The Role
Leads the organization’s financial strategy and serves as the CEO’s primary financial advisor. Oversees budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, profitability analysis, cash flow, capital planning, risk management, commodity hedging oversight, and financial performance. Provides strategic recommendations, manages the Controller and accounting function, strengthens internal controls and reporting, and partners with leadership on investments, growth initiatives, and operational efficiency.
Summary Generated by Built In
Aztalan Bio
Finance Director
Johnson Creek, WI
Position Overview
The Finance Director serves as the senior financial leader for Aztalan Bio and a key strategic partner to the CEO. This position is responsible for providing the financial leadership, analysis, recommendations, and execution needed to support sound business decisions and the continued growth and profitability of the organization.
Reporting directly to the CEO, the Finance Director will translate financial and operational information into clear recommendations and actionable business strategies. This role is expected to go beyond reporting financial results by identifying opportunities, challenging assumptions, evaluating risk, and helping determine the best financial course of action for the business.
The Finance Director will have oversight of the Controller and the accounting function, while maintaining a broader focus on financial strategy, forecasting, profitability, cash management, capital planning, commercial decision support, and overall business performance.
The Finance Director will also serve as a senior representative of Aztalan Bio with industry organizations, government officials, and other external stakeholders, supporting the Company’s broader strategic and industry interests.
Duties and Responsibilities
Qualifications
Work Environment & Physical Demands
Aztalan Bio LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Finance Director
Johnson Creek, WI
Position Overview
The Finance Director serves as the senior financial leader for Aztalan Bio and a key strategic partner to the CEO. This position is responsible for providing the financial leadership, analysis, recommendations, and execution needed to support sound business decisions and the continued growth and profitability of the organization.
Reporting directly to the CEO, the Finance Director will translate financial and operational information into clear recommendations and actionable business strategies. This role is expected to go beyond reporting financial results by identifying opportunities, challenging assumptions, evaluating risk, and helping determine the best financial course of action for the business.
The Finance Director will have oversight of the Controller and the accounting function, while maintaining a broader focus on financial strategy, forecasting, profitability, cash management, capital planning, commercial decision support, and overall business performance.
The Finance Director will also serve as a senior representative of Aztalan Bio with industry organizations, government officials, and other external stakeholders, supporting the Company’s broader strategic and industry interests.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as the CEO’s primary financial advisor, providing clear financial analysis, recommendations, and guidance to support strategic and day-to-day business decisions.
- Lead the company’s overall financial strategy, including annual budgeting, forecasting, long-term planning, and financial performance management.
- Provide forward-looking financial insight to the CEO and leadership team, identifying risks, opportunities, trends, and actions needed to improve business performance.
- Translate complex financial and operational information into clear recommendations that allow leadership to make informed and timely decisions.
- Evaluate major business decisions, capital investments, contracts, growth opportunities, and strategic initiatives from a financial, risk, and return-on-investment perspective.
- Partner closely with operations, commercial, commodities, engineering, and other departments to understand business drivers and identify opportunities to improve profitability and efficiency.
- Oversee and provide leadership to the Controller and accounting function, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, appropriate internal controls, and effective financial processes.
- Review monthly financial results, budgets, forecasts, and key performance indicators, ensuring significant variances and trends are understood and addressed.
- Lead cash flow forecasting, working capital management, capital planning, banking relationships, and the overall management of the company’s financial resources.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, control costs, strengthen cash flow, and increase overall financial performance.
- Develop financial models and scenario analyses to evaluate business alternatives and support both short- and long-term decision-making.
- Provide financial oversight and support for audit, tax, insurance, banking, and other financial or regulatory matters.
- Continuously evaluate and improve financial systems, reporting, processes, and tools to provide leadership with timely and meaningful information.
- Establish financial accountability throughout the organization by partnering with department leaders to understand budgets, costs, performance, and financial impact.
- Challenge assumptions and provide an independent financial perspective when needed, while working collaboratively with the CEO and leadership team.
- Take ownership of key financial initiatives from initial analysis and recommendation through implementation, execution, and follow-through.
- Serve as a key member of the leadership team and contribute to broader company strategy, growth initiatives, and organizational decision-making.
- Represent Aztalan Bio with key industry associations, including participation in Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) board meetings, conferences, and industry events.
- Represent the Company in meetings with elected officials, policymakers, industry leaders, and other external stakeholders on matters affecting Aztalan Bio and the renewable fuels industry.
- Monitor significant legislative, regulatory, and industry developments and communicate potential business and financial impacts to Company leadership.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field required.
- CPA, CMA, MBA, or other advanced financial qualification preferred but not required.
- Significant progressive experience in finance, accounting, FP&A, or financial leadership.
- Prior experience in a senior finance leadership position strongly preferred.
- Experience representing an organization with industry associations, government officials, community stakeholders, or other external partners preferred.
- Manufacturing, agriculture, ethanol, biofuels, commodities, food processing, or other process-manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, profitability analysis, capital investment analysis, and strategic financial planning.
- Experience leading or providing oversight to an accounting or finance team.
- Strong understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, internal controls, cash flow, and working capital.
Work Environment & Physical Demands
- Primary work environment is an office setting, however, occasionally will enter the plant environment
- Mostly sedentary, some light lifting of files, supplies, or equipment is required.
- Regularly required to walk, sit, talk, and hear.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Occasional exposure to high noise levels when in plant environment.
- Personal Protective Equipment such as safety glasses, steel-toed boots, flame-resistant clothing, and hearing protection may be required when in the plant.
- Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Aztalan Bio LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field
- Significant progressive experience in finance, accounting, FP&A, or financial leadership
- Prior experience in a senior finance leadership position
- Experience in a complex, operationally focused business environment
- Experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, profitability analysis, capital investment analysis, and strategic financial planning
- Experience leading or overseeing an accounting or finance team
- Strong understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, internal controls, cash flow, and working capital
- Strong understanding of commodity markets, market positions, and physical and paper hedging strategies
- CPA, CMA, MBA, or another advanced financial qualification
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The Company
What We Do
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