Position Summary
Martin Inc., a third-generation, family-owned industrial distribution and supply company, is seeking a hands-on, operations-oriented Chief Financial Officer to serve as a key member of the executive leadership team. This leader will be both the senior financial steward and a strategic operational partner, driving financial discipline, operational excellence, governance maturity, and scalable growth across a multi-site distribution network.
The ideal CFO brings deep experience in inventory-driven, lower-margin, operationally complex businesses, and thrives in a family-owned environment that values long-term thinking, trust, and continuous improvement. This role requires a leader who is as comfortable in the warehouse and with branch managers as they are in the boardroom.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial & Operational Leadership
- Lead the company’s financial strategy in alignment with ownership’s long-term vision.
- Serve as a strategic business partner to ownership, sales, operations, supply chain, and HR.
- Translate financial data into actionable operational insights that improve profitability, efficiency, and scalability.
- Drive financial discipline and accountability across all functions.
2. Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)
The CFO serves as the executive owner of Governance, Risk & Compliance, ensuring Martin Inc. operates with disciplined oversight, strong internal controls, and a scalable governance framework aligned with a multi-site industrial distribution business.
Governance
- Establish governance structures, policies, and standards that promote transparency, accountability, and operational consistency across all branches and functions.
- Strengthen policy management across finance, operations, supply chain, HR, and IT.
- Ensure consistent branch-level governance, including standardized processes, controls, and reporting.
- Oversee data governance, ensuring accuracy and integrity across ERP, WMS, CRM, and financial systems.
Risk Management
- Lead enterprise risk management (ERM), identifying and mitigating financial, operational, supply chain, cyber, and compliance risks.
- Oversee insurance strategy, including property, liability, fleet, workers compensation, and cyber coverage.
- Implement risk dashboards and reporting mechanisms for ownership and executive leadership.
- Ensure risk-aware decision-making in capital allocation, pricing, credit, and operational initiatives.
Compliance
- Ensure compliance with GAAP, tax regulations, credit policies, safety requirements, and contractual obligations.
- Strengthen internal controls across finance, inventory, credit, and operational processes.
- Partner with HR, operations, and supply chain to ensure compliance with employment law, safety standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain a centralized contract repository and ensure adherence to contract governance protocols.
3. Financial Planning, Budgeting & Analysis
- Oversee FP&A, including forecasting, scenario modeling, and performance measurement tied to operational drivers.
- Lead the annual budgeting and rolling forecast processes with strong alignment to sales, supply chain, and operations.
- Develop and monitor KPIs specific to industrial distribution: gross margin, pricing discipline, inventory turns, service levels, working capital, ROIC, and branch-level performance.
4. Pricing Governance & Margin Management
- Establish and oversee pricing governance, including matrix pricing, contract pricing, and margin leakage prevention.
- Partner with sales to evaluate customer profitability, rebate programs, and supplier incentives.
- Ensure disciplined pricing execution across branches and customer segments.
5. Operational Finance & Decision Support
- Support operational initiatives related to inventory optimization, logistics efficiency, branch performance, and demand planning.
- Provide financial analysis for capital investments, fleet decisions, automation, and facility expansions.
- Implement branch-level P&Ls and scorecards to drive accountability and performance.
6. Financial Reporting, Controls & Compliance
- Ensure timely, accurate financial reporting in accordance with GAAP.
- Oversee tax planning, audits, regulatory compliance, and internal controls appropriate for a privately held family business.
- Build clear reporting and dashboards that link financial performance to operational outcomes.
7. Cash Flow, Working Capital & Credit Management
- Manage cash flow forecasting, liquidity, and capital allocation.
- Optimize working capital with a strong focus on inventory, customer credit, collections, and supplier terms.
- Oversee customer credit policies and credit risk management in a high-volume distribution environment.
8. Financial Operations & Systems
- Lead day-to-day accounting and finance operations (AP, AR, payroll, general accounting).
- Partner with operations and IT to optimize ERP systems, WMS, pricing tools, and reporting platforms.
- Champion process automation, data integrity, and technology modernization to support scalability.
9. Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence
- Build a data-driven culture with robust dashboards, analytics, and operational scorecards.
- Improve data quality across ERP, CRM, WMS, and supply chain systems.
- Enable real-time visibility into branch performance, customer profitability, and inventory health.
10. Banking, Insurance & External Relationships
- Manage relationships with banks, lenders, insurers, and external advisors.
- Ensure compliance with loan covenants and reporting requirements.
- Oversee insurance strategy as part of enterprise risk management.
11. Supply Chain & HR Leadership
- Oversee and support the leaders of Supply Chain and HR to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
- Strengthen supplier economics, rebate optimization, and sourcing strategies.
- Support workforce planning, talent development, and organizational capability building.
12. Mergers, Acquisitions & Growth Support
- Lead acquisition analysis, due diligence, integration planning, and post-acquisition performance tracking.
- Develop a repeatable M&A integration playbook.
- Evaluate organic growth initiatives through both financial and operational lenses.
13. Contracts, Legal & Governance
- Oversee contract review, negotiation, and management.
- Maintain a centralized contract repository to support governance and risk management.
- Serve as primary liaison with outside legal counsel on financial and operational matters.
14. Leadership, Culture & Talent Development
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and alignment with company values.
- Build strong cross-functional relationships in a collaborative, family-owned environment.
- Develop finance, supply chain, and HR leadership talent; build succession plans for key roles.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- 10–15+ years of progressive financial leadership experience.
- Prior CFO, VP Finance, or senior finance role in wholesale distribution, industrial supply, or asset-intensive businesses.
- Experience in lower-margin, operationally complex, multi-site environments.
- Family-owned or founder-led company experience strongly preferred.
- Hands-on, practical leader who understands how the business truly runs.
- Comfortable being visible in the operation — warehouses, branches, and with sales leadership.
Core Strengths & Attributes
- Strong accounting and financial controls foundation.
- Deep understanding of operational drivers of margin and profitability.
- Excellent communicator who can simplify financial concepts for non-financial leaders.
- Proven collaborator with sales and operations, navigating growth vs. margin tension effectively.
- Practical, steady, humble leadership style aligned with a family-business culture.
- Technology-forward mindset with experience modernizing systems and processes.
- Strong governance orientation with a disciplined approach to risk and compliance.
Compensation & Incentives
- Competitive base salary and annual incentive.
- Long-term incentive or equity-like participation may be available.
- Relocation support may be considered.
Why This Role Is Attractive
- Stable, profitable, third- and fourth-generation family-owned business.
- Strong family culture with professional management and clear values.
- Opportunity to modernize and scale a respected industrial distributor.
- High visibility and influence with ownership.
- Ability to leave a lasting legacy in a company that values long-term stewardship.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
