CFO

Sparrow Company•Encino, CA

About The Position

The CFO will serve as the CEO’s primary financial partner, providing strategic financial guidance, scenario analysis, and recommendations that shape company direction, resource allocation, and executive decision-making. This role leads the development of the annual operating plan and long-term financial strategy, ensuring financial targets are measurable, tracked, and aligned to the growth objectives across hardware, service, and EaaS revenue streams. The CFO will identify and drive performance improvement opportunities in operating performance, asset utilization, and cost structure, and participate in business process reengineering initiatives across the organization. Additionally, this role oversees the company's information technology activities to ensure financial data is effectively gathered, analyzed, maintained, and reported with integrity. The CFO is responsible for all SEC reporting obligations, including 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and proxy, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant disclosure in accordance with applicable regulations and GAAP. This includes establishing and maintaining robust internal controls and financial systems, managing the annual audit process and relationships with external auditors, and interpreting and communicating financial management reports. The role also involves developing and managing capital structure strategy, building relationships with the investment community, leading investor relations strategy, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, managing the financial architecture of the Service portfolio, and providing financial oversight of international operations. Finally, the CFO will organize, lead, and develop the finance, accounting, and credit organization, fostering a culture of high integrity, accountability, urgency, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field required
CPA strongly preferred
MBA or advanced degree a plus
Minimum 15 years of progressive financial management experience with demonstrated growth in responsibility
Prior experience as CFO or equivalent senior financial executive required
Proven track record in a publicly traded company with direct ownership of SEC reporting and investor relations.
Experience in a manufacturing, industrial technology, or clean energy company is strongly preferred
Familiarity with complex, multi-model revenue businesses (EaaS, service contracts, hardware) is a significant advantage.
International financial management experience, including foreign operations, multi-currency accounting, and global distributor or partner economics.
Deep knowledge of SEC financial reporting requirements, GAAP, and financial compliance standards applicable to a publicly traded company.
Strong expertise in financial forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and long-range planning in a complex, multi-revenue-stream business.
Demonstrated experience working with investors, investment bankers, and capital markets; ability to lead fundraising and financing activities.
Executive presence and communication skills: able to present financial performance, strategy, and outlook with authority and clarity to the Board of Directors, institutional investors, financial analysts, and the CEO.
Ability to interpret and translate complex financial data into clear, actionable narratives for executive, Board, and investor audiences.
Strong understanding of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, income tax, treasury, and banking operations.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic, entrepreneurial environment, balancing strategic and tactical demands, acting with a sense of urgency, and willingness to roll up one’s sleeves.
High integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to build alliances and credibility across the organization and with external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing the financial complexity of Energy as a Service, Power Purchase Agreements, or comparable recurring revenue models with long-term performance obligations.
Familiarity with ERP implementation or financial systems transformation; experience with Epicor or comparable platforms is a plus.
Prior experience in a company navigating significant operational or financial transformation, including restructuring, rebranding, or growth-phase scaling.
Network within the clean energy, distributed power, or industrial technology investor and banking community.

Responsibilities

Serve as the CEO’s primary financial partner, providing strategic financial guidance, scenario analysis, and recommendations that shape company direction, resource allocation, and executive decision-making.
Lead the development of the annual operating plan and long-term financial strategy, ensuring financial targets are measurable, tracked, and aligned to the growth objectives across hardware, service, and EaaS revenue streams.
Identify and drive performance improvement opportunities in operating performance, asset utilization, and cost structure; participate in business process reengineering initiatives across the organization.
Oversee company's information technology activities to ensure financial data is effectively gathered, analyzed, maintained, and reported with integrity.
Oversee all SEC reporting obligations, 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and proxy, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant disclosure in accordance with applicable regulations and GAAP.
Establish and maintain robust internal controls and financial systems that verify the integrity of all financial processes and data; ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.
Manage the annual audit process and ongoing relationships with external auditors; ensure clean audit outcomes and resolution of any findings.
Interpret and communicate financial management reports, including monthly financials, annual budgets, and variance analyses, to top management, identifying issues and recommending strategic responses.
Develop and manage capital structure strategy; identify and execute financing opportunities including debt, equity, and alternative structures that support the company’s growth and operational needs.
Build and maintain strong relationships with investment bankers, institutional investors, financial analysts, and lending institutions to support financial strategy and market credibility.
Serve as a primary external spokesperson for financial performance and strategic direction, presenting to the Board of Directors, institutional investors, and analysts with clarity, credibility, and executive presence.
Lead investor relations strategy; ensure the investment community has an accurate, well-supported understanding of value proposition, financial position, and growth trajectory.
Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis across all business units, ensuring accurate and timely financial facts and data that support operational decisions.
Manage the financial architecture of Service portfolio, including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), Energy Service Agreements (ESAs), build-own-transfer models, Long Term Service Agreements (LTSAs), and rental structures, ensuring appropriate revenue recognition, risk management, and margin visibility.
Provide financial oversight of international operations across global distributor network spanning 89 countries; manage foreign exchange exposure, intercompany accounting, and international tax considerations.
Ensure strong financial controls are in place, particularly in areas responsible for significant cash, and that working capital is actively managed to support operational continuity.
Organize, lead, and develop the finance, accounting, and credit organization, setting clear expectations, building individual capability, and driving the team to meet and exceed functional objectives.
Foster a finance culture of high integrity, accountability, urgency, and continuous improvement; ensure the finance function is viewed as a strategic enabler across the business, not a back-office compliance function.
Build alliances within the organization; ensure an effective exchange of information and financial insights across all departments and functions.