VP of Finance - Defense Programs

Vice President Of Finance

Our client, a private equity-backed defense manufacturer headquartered in Ohio, is seeking a vice president of finance to lead and strengthen the organization's financial foundation. The company is a respected subcontractor with longstanding ties across the naval and aerospace supply chain and operates in full accordance with far, dfar, and cas standards.

This is a newly established, highly visible leadership opportunity created with succession planning in mind. The successful candidate will play a central role in enabling the cfo to focus on growth initiatives and acquisitions, while building toward a clear path to future cfo responsibility. For a finance executive who wants to lead independently, shape financial strategy, and leave a lasting mark, this role offers significant long-term potential.

key responsibilities

• Partner with senior leadership across the business to improve operational performance and efficiency
• Oversee the finance and accounting function, ensuring accurate and timely delivery of financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, audits, certified cost and pricing, and job cost reporting
• Guide the continued development of the company's internally built erp/finance platform, with an emphasis on process improvement and a more efficient, accurate close cycle
• Provide financial leadership on working capital needs, capital deployment, and cash flow strategy, including assessing capex opportunities through a return-on-investment lens
• Manage, mentor, and further develop a lean but experienced finance team in a dynamic, fast-moving environment
• Act as a trusted advisor to the executive team on topics such as investment priorities, capital allocation, and overall business performance
• Help ensure receivables are closely managed and collections are executed in line with agreed terms
• Take part as a senior leader in strategic planning efforts, ensuring financial plans support the company's long-range objectives
• Produce and circulate core financial reporting packages for executive stakeholders
• Work closely with the cfo on cash flow forecasting, management reporting, and board and lender materials
• Apply benchmarking, financial modeling, and performance metrics to evaluate the scalability, risk profile, and impact of strategic initiatives
• Monitor the financial health of existing and prospective customers in order to reduce exposure to risk