Fractional CFO - (1099 Contractor)

Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Fractional CFO to partner with a manufacturing business owner and executive team to drive profitability, improve financial performance, strengthen operational decision\-making, and prepare companies for future growth, capital raises, acquisitions, or eventual exit. This client will take a maximum of 40 hours a month with opportunity to take on additional clients if you would like. This role is ideal for a strategic financial leader who understands that success in manufacturing extends beyond financial reporting. The ideal candidate can connect financial results to production, inventory, purchasing, pricing, labor efficiency, and overall operational performance. A strong preference will be given to candidates with experience preparing companies for sale, private equity investment, recapitalization, or other liquidity events. Core Responsibilities Strategic Financial Leadership * Serve as a trusted advisor to the owner. * Develop annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and long\-term financial plans. * Lead monthly financial review meetings and strategic planning sessions. * Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability, cash flow, and enterprise value. * Support key business decisions through financial modeling and scenario analysis. * Assist ownership in evaluating growth opportunities, acquisitions, equipment investments, and capital allocation decisions. Manufacturing Finance \& Cost Accounting * Evaluate and improve costing methodologies, including standard costing and job costing. * Analyze labor, material, and overhead variances. * Monitor gross margin performance by customer, product line, and production process. * Review inventory valuation and costing accuracy. * Conduct customer, product, and channel profitability analyses. * Develop pricing models and margin improvement initiatives. * Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce waste. Operational \& Supply Chain Finance * Partner with operations leadership to align financial and operational goals. * Evaluate production throughput, capacity utilization, and operational bottlenecks. * Monitor inventory accuracy, cycle counts, and physical inventory processes. * Analyze inventory turns, excess inventory, obsolete inventory, and working capital utilization. * Review supplier concentration risks and purchasing strategies. * Evaluate make\-versus\-buy decisions and outsourcing opportunities. * Assist with automation, equipment investments, and capital expenditure planning. * Calculate and monitor ROI for operational improvement initiatives. Cash Flow \& Working Capital Management * Develop and maintain rolling cash flow forecasts. * Improve cash conversion cycles through better inventory, receivables, and payables management. * Monitor liquidity, debt obligations, and covenant compliance. * Assist with banking relationships and financing strategies. * Identify opportunities to improve working capital