Position: Chief Financial Officer
Company: FirstFruits Farms
Location: Prescott, Washington (close proximity to the Tri Cities)
Reporting Relationship: Reports to the CEO and works closely with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which is the sole shareholder.
About FirstFruits:
For over 40 years, FirstFruits Farms has consistently been a leader and innovator in the tree fruit industry. With over 7,000 planted acres (apples and cherries), FirstFruits is one of the largest tree fruit businesses in the United States. The company is vertically integrated, with operations spanning across growing, harvesting, storing, packing, shipping and sales & marketing. FirstFruits grows a number of different varieties both conventionally and organically, including proprietary varieties such as Opal®, SweeTango® and Rave™. Recently, FirstFruits expanded its operations into Michigan, through the acquisition of Applewood Orchards, a vertically integrated apple business. This transaction provides FirstFruits with an unmatched national footprint allowing FirstFruits to supply its customers with local produce sourced from both the west and east coast of the United States.
Key Responsibilities
The Chief Financial Officer is a key role within the organization and will assist the CEO, senior management team, and Ontario Teachers’ on financial strategy and fiscal operations. The CFO will lead a team of eight accounting members and have oversight of the company’s financials, including budgeting and reporting. He/she will play a critical role in enhancing FirstFruits’ accounting and finance systems and processes. The CFO will be expected to work with the CEO and the senior management team to provide leadership on fiscal matters with the objective to improve accounting systems, including monthly reporting and annual budgeting processes.
The CFO will need to quickly gain an understanding of the business and establish relationships with the senior management team. The CFO will need to improve the finance and accounting processes and support the organization's need for timely, consistent and accurate financial information that improves the company's financial performance. Working with department managers to help identify and track fiscal performance, the CFO will establish credibility throughout the organization.
More specifically, key responsibilities will include:
- Lead the financial strategy, including management and development of financial policies, procedures, systems, and a variety of dashboard reports with the objective to support FirstFruits’ strategic objectives.
- Direct involvement with department managers to prepare timely budgets, forecasts, updates and analysis. This process should reflect the organization's strategic and operational objectives.
- Develop and maintain best practices for budgeting, reporting, financial analysis, accounting, cost control, auditing, financial modeling, treasury and taxes.
- Maintain financial cost control and procedures to ensure that all financial activities are conducted with the highest integrity and fiscal responsibility.
- Establish, review and promote a cost structure that optimizes productivity and margins without sacrificing business performance.
- Develop, manage and direct the company's long-term financial plans in partnership with CEO and senior management team. Monitor current actions of the accounting team to ensure continued improvement and success.
- Oversee financial and accounting integration of recent business combination (Applewood Orchards) into FirstFruits reporting and processes.
- Oversee a cash management strategy based on clear parameters for risk tolerance and liquidity.
- Lead preparation of year-end audited financial statements and tax return filings.
- Oversee a formal process for assessing and managing the organization's risk, as well as compliance with key policies and procedures. Advise on appropriate risk level for the company and the leverage ratio.
- Improve analytical rigor and metrics for forecasting with the other entities and departments. Provide analysis of the current financial situation, forecasts, and economic outlook. Assist in the development of initiating benchmarks and metrics to better forecast company performance and direction.
- Manage the Accounting Department, including the following activities: company financials and their integrity, cash management (AP and AR), audit and tax processes, financing arrangements and relationship with lenders. Work with the senior management team to maintain appropriate risk and health management tools: property, casualty, liability, medical and workers' compensation.
- Support a culture of integrity, ethics, transparency and continuous improvement. Earn the respect of his or her peers, subordinates, and superiors for his or her integrity, ethics, moral compass, and ability to work as a contributing team member
Professional Experience/Qualifications
The ideal CFO candidate will be recognized as an executive that leads by example, is hands on and a team player who brings a strong accounting foundation with experience as a senior finance/accounting leader in the agricultural and/or agricultural-related industry. He/she will have at least 10-plus years of relevant experience with increasing responsibilities in finance and accounting, coupled with at least five-plus years of supervisory experience, with an increasing scope of responsibilities.
He/she will have developed strong finance, accounting and managerial skills that will enable them to assist and enhance the accounting capabilities at FirstFruits.
- The likely candidate will have had proven experience leading a finance team within an organization known for strong financial and operational excellence in a business with similar challenges, opportunities, and footprint.
- The CFO will have experience consolidating financial results of multiple operations and enhancing financial infrastructure to increase financial performance visibility to help facilitate decision-making.
- Driven to see tangible results and will collaborate with others to achieve them.
- Humble executive that will be a good listener who seeks out and hears the point of view of others but not afraid to voice his/her own concerns.
- Outstanding team member and collaborator across entities and departments as well as with the senior management team and Ontario Teachers’.
- Flexible decision-making style: must be capable to initiate and participate in team-based discussions and decision making, utilizing the best available information and data.
- Experience in creating and managing external partner relationships; strong negotiating skills.
- Results oriented; able to understand business requirements and provide solutions under budgetary constraints.
- Engaging leader with a desire and proven ability to communicate with people at all financial knowledge levels; ability to generate meaningful reports to update senior management team and department managers.
- Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize urgent and less-urgent tasks and business matters.
- Significant general accounting and budgetary experience.
- Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant
- Highly effective, inclusive and engaged leadership; ability to coach and develop accounting talent.
- Outstanding business acumen, balancing financial strategy with day-to-day fiscal excellence.
Benefits:
- Annual salary range of $200,000 - $230,000 (based on experience)
- Annual incentive plan bonus tied to company and individual performance
- Paid time off – vacation, sick and holidays
- Medical, dental, vision, long term disability & life insurance are all available with FirstFruits paying a significant portion of the monthly premium
- Onsite medical clinic and daycare
- College scholarship program for family members
- 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions
FirstFruits Farms is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $200,000.00 - $230,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work setting:
Work Location: In person