Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Our Client

Our client is a general contractor specializing in commercial, industrial, institutional, and high-end residential construction, as well as civil engineering projects. Whether for small or large-scale projects in the Eastern Townships or on Montreal's South Shore, the team will guide you through the completion of all your projects.

Job Description

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) oversees the financial health and management of the company through budget planning and review, accounting system control, investment management, and capital security to support the organization's growth. As a strategic advisor to the CEO, the CFO balances risks and opportunities while ensuring regulatory compliance and adherence to accounting standards. As a priority, he or she also oversees the development of his or her successor over a five-year horizon, as well as the development of talent within the finance team, and ensures the implementation of robust financial control mechanisms to guarantee the stability and sustainable growth of the organization. The candidate must have strong digital skills and be aligned with innovation. The candidate must be comfortable with digital processes and be able/willing to contribute to our digitalization. The candidate must be comfortable with digital processes and will be able/required to contribute to our digitization efforts. The candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing an ESOP: an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that will allow employees to acquire a stake in our client's capital in the form of shares.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic leadership

• Develop and implement the company's overall financial strategy in collaboration with the CEO and the Chief Financial Officer (who is the successor), by defining financial objectives and developing action plans to achieve them;
• Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO on optimizing the organization's financial management;
  Support management decisions with short-, medium-, and long-term financial projections based on rigorous analysis of trends, business scenarios, and strategic objectives;
• Lead and collaborate on the preparation of the annual budget, evaluate results against budget objectives, and recommend approaches to reduce variances in collaboration with the CEO and CFO;
• Formulate optimal financing strategies supported by in-depth financial analysis.

Financial Planning and Management

• Oversee the achievement of financial objectives, while ensuring they are consistent with the organization's needs and overall vision;
• Recommend working capital for the organization to ensure that the necessary resources are available to carry out day-to-day operations and strategic growth;
• Evaluate and recommend the most promising projects by analyzing their profitability and alignment with strategic objectives;
• Identify and evaluate investment opportunities or strategic partnerships, in collaboration with the Director of Finance;
• Define a responsible investment strategy in collaboration with the Vice President, Co-Development and Sustainable Strategy;
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships with strategic financial expertise;
• Collaborate in the preparation of financial statements for the organization's multiple companies, ensuring the accuracy and compliance of reports;
• Actively supervise cash flow and manage loans and financial instruments;
• Implement systems to ensure financial optimization across operations;
• Develop relationships with external auditors and financial partners to support the Director of Finance;
• Regularly assess construction market trends, both locally and internationally, and recommend innovative financial strategies to keep the organization ahead of the competition.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Design and implement financial hedging strategies to protect the organization against financial risks and market fluctuations;
• Lead regulatory compliance and our client's financial standards, ensuring that all operations comply with applicable legal, tax, and accounting standards;
• Collaborate in maintaining and establishing financial control mechanisms to detect and prevent fraud or irregularities.

Human Resources Management

• Support the performance of managers under your supervision by providing clear guidance on organizational expectations;
• Support development through performance evaluations and quality feedback;
• Build an external network of potential candidates and participate in recruiting for positions in your department;
• Foster a collaborative and performance-oriented work environment.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in accounting with CPA designation or in finance;
• Master's degree in finance and CFA designation, an asset;
• Fifteen (15) years of proven experience in a management role and previous experience as CFO or VP Finance reporting to a CEO.

Job Challenges

• Newly created position: implementation of financial management processes and best practices without a frame of reference;
• Quickly establish credibility with the executive team and internal clients by assimilating the corporate culture;
• Implement a tax vision across different departments: deal with some resistance to change.

Desired Behavioral Skills Profile

• Discernment
• Energy
• Commitment
• Decision-making
• Customer excellence
• Team player
• Collective intelligence
• Business acumen

Proposed Interview Process

1. First interview with the recruitment firm Glasford International Canada;
2. Second interview with the CEO and CFO;
3. Third interview with the controller and members of the finance team.

Following the third stage, the selected candidate will visit the head office and undergo a
psychometric assessment.