Strategic CFO for PE-Backed, Multi-Branch Growth

Southern California (LA, OC, or San Diego)

Compensation: $200,000–$235,000 base + bonus + equity
Company: PE-backed, multi-branch portable sanitation platform (name disclosed upon mutual interest)
Location: Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego) — partially remote, with occasional travel
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer, with significant interaction with the PE sponsor and Board of Directors
Scope: Finance, accounting oversight, treasury, tax, insurance and risk, IT, and M&A integration

About the Client

A PE-backed roll-up in the portable sanitation industry, operating branches across multiple states in the Western U.S. Core service lines include portable restrooms, luxury restroom trailers, temporary fence, and emergency response support.

The mission is to build the leading portable sanitation platform in the Western states through both organic growth and acquisitions, setting the industry standard for employee retention, customer service, and operational and financial integration. Leadership has a clear, defined timeline for that plan and for the return it is built to deliver to shareholders and the executive team.

About the Role

The client is seeking a CFO to build and lead the finance function, and to provide the financial discipline, visibility, and infrastructure required to support continued organic growth and add-on acquisitions.

The core purpose of this role is to BUILD the finance and accounting function of a rapidly growing organization, not to maintain an existing one. The CFO will own financial strategy and the development of the finance organization, financial reporting, planning and forecasting, treasury and liquidity, tax oversight, insurance and enterprise risk management, information systems, and M&A financial integration.

The CFO leads finance across Corporate and all branches, supported by an accounting team responsible for day-to-day accounting operations, transaction processing, accounts payable and receivable, close execution, and accounting staff. This is a senior financial leader and business partner seat, not the company's day-to-day accounting manager.

Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Business Partnership

• Serve as the CEO's primary financial advisor, providing clear, timely analysis of financial performance, cash flow, profitability, capital allocation, and business risk
• Partner with branch and operations leaders to improve revenue, route and service profitability, labor productivity, fleet utilization, pricing, and customer profitability
• Develop branch-level financial reporting that management can use to drive decisions
• Establish financial KPIs and accountability standards appropriate for a multi-branch field service business
• Recruit, build, and lead a finance organization sized to the company's growth, with clear responsibilities across the CFO, accounting and finance staff, and branch personnel
• Establish appropriate segregation of duties and approval controls across Corporate and branch locations
• Own the integrity and timeliness of financial reporting, while the Controller owns daily accounting execution and monthly close
• Establish accounting policies, procedures, close calendars, and internal controls across Corporate and all branches
• Review consolidated and branch-level financial statements, ensuring variances and issues are identified and resolved
• Oversee external audit, financial statement preparation, and lender and sponsor reporting
• Prepare or oversee financial materials for the CEO, Board, and ownership, communicating performance, forecasts, liquidity, and risk clearly to both financial and operational audiences

Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting process in partnership with Operations and the CEO
• Maintain a rolling forecast of revenue, EBITDA, cash flow, capital expenditures, and working capital
• Provide management with variance analysis and actionable recommendations
• Develop financial models to support branch expansion, pricing decisions, fleet investment, and other strategic initiatives

Treasury, Cash & Capital Structure

• Own the cash management and liquidity strategy, with regular consolidated and branch-level cash visibility and forecasting
• Manage banking relationships, credit facilities, borrowing capacity, covenant compliance, and lender reporting
• Oversee payment controls and approvals per the Delegation of Authority Policy
• Recommend capital allocation across debt, cash reserves, fleet and equipment investment, and other uses
• Own the overall tax function and tax strategy, with day-to-day preparation and compliance performed by internal staff and external tax advisors
• Oversee federal, state, and local income, sales and use, payroll, property, and other applicable tax compliance across multi-state operations
• Coordinate with external tax advisors on tax returns, estimated payments, tax planning, nexus, entity structure, acquisitions, and other significant tax matters
• Monitor tax exposures and ensure timely escalation of material tax risks to the CEO and ownership
• Evaluate the tax implications of acquisitions, new locations, entity changes, and significant transactions
• Own the enterprise risk management and insurance program, including the relationship with the third-party broker
• Ensure coverage is appropriately structured for operations, fleet, employees, locations, equipment, and contractual obligations
• Oversee renewals, coverage reviews, certificates of insurance, claims management, and loss control initiatives with Operations and the broker
• Monitor under-insured and uninsured exposures, and recommend changes to deductibles, limits, and risk retention strategies
• Coordinate with management, the broker, and outside counsel on material claims, litigation, and regulatory matters
• Maintain processes for identifying and monitoring enterprise risks, including safety, environmental, and regulatory risks with financial, insurance, or contractual implications

Information Systems

• Own the technology strategy, with day-to-day administration performed by internal IT staff and outsourced MSP partners
• Standardize ERP, dispatch and routing, billing, and financial systems across Corporate and all branches to support consolidated reporting and a scalable close
• Oversee cybersecurity, data privacy, and business continuity practices appropriate for a multi-branch, PE-backed platform, including vendor and MSP oversight
• Lead IT diligence and post-close systems integration for add-on acquisitions
• Monitor technology spend, system performance, and integration risk, escalating material issues to the CEO and ownership
• Support transaction evaluation and financial due diligence for add-on acquisitions
• Lead post-close finance integration, including accounting systems, chart of accounts, banking, payment processes, reporting, tax, insurance, and close procedures
• Establish a repeatable integration playbook so acquired branches are incorporated without disrupting operations
• Monitor acquisition performance against underwriting assumptions, and report results to the CEO and ownership

First 90 Days

The finance and accounting function is still early, with plenty of white space. The first 90 days should be used to establish the baseline, identify gaps, prioritize initiatives, and implement the highest-value improvements.

• Complete an assessment of the team, internal controls, accounting, reporting, FP&A, cash management, tax, insurance, systems, and acquisition integration
• Identify the highest-priority gaps, and present a prioritized plan with a timeline to the CEO and the sponsor
• Confirm the Accounting Manager's responsibilities, and establish a clear CFO and Accounting Manager operating model
• Establish the monthly close calendar, reporting package, and key reconciliations required for reliable management reporting
• Establish a weekly cash and liquidity reporting process
• Establish tax and insurance calendars, ownership, and external advisor and broker relationships
• Establish the recurring CEO, Board, and branch financial reporting cadence
• Create a repeatable finance integration checklist for future acquisitions

Requirements

Must-Haves

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience, in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience
• Prior experience as a CFO, VP of Finance, Controller, or equivalent senior finance leader at a PE-backed, multi-location business
• Prior experience with acquisitions, integration, ERP and accounting systems, and multi-state operations
• Prior experience managing cash, liquidity, banking relationships, credit facilities, and financial reporting
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis capability, with the ability to translate financial results into actionable operating recommendations
• Experience recruiting and building a finance organization, and implementing practical internal controls
• Experience overseeing external tax advisors, insurance brokers, and other professional service providers
• Experience in a small and rapidly growing business environment
• Strong operational orientation, and the ability to partner effectively with branch and field service leaders

Nice-to-Haves

• CPA
• Experience in the industrial or route-based services arena
• Base salary of $200,000 to $235,000, depending on experience
• Annual performance bonus
• Equity participation
• Full benefits package

Why This Role

• The challenge of building the finance organization of an acquisitive, PE-backed services platform
• Be a key player in shaping a rapidly growing company, with direct impact on every major business decision
• A high-expectation private equity environment that is less traditional and more entrepreneurial
• Clear alignment on maximizing exit proceeds, guided by an established and detailed plan
• Attractive Western U.S. location, partially remote, with occasional travel

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