
• Develop a high-performing finance function to support growth.
• Work with commercial, manufacturing, and supply chain leadership to drive performance.
• Support Board and shareholders on strategic investments and value creation.

Skills

CFO experience

Finance leadership

Strategic partnering

Revenue growth

M&A exposure

Business transformation

Manufacturing & supply chain

Job description

Chief Financial Officer | High-Growth Food Business | c.$100m Revenue

QLM Search is partnering with an ambitious c.$100m revenue food business to appoint a Chief Financial Officer as the company enters an exciting phase of significant growth and development.

Working closely with the CEO, Board and leadership team, the CFO will play a central role in shaping the strategic direction of the business and building the financial and commercial capability required to support its growth ambitions.

This is a broad leadership position requiring a CFO who can operate strategically while remaining close to the commercial and operational drivers of the business.

Key areas of responsibility will include:

• Partnering the CEO and Board to develop and execute the strategic growth plan
• Building the financial infrastructure, processes and capabilities required to support a business of increasing scale and complexity
• Providing commercial insight to improve revenue, margin and profitability
• Leading initiatives across pricing, gross margin, RGM and cost optimisation
• Evaluating organic and inorganic growth opportunities, including M&A and strategic investment
• Leading financial planning, forecasting, cash management and performance reporting
• Developing a high-performing finance function capable of supporting the next stage of growth
• Working closely with commercial, manufacturing and supply chain leadership to drive improved business performance
• Supporting the Board and shareholders on strategic initiatives, investment decisions and future value-creation opportunities

Key Requirements

• CFO or senior finance leadership experience within Food, FMCG, Consumer or a related sector
• Experience operating within a growth-oriented, entrepreneurial or evolving business
• A track record of partnering a CEO and Board on strategy and business transformation
• Strong commercial experience, with evidence of improving margin, pricing and overall business performance
• Exposure to M&A, integrations, disposals, carve-outs or corporate development
• Experience building finance teams, systems and processes to support growth
• Strong understanding of manufacturing and supply chain economics
• The ability to move comfortably between strategy and hands-on execution
• A genuine GM mindset, with the ambition and capability to influence the broader direction of the business