Chief Financial Officer

Morgan Li LLC•Chicago Heights, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key member of Morgan Li’s executive leadership team and is responsible for leading the company’s financial strategy, planning, reporting, controls, and overall financial health. The CFO will provide strategic financial leadership while partnering closely with the CEO and operational leaders to support profitable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term business success. As a custom furniture manufacturer, Morgan Li operates in a dynamic environment where project costing, material costs, labor efficiency, production capacity, inventory management, customer profitability, and cash flow are critical to financial performance. The CFO will oversee these areas while ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting and maintaining strong financial controls. The CFO will serve as a strategic business partner to leadership and will translate financial data into actionable insights that support informed decision-making. This position will oversee accounting, financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, cash management, financial planning and analysis, cost accounting, internal controls, banking relationships, insurance, and other financial functions. The ideal candidate will have strong manufacturing finance experience, excellent business judgment, a hands-on leadership approach, and the ability to work collaboratively across Finance, Operations, Sales, Purchasing, Engineering, Quality, and other departments.

Requirements

Ability to analyze complex financial and operational information and translate data into clear business recommendations.
Ability to identify trends, risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities and develop appropriate action plans.
Strong strategic thinking and business judgment with the ability to balance short-term financial needs with long-term business objectives.
Ability to develop financial models, forecasts, budgets, and scenario analyses.
Ability to understand and analyze manufacturing costs, labor productivity, material usage, overhead, inventory, and project profitability.
Ability to evaluate financial and operational risks and implement appropriate controls and mitigation strategies.
Ability to solve complex problems independently and make sound decisions using financial and business data.
Ability to prioritize competing responsibilities and meet critical deadlines.
Ability to communicate financial information effectively to both financial and non-financial audiences.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive information.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Ability to communicate complex financial concepts clearly and effectively to executives, managers, and employees who may not have a financial background.
Ability to prepare and present financial reports, business analyses, budgets, forecasts, and executive-level presentations.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
Ability to communicate professionally with customers, vendors, lenders, auditors, accountants, attorneys, and other external business partners.
Ability to lead difficult financial discussions and provide objective, fact-based recommendations.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field required.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive financial and accounting leadership experience, with significant experience in a manufacturing environment.
Previous CFO, VP of Finance, Controller, or equivalent senior financial leadership experience required.
Demonstrated experience managing budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, financial reporting, internal controls, and financial planning.
Experience working with ERP systems and financial reporting technologies required.

Nice To Haves

Spanish language skills are a plus but not required.
MBA, CPA, CMA, or other advanced financial designation preferred.
Strong experience with manufacturing accounting, cost accounting, inventory, job/project costing, and financial analysis preferred.
experience with Epicor or similar manufacturing ERP systems preferred.
Experience leading and developing Finance and Accounting teams.
Experience partnering with executive leadership and operational teams to improve profitability and business performance.
Strong understanding of GAAP, financial controls, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and financial reporting.
Experience in a privately held manufacturing company is preferred.
Experience with custom manufacturing, project-based manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, architectural products, contract manufacturing, or a similar industry is highly preferred.
CPA designation preferred but not required.
CMA, MBA, or other relevant professional certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the company’s overall financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals and long-term business objectives.
Serve as a strategic financial advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team.
Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and long-range planning processes.
Prepare and present accurate, timely, and meaningful financial reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators to executive leadership and ownership.
Oversee accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, fixed assets, inventory accounting, and month-end/year-end close processes.
Ensure accurate and timely preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
Establish, maintain, and continuously improve effective financial controls, policies, and procedures.
Oversee cash flow management, working capital, liquidity, banking relationships, and short- and long-term cash planning.
Monitor and manage accounts receivable, accounts payable, customer collections, vendor payment strategies, and working capital.
Provide financial oversight of manufacturing operations, including product costing, labor costs, material costs, overhead allocation, inventory valuation, production variances, and manufacturing efficiency.
Partner with Operations and Manufacturing leadership to analyze production costs, labor utilization, scrap, waste, overtime, purchasing costs, and production variances.
Evaluate customer, project, and product profitability and provide recommendations to improve margins.
Develop and monitor financial and operational KPIs, including gross margin, EBITDA, labor efficiency, inventory turns, working capital, cash conversion, overhead, and profitability.
Partner with Sales and Operations to evaluate pricing, quoting, customer profitability, project margins, and major customer opportunities.
Review and analyze capital expenditures and provide financial recommendations regarding equipment, technology, facility improvements, and other investments.
Lead financial analysis related to business growth opportunities, capital investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and other major business decisions as appropriate.
Oversee tax planning and compliance and coordinate with external accounting and tax professionals.
Manage relationships with banks, financial institutions, insurance providers, auditors, tax advisors, and other financial partners.
Coordinate and oversee annual financial audits, tax filings, and other required financial reporting.
Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, tax requirements, financial regulations, and company policies.
Develop and maintain financial policies and procedures that promote accountability, accuracy, efficiency, and appropriate internal controls.
Identify financial risks and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.
Provide financial modeling and scenario analysis to support strategic planning and decision-making.
Monitor financial performance against budget and forecast and identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
Establish clear financial accountability throughout the organization and educate department leaders on financial performance and business drivers.
Lead, mentor, develop, and evaluate Finance and Accounting team members.
Ensure Finance and Accounting systems, processes, and technology support the company’s operational and strategic needs.
Partner with IT and operational leaders to improve the accuracy, integration, and accessibility of financial and business data.
Support the development of compensation, incentive, bonus, and profit-sharing programs from a financial perspective.
Maintain confidentiality of sensitive financial, employee, customer, vendor, and company information.
Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the CEO.

Benefits

Competitive rates
Comprehensive benefits package.
Medical, Dental and Vision benefits effective the 1st of the month following hire date
10 paid Holidays
Paid PTO, based on years of service
401k Safe Harbor Plan
Health Savings Account
Company Paid Life insurance plan for $40K
Company Paid Short Term Disability insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Employee Discount Program through Life Mart