Chief Financial Officer

Conexus; Santa Maria (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Conexus, a private equity-backed environmental and construction services platform, seeks a CFO in Santa Maria to lead accounting and finance across multiple locations. The role focuses on strategic financial leadership, capital allocation, and driving performance through robust reporting and integration of acquisitions.

You will partner with the CEO and PE sponsors to improve profitability, optimize cash flow, and support growth initiatives while building scalable finance processes and a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA and/or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience, ideally CFO-level.
• Experience in private equity-backed, lower middle-market businesses with acquisition-driven growth.
• Strong industry background in capital-intensive, asset-heavy environments like environmental or construction services.
• Proven experience supporting acquisitions, due diligence, integration, and multi-entity operations.
• Technical accounting leadership for reporting, internal controls, and consolidated statements.
• Hands-on FP&A, capital budgeting, working capital management, and cash flow forecasting.
• Experience managing lender relationships, debt covenants, and asset-backed financing.

Responsibilities

• Lead accounting and finance organization, including reporting, close, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and controls.
• Partner with CEO and PE sponsors to drive growth, profitability, and operational efficiency.
• Support acquisition activity, due diligence, modeling, and post-acquisition integration.
• Develop financial reporting packages, KPIs, and dashboards across locations.
• Collaborate with operations on pricing, customer profitability, cost structures, and margins.
• Oversee capex planning, ROI analysis for equipment, fleet, facilities, and expansion.
• Manage liquidity, 13-week cash forecasting, and working capital optimization.
• Strengthen banking relationships and manage debt facilities and covenants.
• Improve accounting infrastructure, ERP modernization, and automated reporting.
• Monitor regulatory, environmental, and safety compliance in financial planning.
• Build and mentor a high-performing finance team with scalable processes.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance

CPA preferred

MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

QuickBooks Online

Job description

COMPENSATION: $200K-$230K base + bonus + equity

LOCATION: Central Coast - Santa Maria

Company:

A private equity-backed environmental and construction services platform is seeking a CFO to support its next phase of growth. The organization operates in a capital-intensive, operationally complex environment and is pursuing an acquisition-driven growth strategy focused on expanding its geographic footprint, improving operational performance, and building long-term enterprise value.

Purpose Of Your Position:

Reporting directly to the CEO, the CFO will oversee all accounting and finance functions while serving as a strategic partner to executive leadership and private equity ownership. This individual will drive financial performance, strengthen reporting and operational visibility, optimize cash flow and capital allocation, and support acquisitions and integration efforts. The role requires a hands-on financial leader capable of balancing day-to-day execution with strategic initiatives across a growing, multi-location business.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the accounting and finance organization, overseeing financial reporting, monthly close, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, cash management, and internal controls.
• Partner with the CEO and private equity sponsors to execute strategic growth initiatives, improve profitability, expand margins, and drive operational efficiencies.
• Support acquisition activity, including financial due diligence, transaction modeling, valuation analysis, and post-acquisition integration of new operating businesses.
• Develop comprehensive financial reporting packages, operational KPIs, and dashboards to provide visibility into business performance across multiple locations.
• Partner with operational leadership to evaluate pricing strategies, customer profitability, cost structures, equipment utilization, and opportunities to improve margins.
• Oversee capital expenditure planning and investment analysis, including ROI evaluations for equipment, fleet, facilities, automation, and business expansion initiatives.
• Manage liquidity and working capital through cash flow forecasting, including a rolling 13-week cash forecast, while optimizing receivables, payables, and other operating assets.
• Manage banking and lender relationships, credit facilities, equipment financing, debt covenant compliance, and other capital structure requirements.
• Strengthen accounting infrastructure, financial controls, and consolidated reporting processes to support a growing multi-entity organization.
• Lead financial systems improvements, including ERP modernization, reporting automation, and integration of operational data into financial reporting platforms.
• Partner with operations to monitor financial exposure related to regulatory compliance, environmental requirements, and workplace safety.
• Maintain institutional-quality financial reporting and documentation to support future financing transactions, Quality of Earnings reviews, and potential exit opportunities.
• Build and develop a high-performing finance team while establishing scalable processes and accountability across the organization.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA and/or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience, ideally including CFO, VP Finance, or senior financial leadership responsibilities.
• Experience within private equity-backed, lower middle-market businesses, preferably in leveraged or acquisition-driven environments.
• Strong industry background in environmental services, construction services, industrial services, logistics, field services, or other capital-intensive, asset-heavy businesses.
• Proven experience supporting acquisitions, financial due diligence, integration activities, and multi-entity operations.
• Strong technical accounting foundation with experience overseeing financial reporting, consolidated financial statements, internal controls, and accounting operations.
• Demonstrated expertise in operational FP&A, capital budgeting, equipment financing, working capital management, and cash flow forecasting.
• Experience managing lender relationships, debt covenant reporting, credit facilities, and asset-backed financing arrangements.
• Strong understanding of operational KPIs, pricing analytics, cost management, and profitability improvement across multiple business locations.
• Experience improving financial systems, implementing ERP solutions, and developing scalable reporting infrastructure. QuickBooks Online experience preferred.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate effectively in entrepreneurial, fast-paced environments while partnering with operational teams and executive leadership.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with private equity sponsors, board members, lenders, and business leaders.