Overview:A Northern California-based meteorological consulting and environmental monitoring firm serving weather-sensitive industries, primarily agriculture, public utilities, and municipal governments is looking for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join their executive team. The CFO serves as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive leadership team, providing financial leadership to support the company's continued growth and long-term success. The CFO is responsible for financial strategy, capital planning, operational finance, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, and organizational leadership. This role ensures the financial health of the organization through effective planning, reporting, compliance, and capital deployment while building the infrastructure necessary to support rapid growth and scalability.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Financial Strategy & Leadership- Partner with the CEO and executive team to define and execute the company's long-term financial strategy in support of rapid company growth.
- Develop and maintain multi-year financial models, forecasts, and scenario analyses to guide strategic decision-making.
- Deliver regular financial performance reporting to executive leadership and the Board, including variance analysis and forward-looking outlooks.
- Establish financial KPIs and dashboards that provide real-time day-to-day visibility into business performance.
Capital & Funding Strategy- Identify, evaluate, and secure alternative and supplemental capital sources (e.g., venture debt, growth equity, strategic credit facilities) to fuel the company's rapid expansion.
- Manage banking and investor relationships, ensuring the company maintains favorable credit standing and access to liquidity.
- Structure and oversee an equipment leasing program, including vendor financing relationships, lease accounting compliance, and total cost-of-ownership analysis.
- Advise on optimal capital structure and debt/equity trade-offs as the business scales.
Large Contract & Revenue Management- Lead financial oversight of high-value prepaid contracts, including those exceeding $15 million, ensuring appropriate revenue recognition (ASC 606), cash flow planning, and risk management.
- Develop cash management strategies to optimize the deployment of large prepaid contract proceeds across operations, investments, and growth initiatives.
- Collaborate with Sales and Operations on contract financial terms, pricing models, and profitability analysis for major customer engagements.
- Own and evolve the company's pricing strategy and frameworks, including margin analysis, competitive positioning, and profitability modeling across product lines, service tiers, and customer segments.
- Partner with Sales leadership to develop pricing structures for multi-year, large-value, and government or utility contracts that balance competitiveness with financial sustainability.
- Own deferred revenue accounting and the recognition mechanics tied to multi-year and prepaid subscription contracts; reconciling booked ARR to recognized GAAP revenue.
- Partner with the Director of Client Solutions on the financial mechanics of renewals, expansion, and net revenue retention, ensuring contract structures protect margin and cash flow over the client lifetime.
Mergers & Acquisitions- Facilitate the M&A processes including financial due diligence, valuation modeling, deal structuring, and integration planning.
- Build and maintain an M&A pipeline framework and evaluation criteria aligned to the company's strategic objectives.
- Coordinate with legal counsel, investment bankers, and external advisors throughout transaction lifecycle.
- Oversee post-acquisition financial integration, including systems consolidation, reporting alignment, and synergy tracking.
Financial Operations & Controls- Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to the Financial Controller and Accounting Specialist, ensuring accurate and timely financial close, reporting, and compliance.
- Maintain robust internal controls, accounting policies, and financial procedures consistent with GAAP.
- Own the annual budgeting and quarterly re-forecasting processes across all business units.
- Ensure timely and accurate tax filings, audits, and regulatory compliance in coordination with external CPA/audit firms.
- Oversee billing, audit, and financial-compliance requirements specific to utility, municipal, and government clients, including any public-contract, prevailing-wage, or grant-reporting obligations.
Risk Management- Develop and maintain an enterprise risk management framework that identifies, quantifies, and mitigates financial, operational, and contractual risks across the business.
- Oversee the company's insurance programs, ensuring appropriate coverage for equipment assets, liability, directors and officers, and other material exposures.
- Assess and manage financial risk associated with large prepaid contracts, equipment financing arrangements, and M&A activity, including counterparty and concentration risk.
- Establish controls and policies to protect against fraud, regulatory non-compliance, and financial misstatement.
- Serve as the primary liaison with external auditors, legal counsel, and risk advisors on matters of financial exposure and compliance.
Team & Organizational Leadership- Build and develop a high-performing Finance function capable of supporting the company's growth trajectory.
- Evaluate and plan for the integration of Human Resources under the Finance group, ensuring operational continuity and alignment of people strategy with financial goals.
- Champion a culture of financial discipline, transparency, and accountability across the organization.
Qualifications:Required- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, with at least 3-5 years in a senior finance role (VP Finance or CFO).
- Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-value contracts and revenue recognition.
- Proven experience in capital raising, debt financing, or private equity/venture-backed environments.
- Hands-on M&A experience including due diligence, valuation, and integration.
- Strong proficiency in financial modeling, FP&A, and business intelligence tools.
- Experience with equipment financing or lease program management.
- Ability to travel as needed for banking, investor, M&A, and Board commitments; primary work performed on-site at the company's office.
Preferred- Experience in SaaS, technology, environmental monitoring, utilities, or similar high-growth sectors.
- Familiarity with government or utility contract structures and compliance requirements.
- Prior experience overseeing or integrating HR functions within a finance-led organization.
Compensation:This position offers a competitive salary of $200k to $220k depending on experience and qualifications, with annual bonus potential. In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, and Dental insurance, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance. Our program also includes paid vacation, and holiday pay, a 401(k)-retirement plan with company contribution, and relocation assistance for qualified candidates.
