🚀 Chief Financial Officer

Overview

The Chief Financial Officer will serve as a key strategic advisor to ownership, overseeing all financial functions for a multi-location retail and wholesale distribution business. The CFO is responsible not only for ensuring financial accuracy but also for guiding long-term strategy, driving profitability, managing risk, and positioning the company for sustainable growth. This role provides leadership and vision to strengthen operations, improve margins, and secure the company’s future.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute financial strategies that support both retail and wholesale business goals.
• Lead annual budgeting and long-term financial planning across all locations.
• Build financial models to evaluate new store openings, remodels, acquisitions, or divestitures.
• Provide forecasting on revenue, cash flow, and commodity price impacts to help ownership make proactive decisions.
• Advise ownership on succession planning, valuation, and exit opportunities.

Retail & Wholesale Business Support

• Analyze store-level financial performance; identify opportunities to increase margins through pricing strategies, expense control, and operational efficiencies.
• Oversee wholesale distribution financials, including contract negotiations, supplier pricing, and margin management.
• Create store profitability dashboards and benchmarks, giving leadership visibility into performance across all locations.
• Monitor and manage commodity price volatility through hedging, bulk purchasing, and supply chain strategy.
• Manage all banking relationships; secure favorable financing terms and ensure liquidity for operations and growth.
• Lead financing efforts for new initiatives, acquisitions, or capital investments.
• Oversee insurance coverage and risk management programs to protect company assets.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including commodity tax, environmental regulations, and retail reporting standards.

Technology & Process Improvement

• Modernize financial systems by implementing tools that reduce manual processes and improve reporting accuracy.
• Integrate accounting and point-of-sale systems to provide real-time visibility into store performance.
• Establish standardized reporting processes across all stores and wholesale operations.

Leadership & Team Development

• Oversee and mentor the Controller and accounting staff, ensuring strong financial controls and accurate reporting.
• Build a high-performing finance team that supports operations, merchandising, and supply chain functions.
• Partner with store operations leaders to ensure financial awareness and accountability at the field level.

Reporting & Communication

• Provide ownership with timely, accurate financial statements and clear analysis of performance drivers.
• Develop management reports that highlight KPIs such as same-store sales, wholesale margins, labor costs, and cash flow trends.
• Present complex financial information in clear, actionable terms to both financial and non-financial leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• Master’s degree (MBA or related field) strongly preferred.
• CPA, CMA, or equivalent certification a plus.
• 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience in retail accounting, multi-location operations, and/or wholesale distribution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and deliver measurable improvements in profitability and efficiency.
• Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and bank/financing negotiations.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work closely with both ownership and operations.

Seniority level

• Executive

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Accounting/Auditing

Industries

• Retail, Wholesale, and Food and Beverage Services

Location: Columbia, SC. Salary: $150,000.00-$438,000.00. Posted 4 days ago.