Director of Finance

Director of Finance

Cleveland, Ohio Area | Manufacturing / Life Sciences | Private Equity-Backed

Our client, a growing, private equity-backed manufacturing organization in the Cleveland area, is seeking a Director of Finance to drive financial performance, support continued growth, and strengthen its finance function. This role combines corporate development and private equity experience with hands-on business partnership, oversight of site controllers, enhanced management reporting, and leadership of a platform-wide SAP implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with executive and operational leadership to drive profitability, improve performance, and support strategic decisions.
• Oversee site controllers and promote consistent financial processes, reporting, and controls across the organization.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and management reporting for executive leadership and private equity ownership.
• Help lead the platform-wide SAP implementation, including process standardization and improvements to financial systems and reporting.
• Support corporate development activities, including acquisitions, financial due diligence, and post-acquisition integration.
• Oversee accounting, cost and inventory accounting, cash flow, working capital, and margin analysis.
• Develop the finance team and implement scalable processes to support continued growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA and/or advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, ideally in manufacturing, life sciences, or a similar environment.
• Strong understanding of private equity-backed businesses, corporate development, and acquisition-driven growth.
• Experience partnering with senior leadership, overseeing site controllers, and supporting multi-site or multi-entity operations.
• Strong management reporting, financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and operational finance skills.
• Experience with ERP implementations; SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of cost accounting, inventory, gross margin, U.S. GAAP, and internal controls.
• Hands-on, collaborative leadership style with strong communication and business-partnering skills.

The Opportunity

An opportunity to make a significant impact in a growing, acquisition-oriented business by connecting corporate strategy with site-level execution, strengthening financial reporting and processes, and helping lead the organization's next phase of growth.