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Job Description
Director, Finance Shakespeare Company
LLC - 2.7
Columbia, SC Job Details Full-time 2 hours ago Qualifications Change management Bachelor's degree Accounting experience within manufacturing industry Manufacturing Manufacturing company experience
Banking Full Job Description Job Summary:
The Director of Finance is a senior finance leadership role responsible for leading all aspects of accounting and finance for Shakespeare Company. This individual will serve as the primary finance partner to the President and CEO, executive leadership, lenders, auditors, tax advisors, and board stakeholders. The role requires a hands on leader with the experience, judgment, and operating cadence to stabilize core finance processes, improve reporting quality, strengthen cash and working capital discipline, build a capable finance team, and support business transformation during a period of transition and growth.
Best Suited Candidate Profile:
A finance leader with 15+ years of progressive experience, including senior leadership responsibility in a manufacturing, industrial, or private equity backed company of roughly $100 million to $300 million in revenue. Demonstrated success in a turnaround, transition, carveout, or business transformation situation where finance had to improve reporting, controls, cash visibility, forecasting, and team capability at the same time. Senior enough to drive change through influence, while remaining close enough to the details to teach, test, verify, and improve the work product of the team. Capable of building an accounting and finance organization that can support business unit accountability, timely close, accurate forecasting, cash discipline, audit readiness, tax compliance, and board level reporting.
Key Responsibilities:
Accounting and Finance Leadership Lead all aspects of the accounting and finance functions, including controllership, financial planning and analysis, cost accounting, tax, treasury, audit, banking, controls, financial systems, and board reporting. Set clear standards for accuracy, timeliness, ownership, and accountability across the finance team. Build a finance organization that can support the business through process discipline, stronger reporting, better analysis, and practical operating support. Financial Planning and Strategy Develop and execute the company financial planning process in alignment with business priorities, lender expectations, ownership requirements, and operating needs. Lead the annual budget, monthly forecast, long range planning, and business unit bridge process. Provide financial insight and recommendations to the President and CEO, executive leadership, and board stakeholders to support decisions on pricing, cost, capital, working capital, and growth. Financial Reporting and Analysis Oversee the preparation of accurate and timely financial reports, including income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, variance analysis, lender reporting, board reporting, and business unit reporting. Ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable reporting requirements. Improve the quality of financial analysis by connecting revenue, gross margin, labor, overhead, inventory, working capital, SG&A, EBITDA, and cash flow. Prepare clear and direct reports and presentations for executive leadership, lenders, auditors, investors, and the board. Turnaround and Transformation Execution Operate with the FASTER model: Focus on the critical few priorities, Align leaders around the facts, Simplify processes, Transform the work, Execute with discipline, and Reinforce accountability. Use a teach and test method to raise the capability of the team, verify outputs, and close gaps in close, forecast, cash, reporting, controls, and analysis. Lead change through influence across commercial, operations, supply chain, HR, IT, and business unit leaders. Create practical routines, scorecards, review cadences, and ownership models that make performance visible and actionable. Team Leadership and Development Manage, mentor, and develop the accounting and finance team, with clear roles, performance expectations, training plans, and succession coverage. Build capability in controllership, financial planning and analysis, cost accounting, cash forecasting, reporting, and business partnership. Lead directly and indirectly by setting expectations, reviewing work, coaching leaders, and creating accountability for follow through. Cash Flow and Treasury Management Oversee cash flow management, 13 week cash forecasting, liquidity planning, working capital performance, and cash bridge reporting. Manage banking relationships, lender reporting, covenant support, debt reporting, and cash related stakeholder communication. Partner with supply chain, operations, commercial, and AP to improve inventory, receivables, payables, vendor risk visibility, and cash discipline. Tax Management Coordinate and oversee tax planning, tax reporting, tax compliance, tax estimates, tax advisors, and tax audit support. Advise leadership on the tax implications of transactions, asset sales, legal entity structure, accounting positions, and business decisions. Maintain strong documentation and communication around material tax matters, including matters requiring ownership or board visibility. Audit, Controls, and Risk Management Lead the annual audit process, manage external auditor relationships, prepare audit support, resolve open items, and ensure timely completion. Implement and monitor internal controls to safeguard company assets and improve financial integrity. Identify financial reporting, cash, tax, compliance, control, and process risks and recommend corrective actions. Strategic Initiatives Support strategic transactions, including real estate, sale leaseback, financing, acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, and other ownership initiatives. Advise on capital investment decisions, return analysis, cost savings, pricing, customer profitability, and business unit performance. Lead or participate in company projects where financial clarity, data discipline, or cross functional alignment is required.
Qualifications:
Education:
Bachelor degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field required. CPA, CMA, MBA, CFA, or related advanced credential preferred.
Experience:
15+ years of progressive experience in accounting and finance, with significant senior finance leadership responsibility. Demonstrated success in a turnaround, transition, carveout, or transformation environment. Direct responsibility for tax, audit, banking relationships, treasury, cash flow, financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, and board level support. Experience leading accounting and finance in a company of roughly $100 million to $300 million in revenue preferred. Manufacturing experience required, with extrusion, polymerization, product assembly, or industrial operations experience preferred. Experience leading multiple business units or diverse P&Ls highly desired. Experience building, improving, and developing finance teams through periods of change. Experience with M&A, real estate transactions, financing, lender communication, or private equity ownership preferred.
Skills and Competencies:
Strong controllership, financial planning and analysis, cost accounting, cash forecasting, tax, audit, and treasury capability. Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, with experience using ERP and reporting tools. Experience with Epicor, Power BI, Prophix, PeopleSoft, Stampli, or similar systems preferred. Ability to translate complex financial data into clear business actions for leaders outside finance. Strong judgment, communication, and decision support skills with the confidence to engage directly with the President and CEO, lenders, auditors, tax advisors, ownership, and the board. Ability to work at a high pace while improving process quality, team capability, and financial discipline.
Additional Requirements:
Hands on leadership style with the ability to roll up sleeves, solve problems, verify details, and build sustainable process discipline. Ability to drive change through influence, not only direct authority. High attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting, forecasting, cash, tax, audit, and controls. Ability to manage multiple priorities while keeping the team focused on the few items that matter most. Comfort operating in an environment with evolving systems, process gaps, legacy knowledge risk, lender requirements, and board visibility.
