Search Jobs

Location: Greater Philadelphia, PA (on-site) | Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, on-site | Compensation: $130,000 - $160,000 base

Overview

A private-equity-backed, 40-year-old custom seasoning and flavor manufacturer in the Greater Philadelphia area is building out its finance function following a recent ownership transition. The company's founding family is retiring, and new ownership is investing to professionalize operations. This is the first dedicated finance hire for a 40-person, single-site manufacturer, and the role offers a clear, stated path from Controller to CFO as the company scales under PE ownership.

What you'll do

• Stand up the finance function: close process, reporting cadence, KPIs, and cost accounting structure
• Drive financial planning by analyzing company performance and risks
• Own monthly close, weekly flash reports for ownership, and quarterly MD&A and board reporting packages
• Prepare quarterly covenant compliance reporting for a straightforward capital structure and term loan
• Lead the annual operating plan and budgets in partnership with department heads
• Oversee AR, AP, and payroll, with one bookkeeper/AP staff reporting to you; outsourced audit and tax firms already in place
• Oversee all audit and internal control operations and ensure adherence to financial laws and guidelines
• Participate in monthly supply/demand planning in conjunction with Sales
• Manage banking, treasury, and insurance relationships
• Coordinate federal, state, and local tax matters with outside counsel
• Conduct ad-hoc financial analysis to address areas of opportunity
• Own the financial systems, including the current Sage ERP platform (older supported version); lead any future system upgrade assessment
• Serve as internal point of contact for outsourced IT (Sage and a local provider), handling contract management, vendor decisions, and escalations (~20% of time)
• Provide process-level HR support for a low-turnover, 40-person organization, including benefits administration and compliance, partnering with outside resources as needed (~20% of time; not an HR leadership role)

Required qualifications

• B.S. degree in Accounting, Finance, or a similar discipline
• At least 10 years of relevant experience
• Cost accounting depth in a manufacturing environment, with hands-on plant-floor understanding of production variances, yields, and inventory (not just at the GL level)
• Experience closing books and owning the full monthly/quarterly reporting cycle
• In-depth knowledge of corporate finance and accounting principles, laws, and best practices
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, scenario modeling)
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to meet deadlines and deliver accurate results
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization
• Proven experience working in a small company environment
• Comfort with PE-level reporting discipline and pace (prior PE experience not required)
• Must be local to or within commuting distance of the Greater Philadelphia area; this is an on-site role with no relocation assistance

Preferred qualifications

• Accounting certification (CPA or CMA) preferred, not required
• Food & beverage manufacturing experience preferred within cost accounting background
• Sage ERP experience is a plus (older supported version currently in use)

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary: $130,000 - $160,000
• Annual bonus: 20% of base
• Stock option participation, with details discussed during the interview process
• Benefits: medical, dental, vision, PTO
• Schedule: Monday - Friday, on-site

Why this role

This is a high-visibility, high-autonomy position reporting directly to the CEO with no CFO layer above it, offering a stated path from Controller to CFO as the company grows under PE ownership, plus stock option participation and a stable, long-tenured workforce.