Online Software Platform – Chief Financial Officer (Ottawa/toronto)

Client’s platform makes it easy for practitioners to prescribe and dispense nutraceuticals. It has facilitated over 400,000 prescriptions serving over 3,500 practitioners, 300,000 patients and resulting in over US$4 million processed monthly.

Scope of Position

Reporting to the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the Company’s operation and reporting on those aspects to the Board of Directors and the executive management team in a timely and accurate fashion.

More specifically, the CFO will be accountable for the administrative, financial, IT, compliance and risk management operations of the company, including the development of a financial and operational strategy, metrics tied to that strategy, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets and report accurate financial results.

Critical to this role is the individual’s awareness of the early stage growth environment. It is expected that with the appropriate guidance and leadership from the new CFO many processes will likely change, managed carefully and in step with the CEO’s and Board’s support. The successful candidate will lead the company to the next stage in the evolution from its current $50M in annual revenue to hundreds of millions over the next several years while preparing the company for the eventual IPO.

Functional Tasks

Responsible for setting the financial strategy to ensure long-term growth and optimum enterprise value for the company;

• Act as a key business partner to the CEO and the operating team providing financial guidance and counsel on all matters relating to the finance function including strategic business planning, budgeting and forecasting, business analysis, and corporate growth strategies. Take ownership for results along with the management team;
• Report on the Company’s financials (i.e. P/L, Balance Sheet, cash flow, etc.) to the executive management team and the Board of Directors;
• Provide hands-on leadership, guidance, mentorship and performance management to the finance staff in the organization;
• Oversee and manage the accounting, tax, insurance, budget, credit and treasury and capital structure functions ensuring that the interests of all stakeholders are served;
• Provide teaching and coaching to other senior management staff on financial matters relating to their operational responsibilities;
• Preparation of the annual financial statements in accordance with Canadian and US GAAP and IFRS requirements, as necessary;
• Provide effective cash flow management (receivables, suppliers, capital expenditures, expenses) and make recommendations; review existing financial procedures and implementation and necessitate change as approved;
• Oversee all budgeting aspects and audits relating to the Company and oversee all financial management systems incorporated by the Company; provide primary interface with the approved external auditors;
• Provide the primary external interface with financial institutions and investment community;
• Ensure operational milestones are met on time, with high quality and that they meet the cost objectives that are established; reporting on a monthly as well as a quarterly basis;
• Leverage a detailed understanding of ‘what’s driving the numbers’ to act as a key strategic and operational contributor to the overall growth of the business.
• Ensure appropriate internal controls are in place for the benefit of all stakeholders;
• Manage relationship with audit firm for annual audit/income tax activities and all related matters;
• Ensure that finance organization is structured and sized to be optimally aligned to the needs of the business;
• Oversee all purchasing and payroll activity for staff and participants;
• Manage investor relations with a view to accurately yet positively representing the company in the public and financial marketplaces. Ensure that communication remains a top priority throughout;
• Manage banking and other stakeholder relationships;
• Manage financial relationships/contracts with investors, debtors, suppliers, customers and partners along with the CEO and other team members;
• Ensure compliance with securities statutory and regulatory reporting requirements;
• Effectively manage the company’s cash and securities position and drive any supplementary initiatives deemed necessary by the company;
• Remain informed about the business, put measurements and reporting dashboards into place enabling real-time assessment of performance and ‘what’s over the horizon’;
• Attend Board and Subcommittee meetings; including being the lead staff on the Audit/Finance Committee;

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role ofCFOatOur Client:

Leading Change

Recognizes when change is necessary; Challenges the status quo and champions new initiatives; Acts as a catalyst to change and stimulates others to change; Develops an effective action plan to implement change and monitors results.

Strategic Approach

Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far-reaching ideas while continuing to work on the day to day issues.

Boundary Spanning

Incorporates information about the organization’s structure and protocol into decisions; Attentive to the internal politics and alert to shifting interpersonal dynamics; Establishes the necessary support networks and cross-functional relationships through rapport building; Recognizes maintains and effectively balances the interests and needs of one’s own group with those of the broader organization.

Role Expertise

Demonstrates critical technical or professional knowledge/skills related to the role. Has a thorough knowledge of relevant products, services, and methods. Expands technical knowledge/skills and keeps up-to-date in own area of expertise.

Results Orientation

Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives

Planning & Objective Setting

Systematic in approach to work. Produces action plans in which objectives are defined and steps for achieving them are clearly specified. Plans by breaking down large task into subtasks. Develops plans that anticipate obstacles. Is realistic about time-scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones, and controls in order to ensure that desired results are realized.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• Bachelor Degree in Finance, Commerce or Administration with CA designation;
• Extensive experience in senior financial management roles including managing financial reporting, audit, ITC’s and SRED submittals; experience presenting to and working with Board of Directors;
• Extensive experience in Investors Relations, in successfully raising financing, and in developing contacts within the investment community;
• Experience in handling legal documentation, T&C’s, LOC’s, etc;
• Experience upgrading/implementing accounting and IT systems essential to run the business;
• Knowledge of automated accounting systems, U.S. GAAP and IFRS
• Excellent presentation, communications, and computer skills;
• Experience in managing, supervising and leading personnel including accounting, finance, legal and compliance group;
• Participated in or lead commercial negotiations of any type relevant to the company’s business plan;
• Has worked in the high-tech startup environment and understands the technologies, the environment, and the challenges.
• Strong familiarity with unit economics and their optimization is a must, such as for a SaaS business.
• Actual operational experience in a company that manages a supply chain supporting 1000’s of products would be an asset.
• Experience with due diligence and acquisitions would be considered an asset;
• Ideally, the candidate will have been through a transitional growth phase ($50M to several $100M in revenues) and can assert themselves within the senior management team on a variety of corporate executive decision;
• Experience working in a firm addressing global markets and the complexities therein;
• Numeracy and fluency with numbers and their relationships. Attention to detail critical;
• The ability to lead, to communicate clearly and articulately, to monitor and express strategy to investors, Board and Executive team;
• The ability to put value creation into perspective and know what makes the business tick – a strong business understanding;
• Experience within mid-sized technology company concerns dealing with issues of scaling and growth;
• Solid customer interface skills and experience raising money, preparing for an IPO and M&A experience;
• A minimum of 10 years of senior financial management experience preferably in a publicly traded company and a private investor backed organization;
• Base salary plus variables along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes ownership in Ottawa’s fastest growing company, says the Ottawa Business Journal.

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