Vice President, Finance

The Company is a private equity-backed specialty chemicals manufacturer with approximately $300MM in revenue and a strong position in attractive industrial end markets. The business is known for technical expertise, product consistency, long-standing customer relationships, and reliable supply. With a strong foundation in place, the Company is focused on scaling profitably through operational excellence, margin improvement, stronger financial visibility, and selective acquisition opportunities.

The Vice President of Finance will serve as a strategic business partner to the CEO and executive leadership team while overseeing all core finance functions across the organization. This individual will help drive financial rigor, operational insight, and performance management across a complex, multi-site manufacturing platform.

The role requires a finance leader who can operate strategically while remaining hands-on and execution-oriented. The successful candidate must be comfortable working across operations, supply chain, manufacturing, and commercial teams to improve visibility, accountability, and decision-making.

Early Critical Areas of Focus

• Partner with the CEO and Sponsor on financial strategy, performance improvement initiatives, and enterprise value creation

• Enhance financial reporting, forecasting, and KPI visibility across multiple manufacturing sites and business units

• Improve cost accounting rigor and margin visibility across products and operations

• Develop stronger planning and analytical capabilities to support commercial and operational decision-making

• Build stronger linkage between finance, manufacturing, supply chain, and sales functions

• Support acquisition integration efforts and future M&A initiatives

• Continue developing scalable systems, processes, and reporting infrastructure capable of supporting continued growth

• Build and develop a high-performing finance and accounting organization

Specifically, the candidate will:

• Lead all FP&A, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis activities

• Partner closely with manufacturing and supply chain leadership to improve operational performance visibility

• Improve cost accounting methodologies, inventory reporting, and profitability analysis

• Develop executive dashboards, KPIs, and reporting packages for leadership and Sponsor review

• Drive forecasting discipline and long-range planning processes

• Support pricing strategy, capital allocation, and operational investment decisions

• Lead financial support for acquisition diligence and integration activities

• Evaluate and enhance ERP, reporting, and analytical infrastructure as needed

• Build strong relationships across operations, commercial, and functional leadership teams

Metrics of Success

• EBITDA growth and margin expansion

• Forecast accuracy and reporting quality

• Improved operational and financial visibility

• Working capital and inventory management performance

• Successful integration of acquisitions and operational initiatives

• Finance team development and organizational scalability

The Company has built a strong platform with attractive market positioning, differentiated technical capabilities, and a diversified customer base. As the business continues to scale, there is meaningful opportunity to enhance financial planning, operational reporting, margin visibility, and overall business performance across the organization.

The VP Finance will step into a highly visible role at an important inflection point for the Company. The business is increasingly sophisticated in scale and complexity, and leadership is seeking a finance executive who can help drive greater alignment between finance, operations, supply chain, and commercial teams.

This is not a maintenance finance role.

The successful candidate will help build a more forward-looking, analytics-driven finance organization capable of supporting continued organic growth, operational improvement initiatives, and future acquisitions. The role offers substantial exposure to executive leadership and the private equity Sponsor, along with the opportunity to directly influence enterprise value creation.

Company at a Glance

• Approximately $300MM revenue specialty chemicals platform

• Diverse customer base across industrial and commercial end markets

• Multi-site manufacturing and distribution footprint

• Strong recurring demand profile and long-standing customer relationships

• Backed by an experienced private equity Sponsor

Compelling Differentiators

• Technical product expertise and formulation capabilities

• High customer retention and embedded customer relationships

• Diversified end-market exposure

• Attractive margin profile with opportunities for continued expansion

• Scalable operational platform with acquisition integration capabilities

Numerous Drivers of Growth

• Expansion into adjacent markets and applications

• Cross-selling opportunities across product portfolio

• Operational improvement and pricing optimization initiatives

• Strategic tuck-in acquisitions

• Increased sophistication in forecasting, planning, and commercial analytics

Strong Value Proposition

• Products integrated into mission-critical customer applications

• Strong technical service and customer responsiveness

• Reliable manufacturing and supply chain capabilities

• Long-standing reputation for quality and consistency

Attractive Financial Profile

• Strong historical growth and profitability

• Recurring customer demand characteristics

• Opportunities for continued EBITDA expansion through operational initiatives

• Multiple avenues for both organic and inorganic growth

All candidates must demonstrate exceptional leadership, analytical capability, operational finance expertise, and business partnership skills.

Education / Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required

• MBA, CPA, or equivalent advanced credential preferred

• 10–15+ years of progressive finance experience

• Experience within specialty chemicals, industrial manufacturing, or process manufacturing environments strongly preferred

• Prior private equity portfolio company experience preferred

Role-Specific Requirements

• Strong operational finance background within manufacturing environments

• Deep understanding of cost accounting, inventory, and plant operations

• Proven experience supporting multi-site operations and complex product portfolios

• Strong FP&A, forecasting, and business analytics capabilities

• Experience building reporting infrastructure and KPI visibility across organizations

• Ability to partner effectively with commercial, manufacturing, and supply chain leaders

• Experience supporting growth initiatives and acquisition integration activities preferred

• Strong systems and ERP experience

Leadership Requirements

• Hands-on, high-accountability leader with strong business partnership orientation

• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments

• Strong executive presence and communication skills

• Builder of high-performing teams and scalable processes

• Strong commercial mindset combined with operational discipline

• Comfortable interacting with executive leadership, lenders, and private equity Sponsors

General Requirements

• Highly analytical and data-driven

• Strong organizational and project management skills

• Technically strong while remaining commercially minded

• High integrity and accountability

• Ability to influence across all levels of the organization

• Comfortable operating in a performance-oriented, PE-backed environment

Relocation assistance will be provided for candidates outside the region.

Compensation will be market-based and competitive and will include base salary, annual performance-based incentive compensation, and equity participation.

• Base Salary: $240,000 – $300,000

• Target Bonus: 35–50%

• Equity Participation: Eligible

Total compensation will be commensurate with experience, technical capability, and demonstrated success operating within complex, growth-oriented environments.