Vice President Finance

VP, Finance | Confidential Search Vice President, Finance

VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE

Hamilton, NJ | Full-Time, Exempt | Reports to the CFO

This is a high-impact finance leadership opportunity for a builder/operator who can turn strong margins into consistent cash flow, professionalize the finance function, and help shape the company's next phase of strategic growth. The VP, Finance will partner closely with the CEO, President, and CFO while building the operating discipline, reporting structure, lender confidence, and team capability required to support continued scale. This role is designed as a deliberate succession path to Chief Financial Officer; advancement will be earned through demonstrated performance and enterprise leadership.

Company Overview

Our client is a New Jersey-based petroleum distribution, retail, and real estate business with multiple operating platforms, including fuel distribution, company-operated retail sites, dealer locations, and a growing car wash platform.

• Distributes approximately 40 million gallons of fuel annually
• Operates 21 company-run sites plus approximately 20 dealer locations
• Generates more than 100 million in annual revenue
• Operates across fuel distribution, retail sites, real estate, and car wash operations
• Entering a phase focused on cash generation, capital discipline, operational visibility, and strategic growth

Position Overview

The VP, Finance will serve as a hands-on finance operator, strategic business partner, and future CFO candidate. The current CFO is fractional and is expected to retire at the end of 2027, creating a clear path for the right leader to earn the CFO seat over time.

This is not a passive oversight role or a traditional corporate FP&A position. The successful candidate will be expected to get close to the business, understand the operational driversof cash, build a stronger finance operating system, and move finance from reactive reporting to proactive decision support.

Core Mandate

Drive Cash Generation and Working Capital Discipline

The VP, Finance will improve visibility into cash and strengthen the connection between profitability and actual cash generation. This leader will identify and eliminate working capital inefficiencies across AR, AP, inventory, fuel timing, and daily cash management.

• Implement, own, and maintain a disciplined 13-week cash flow model
• Increase visibility into daily and weekly cash position
• Improve the cash conversion cycle across business units
• Partner with operations to better manage receivables, payables, fuel inventory, and working capital timing
• Identify gaps between reported profitability and cash generation
• Establish routines, reporting, and accountability around liquidity management
• Support smarter decisions around capital deployment, debt usage, and operational spending

Build a High-Performance Finance Operating System

This leader will upgrade finance from a primarily reporting-oriented function into a business-critical operating partner with the rhythm, reporting structure, and KPI discipline needed for stronger decision-making.

• Establish reliable financial and operational reporting across fuel distribution, retail, dealer, real estate, and car wash operations
• Create KPI-driven reporting tied to true operational drivers
• Build stronger forecasting across revenue, margin, cash, working capital, and capital needs
• Improve the speed, reliability, and accuracy of monthly and quarterly close processes
• Develop dashboards, reporting packages, and decision tools for executive leadership
• Translate financial data into clear, practical business insights
• Create discipline and accountability through better use of financial information

Lead Financing, Treasury, and Capital Strategy

The VP, Finance will play a key role in managing financing relationships and supporting capital strategy, including credit facilities, fuel lines, borrowing capacity, and future growth initiatives.

• Manage and optimize credit facilities and fuel lines
• Strengthen lender relationships and help expand borrowing capacity
• Prepare and present lender reporting packages
• Support lender negotiations, refinancing discussions, and credit structure analysis
• Partner with the CEO, President, and CFO on capital allocation decisions
• Support acquisitions, partnerships, and other strategic growth opportunities
• Build acquisition models, integration pro formas, and financing scenarios
• Coordinate with outside accountants, tax advisors, consultants, lenders, investors, and transaction advisors

Upgrade and Lead the Finance Organization

This role includes the opportunity to evaluate and rebuild the finance organization, including assessing the Controller function and determining what the business needs to support its next stage of growth.

• Assess the current finance and accounting organization quickly and objectively
• Retain high performers and upgrade talent where needed
• Create clear roles, accountability, and performance standards
• Build a lean, high-output finance team rather than unnecessary overhead
• Lead, develop, and hold the Controller and broader finance team accountable
• Determine which functions should be handled internally versus outsourced
• Improve workflows, controls, processes, and communication across finance and operations

Serve as a StrategicExecutive Partner

The VP, Finance will work closely with the CEO, President, and CFO as a trusted, direct, and commercially minded finance leader. This person must be willing to challenge assumptions, bring independent judgment, and operate with an enterprise-level mindset.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner on growth, capital allocation, risk, and enterprise value creation
• Challenge leadership with direct, data-driven recommendations
• Help operators understand the financial impact of their decisions
• Build credibility by being practical, operationally engaged, and solutions-driven
• Support short- and long-term financial planning
• Bring urgency, accountability, and financial discipline to a dynamic growth environment

CFO Succession Path

This role is designed as a deliberate path to CFO, but promotion is earned, not automatic. Advancement will be based on demonstrated ability to operate as a true enterprise finance leader.

• Independently manage bank and lender relationships
• Own treasury, liquidity, and working capital strategy
• Lead M&A financial work streams from evaluation through integration
• Understand the mechanics of financing, leverage, lender reporting, and deal structure
• Deliver clean, predictable, and timely closes
• Improve financial visibility and decision-making quality
• Build and lead a high-performing finance organization
• Operate as a trusted executive voice across the company
• Think and act like an owner

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a builder and operator, not a caretaker. This person shouldhave experience in a business where cash flow, working capital, lender relationships, inventory, and operational execution matter every day.

Strong Preference for Backgrounds In

• Fuel, petroleum, or energy distribution
• Convenience retail or multi-unit retail
• Industrial distribution or building materials distribution
• Asset-heavy, low-margin, high-volume, working-capital-intensive businesses
• Real estate ownership or site-based operating models
• Decentralized, operationally complex companies

Required and Preferred Experience

• 8-12+ years of progressive finance leadership experience
• Proven track record improving cash flow in a profitable but cash-constrained business
• Direct ownership of treasury, liquidity, and working capital management
• Experience managing or restructuring credit facilities, lender relationships, or borrowing capacity
• Strong understanding of AR, AP, inventory, cash conversion, and operational finance
• Experience building, upgrading, or restructuring finance and accounting teams
• Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills
• Ability to build KPI-driven reporting tied to operational performance
• Exposure to M&A, leverage, financing, due diligence, or capital deployment preferred
• Experience in capital-intensive or asset-heavy businesses preferred
• Experience with real estate ownership preferred
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred

Compensation and Benefits

The position offersa competitive compensation package that includesan incentive-based bonusopportunity and full benefits. Benefits include vacation, sick and personal days, health and dental insurance, and a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan with a 3% match.

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity for a finance leader who wants to help shape the next phase of a growing, asset-heavy operating business. The company needs someone who can build the finance function, drive cash generation, improve lender confidence, support strategic growth, and ultimately earn the CFO seat.

The right candidate will not simply maintain the current system. They will build a better one.