Director of Finance and Accounting

Sharpe Engineering•Madison, WI

16h

About The Position

The Director of Finance and Accounting leads Sharpe Engineering & Equipment’s financial and risk management functions, oversees the accounting team, and is accountable for the company’s financial health. The role owns accounting, project-based revenue recognition, financial reporting, cash flow, banking relationships, business insurance, and risk management. It combines strategic leadership with hands-on financial work in a growing, project-based business. Reporting to the President, this executive leadership team member partners on the company’s growth plans and acquisition strategy. The role interfaces with the Board Chair monthly and the Board of Directors quarterly, contributes financial input to the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process, and owns finance policies and procedures within the Business Operation System (BOS). It works closely with Human Resources, the PMO, Engineering, F&I, Controls leaders, the VP of Sales & Marketing, and the Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
10 or more years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including at least 5 years in senior finance leadership.
Finance leadership experience in a project-based business such as engineering, construction, or capital equipment.
Hands-on ASC 606 project revenue recognition experience, including percentage-of-completion, WIP, and job costing.
Experience managing banking relationships, debt covenants, audits, insurance, and Board reporting.
Hands-on acquisition experience, including valuation, due diligence, deal financing, and post-close integration.
Strong business acumen and ability to translate financial results into clear actions for non-financial leaders.
Proficiency with ERP and accounting systems, advanced Excel, and financial modeling.
High integrity, sound judgment, and discretion with confidential information.
Excellent communication skills, including communication with executive teams and Boards of Directors.
Hands-on, collaborative leadership and ability to work across the PMO, Engineering, F&I, and commercial teams.

Nice To Haves

CPA and/or MBA.

Responsibilities

Plan, implement, manage, and control the company’s financial activities, and lead and develop the accounting team.
Prepare monthly financial statements and analyses and present results at monthly management reviews.
Prepare and present quarterly results and outlook to the Board of Directors and support the Board Chair monthly.
Lead the annual budget and rolling forecast process and report performance against plan.
Partner with the President and Board to shape and execute the acquisition strategy; screen targets and prepare financial models, valuations, and deal-return analyses.
Lead financial, tax, and quality-of-earnings due diligence with outside advisors.
Lead post-acquisition financial integration, align accounting, reporting, controls, and BOS financial procedures with company standards, and track results against deal models.
Establish project budgets at contract award and review actuals against budget monthly with each Project Manager.
Own ASC 606 project-based revenue recognition, including percentage-of-completion accounting, monthly estimate-to-complete reviews, WIP schedules, and over- or under-billings.
Report project gross margin against estimates and escalate variances exceeding defined thresholds.
Ensure invoicing follows contract milestone schedules, change orders are billed promptly, and final invoices are issued only with client acceptance documentation.
Partner with the Director of Strategic Partnerships and commercial team on pricing, margin targets, payment terms, and contract financial risk.
Own cash flow forecasting, including weekly forecasts tied to project billing milestones and vendor payment schedules.
Drive collections and manage accounts receivable and accounts payable to optimize net working capital.
Maintain banking relationships; monitor cash, debt, banking requirements, and financial covenants; and manage capital requests.
Establish and maintain internal accounting controls and safeguards.
Maintain GAAP-compliant records and comply with local, state, and federal reporting and tax requirements.
Maintain relationships with external auditors and tax advisors and resolve their findings and recommendations.
Approve and lead improvements to accounting, ERP, and management information systems.
Own the company’s weekly Scorecard and the financial KPIs reviewed at monthly management reviews.
Provide financial input to the S&OP process, connecting backlog, capacity, and cash.
Own finance-related BOS SOPs, Work Instructions, forms, and templates, including accounting, invoicing, collections, and audit procedures.
Train project managers and staff on financial procedures, including project budgeting and change-order billing, and address gaps through corrective action.
Own business insurance, including broker and carrier relationships, renewals, and claims, matched to project and field risks.
Identify and mitigate business risks and review contract insurance, bonding, liability, and indemnity terms.
Work with Human Resources on employee benefit plans and HR compliance, payroll accounting, benefit costs, and labor-cost reporting.