Chief Financial Officer - Restaurants QSR

Leap Brands; North Carolina; On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chief Financial Officer will oversee financial strategy, reporting, and operating performance across multiple restaurant brands within a private equity portfolio. The role acts as a strategic leader, guiding the CFOs of portfolio companies to ensure alignment with the fund's goals, investment strategies, and value creation plans.

Deep experience in multi-unit restaurant finance and M&A is essential. Ideal candidates will drive EBITDA growth, lead capital allocation, and build scalable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA and/or CPA strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a private equity-backed multi-unit restaurant or retail environment.
• Experience managing multiple CFOs across a diverse portfolio of restaurant or consumer-facing brands.
• Strong expertise in restaurant unit economics, franchising, and corporate finance.
• Deep knowledge of financial modeling, valuation, capital markets, and M&A execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute financial strategies that maximize performance of restaurant portfolio companies.
• Provide oversight and guidance to portfolio company CFOs, ensuring financial discipline and compliance with PE expectations.
• Lead capital allocation strategies across the restaurant portfolio, including investment prioritization and working capital management.
• Lead financial due diligence, modeling, and integration for restaurant acquisitions, divestitures, and roll-ups.
• Prepare and present financial reports, forecasts, and performance insights to PE partners, lenders, and investors.

Skills

Leadership

C-suite communication

Financial modeling

M&A execution

Strategic thinking

Private equity

Portfolio oversight

Franchising knowledge

Debt covenant monitoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting

MBA

CPA

Tools

ERP platforms

Business intelligence tools

Financial reporting systems

Job description

JobOverview:

TheChiefFinancialOfficer(CFO)atthefundlevelwilloverseefinancialstrategy,reporting,andoperationalperformanceacrossmultiplerestaurantbrandswithintheprivateequityportfolio.Thisindividualwillactasastrategicleader,managingandguidingtheCFOsofportfoliocompanieswhileensuringalignmentwiththefund’sfinancialgoals,investmentstrategies,andvaluecreationplans.

Theidealcandidatewillhavedeepexperienceinmulti-unitrestaurantfinance,M&A,financialrestructuring,anddrivingEBITDAgrowthinaprivateequity-backedenvironment.

KeyResponsibilities:

Fund-LevelFinancialLeadership

• Developandexecutefinancialstrategiesthatmaximizetheperformanceofrestaurantportfoliocompanieswhilealigningwiththefund’sinvestmentobjectives.
• ProvideoversightandguidancetoportfoliocompanyCFOs,ensuringfinancialdiscipline,operationalefficiency,andcompliancewithPEexpectations.
• Establishfinancialcontrols,reportingstructures,andforecastingmodelsacrossallportfoliocompanies.
• ServeastheprimaryfinancialliaisonbetweenthefundandrestaurantbrandCFOs,ensuringclearcommunicationoffinancialexpectationsandkeyperformancemetrics.

PortfolioCompanyOversight&ValueCreation

• PartnerwithportfoliocompanyCFOstooptimizefinancialperformance,improvemargins,andenhancecashflow.
• Monitorfinancialhealthacrossbrands,identifyingrisks,inefficiencies,andopportunitiesforrevenuegrowth.
• Leadcapitalallocationstrategiesacrosstherestaurantportfolio,includinginvestmentprioritization,refinancing,andworkingcapitalmanagement.
• SupportCFOsinimprovinguniteconomics,pricingstrategies,andcostcontrolstodriveprofitability.

M&A&GrowthStrategy

• Leadfinancialduediligence,modeling,andintegrationforrestaurantacquisitions,divestitures,androll-ups.
• Evaluateandexecutegrowthstrategies,includingnewstoredevelopment,franchiseexpansion,andstrategicexits.
• Developplaybooksforpost-mergerintegration,ensuringseamlessfinancialandoperationaltransitions.

Investor&LenderRelations

• Prepareandpresentfinancialreports,forecasts,andperformanceinsightstoprivateequitypartners,lenders,andinvestors.
• Supportfundraisingandcapitaldeploymentefforts,workingcloselywithinvestmentteamsonfinancingstructures.
• Overseedebtcompliance,covenantmonitoring,andcapitalstructureoptimization.

Operational&FinancialPerformanceMonitoring

• ImplementstandardKPIs,benchmarking,andreportingacrossportfoliocompaniestomeasurefinancialsuccess.
• Developandrefinebudgetingandforecastingprocessesatboththefundandportfoliocompanylevels.
• Ensurefinancialreportingconsistencyandaccuracy,drivingdata-drivendecision-makingacrosstheorganization.

Qualifications&Experience:

• Education:Bachelor’sdegreeinFinance,Accounting,orrelatedfield;MBAand/orCPAstronglypreferred.
• Experience:15+yearsofprogressivefinanceleadershipexperience,withatleast5yearsinaprivateequity-backedmulti-unitrestaurantorretailenvironment.
• ExperiencemanagingmultipleCFOsacrossadiverseportfolioofrestaurantorconsumer-facingbrands.
• Strongexpertiseinrestaurantuniteconomics,franchising,andcorporatefinance.
• Deepknowledgeoffinancialmodeling,valuation,capitalmarkets,andM&Aexecution.

Skills:

• Provenabilitytodrivefinancialandoperationalimprovementsacrossmultiplebusinessunits.
• Strongleadershipandcommunicationskills,withtheabilitytoinfluenceC-suiteexecutivesandinvestors.
• Advancedfinancialplanning,reporting,andanalyticalcapabilities.
• Experiencewithfinancialreportingsystems,ERPplatforms,andbusinessintelligencetools.

PreferredTraits:

• Strategicthinkerwiththeabilitytobalancefinancialdisciplinewithgrowthinitiatives.
• Strongunderstandingofprivateequityvaluecreationstrategiesandexitplanning.
• Abilitytothriveinafast-paced,high-growth,anddynamicenvironment.