Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Description

About the Role

SEG and AIAEC are growing companies moving from small to mid-sized, with a clear path to becoming large, multi-country organizations. SEG is an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firm with project-based revenue; AIAEC is an AI technology company serving the AEC industry, with revenue driven by product sales. Our finance function is still maturing across both, and we’re not a polished, fully built-out machine. We need a CFO who sees that as an opportunity: someone who will roll up their sleeves, lead meaningful process change, help select and implement the right finance software, and help us design the policies, procedures, and tools that let both companies scale well. This is a builder’s role. You’ll be both strategic partner to the executive team and the person who makes the finance function work as we grow.

We’re currently evaluating finance and accounting systems, and our next CFO will have a real voice in choosing and implementing them.

Process Change, Systems & Scaling

• Lead finance process transformation as SEG and AIAEC scale from small companies to mid-sized and then large, designing processes that work today and can grow with us

• Assess our current financial systems, workflows, and controls across both companies, and develop a prioritized roadmap for improvement

• Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of our financial and accounting software, including project cost accounting for SEG and product sales, billing, and revenue reporting for AIAEC. We are currently evaluating options and have not yet chosen a platform, so this role will help define requirements, assess vendors, and guide the final decision, then oversee data migration, integration, training, and adoption

• Develop, document, and implement financial policies, procedures, and tools across both companies and all entities, working with leadership, operations, and HR to build buy-in

• Introduce right-sized solutions that fit our current stage and add structure as we grow, rather than imposing overly heavy processes

• Lead change management and communicate clearly with employees at all levels about what’s changing and why

• Build reporting, dashboards, and close processes that give leadership reliable, timely information for each company

Financial Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute the overall financial strategy for SEG and AIAEC, aligned with corporate growth objectives across all domestic and international markets

• Provide executive leadership and the board with timely, accurate financial reporting and forward-looking analysis for each company and on a combined basis

• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning across all business units and geographies

• Design, implement, and maintain internal controls, financial policies, and compliance frameworks across all entities

• Manage relationships with banks, auditors, bonding companies, and insurance providers

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Lead end-to-end M&A activity including target identification, financial due diligence, valuation modeling, deal structuring, and post-acquisition integration

• Evaluate acquisition targets within the AEC and AEC-technology space for financial health, cultural fit, geographic reach, and strategic alignment

• Build and maintain relationships with investment banks, private equity firms, legal counsel, and deal advisors

• Develop integration financial plans, including systems and process integration, to ensure seamless consolidation of acquired entities into the existing structure

Multi-Country & Foreign Entity Management

• Oversee financial operations across the international portfolio of entities for both companies, including AIAEC’s Canadian entity, ensuring compliance with local tax laws, regulatory requirements, and reporting standards in each jurisdiction

• Manage foreign currency exposure, hedging strategies, and cross-border cash flow optimization

• Navigate transfer pricing, intercompany transactions (including between SEG and AIAEC), and international tax planning

• Partner with local finance teams and external advisors in each country to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting

• Oversee repatriation of earnings, intercompany loans, and dividend strategies across foreign entities

SEG: Project Cost & Accrual Accounting

• Manage project-based accounting for SEG, including project cost accounting, accrual-based accounting, WIP (work-in-progress), revenue recognition, backlog reporting, and utilization metrics specific to the AEC industry

• Oversee contract financial management including lump sum, T&M, and cost-plus structures

• Monitor project profitability and financial performance across all service lines and geographies

• Manage surety bonding, professional liability insurance, and risk financing

AIAEC: Product Sales Financial Management

• Manage financial operations for AIAEC’s product sales, including revenue recognition, billing, collections, and deferred revenue

• Develop pricing, margin, and unit economics analysis to support product and go-to-market decisions

• Build forecasting and reporting for bookings, sales pipeline, and recurring or licensing revenue as applicable

• Oversee customer contract terms from a financial perspective and partner with sales leadership on deal structures and commissions

• Establish the financial reporting and metrics investors and the board expect from a growing technology company

Investment & Capital Management

• Assess and manage the investment portfolio for both companies, ensuring capital is deployed effectively across markets

• Evaluate ROI on existing and prospective investments across all geographies, including investment in AIAEC product development

• Oversee capital structure, debt management, and banking relationships

• Define the financial relationship between SEG and AIAEC, including shared services, cost allocations, and intercompany arrangements

• Lead financial risk assessment and mitigation strategies across the business

Team & Stakeholder Leadership

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing global finance team across all locations and both companies, and define roles, structure, and hiring as the team grows

• Serve as primary financial liaison to the board of directors, investors, and external stakeholders

• Partner cross-functionally with operations, legal, HR, sales, and business development

• Represent SEG and AIAEC in financial discussions with banks, bonding companies, auditors, and regulatory bodies

Requirements

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field

• CPA, CFA, or MBA strongly preferred

• 15+ years of progressive financial leadership with a minimum of 5 years in a CFO or senior finance executive role

• Demonstrated experience leading finance process change and evaluating, selecting, and implementing financial or ERP systems, from defining requirements through vendor selection, rollout, and adoption

• Proven experience building or scaling a finance function at a growing company, including writing policies, procedures, and controls from the ground up

• Comfort working in companies that are still developing their infrastructure: hands-on, pragmatic, and able to prioritize and make progress without a fully built-out system

• Experience supporting more than one business model, including project-based accounting (project cost, WIP, accruals) and product sales accounting (revenue recognition, billing, deferred revenue)

• Demonstrated experience leading M&A transactions from origination through post-acquisition integration

• Proven track record managing financial operations across multiple countries and foreign entities

• Deep knowledge of international accounting standards (GAAP, IFRS) and multi-jurisdictional tax compliance

• Strong proficiency in financial modeling, valuation, and investment analysis

Preferred

• Prior CFO or VP Finance experience within an AEC, engineering, or professional services firm, or within a technology company

• Experience guiding companies through growth from small to mid-sized to large

• Experience with accounting and ERP platforms commonly used in AEC and professional services firms, and with billing and revenue systems used by technology companies

• Existing relationships with investment banks, surety companies, and deal advisory firms

• Experience managing foreign entity consolidation and intercompany transactions

• Multilingual capabilities a plus

• Experience in high-growth or post-acquisition environments

What We’re Looking For

We want a leader who is candid about what growing companies need, who can be a thought partner to the CEO and board, and who enjoys building systems and teams, not just maintaining them. If you thrive in an environment where you’ll help define the process as much as run it, we’d like to talk with you.