VP of Finance

About Cooledge Lighting

Cooledge gives lighting a new role in the built environment: integral to design, unbound by fixtures and central to occupant wellness. The company transforms ceilings into light-emitting canvases that scale with ease and generate immersive, uniformly distributed illumination more closely resembling natural than artificial light while also incorporating innovative new ways to add a wide variety of accent and task lighting options.

With brands focused on delivering full system-level solutions encompassing finishes, acoustics, and lighting, Cooledge is at the forefront of creating more sustainable, higher performing environments to best serve people and how they feel, work, shop and interact in a space.

Cooledge luminous ceilings and architectural surfaces have transformed thousands of environments worldwide, including the offices, venues and retail properties of esteemed global brands.

The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and supported by a network of sales agencies and distribution partners throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

To learn more about our company, please check out our website at www.cooledgelighting.com.

Cooledge Core Values

In high-growth mode, Cooledge is voraciously results oriented, and keenly focused on performance excellence. The company practices four key tenets to help their team to stay focused on what is

important in this dynamic, fast‐moving environment:

• Ownership
• Accountability
• Integrity
• Transparency

Position Description:

Cooledge is at a critical stage of growth and is seeking an independent and highly operational finance leader who can serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and its management team. This finance leader will oversee all financial aspects of the company, including financial planning and analysis, strategic financial decision-making, and risk management.

Key Objectives/Responsibilities

• Provide Organizational Leadership: As a senior leader at Cooledge, be a role model for leadership of your team and the broader organization. Support the CEO in maintaining a high- functioning management team.
• Financial Strategy and Planning: Contribute strategically to the annual strategic planning and own the budgeting process. Develop and implement financial strategies aligned with the company’s long-term goals, including long-term financial models for the company’s business models and products.
• Oversee Financial Reporting and Analysis: Manage the company’s financial performance, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow management. Ensure appropriate monthly, quarterly and annual reporting to internal business partners, external constituents and regulatory bodies.
• Execute Capital Strategy: Support the CEO with strategic leadership and insight on potential future financing deals for the company, including acquisitions, corporate partnerships, and eventual equity exit options.
• Optimize the Tax Strategy: Ensure that the company has a successful tax strategy for its global operations and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Create and Monitor Internal Controls: Lead the process to examine internal controls, systems and reporting processes to ensure compliance with governing regulatory bodies and financial standards. Build substantial internal systems capability, to support centralized financial control systems.

Key Objectives/Responsibilities - Detailed

• Work effectively and build trusting relationships with CEO and the management team – contribute to company strategy, objectives and execution plan.
• Take strategic ownership for financial decisions that will facilitate robust processes, operational efficiencies and generate growth.
• Effectively lead, with a hands-on approach, the Finance Team in providing service excellence to internal and external customers, and suppliers.
• Coach and mentor the Finance and Administration Teams, including overseeing the day-to-day activities.
• Be a true business partner to all teams, providing insight and actionable improvements to the business to facilitate internal alignment, growth and cost efficiencies.
• Lead the budget and forecast processes, including preparation of reporting packages for the board of directors.
• Manage the treasury function, including cash flow, forecast and detailed financial modelling to ensure compatibility with company operations and growth objectives.
• Oversee the monthly financial statement close process and coordinate the timely and accurate preparation/review of the monthly financial reporting packages for management and other stakeholders.
• Lead the Business Process Improvement initiative in a cross functional team environment and provide ongoing recommendations for areas to improve efficiencies and reduce cost.
• Manage external business relationships, including banking, corporate counsel, auditors and tax advisors.
• Oversee and coordinate the external audit and tax compliance processes.
• Maintain an appropriate internal control framework and ensure policies and procedures are both being followed and updated as appropriate.
• Monitor risk management policies and procedures to ensure that program and organizational risks are minimized.
• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders to optimize tax structures for global operations in across multiple jurisdictions.
• Various ad hoc projects under the direction of the CEO.

Candidate Profile

Ideal Candidate Experience

• Has served as a VP of Finance or in a senior Finance leader role (5 to 10 years) in a fast-moving, international electronics, construction or other high tech industry.
• Operated in a complex supply chain environment involving international distribution (North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East).
• Proven track record of driving financial performance in high revenue growth environments.
• Experience with supporting the planning and execution process for mergers and acquisitions, including deal structuring and finance.
• Broad base of experience in finance, management, tax, accounting, control, treasury, partnerships and forecasting.
• Demonstrated experience in working with banks and other providers of capital in order to effectively structure the balance sheet and optimize working capital.
• Experience managing tax across a variety of international jurisdictions.

Leadership Attributes

• Resourceful, passionate and fully aligned to the mission of the organization.
• Fully committed to the organization and the team, devoting efforts and time to forward the company's values and goals.
• Confidently exhibits a “can-do” attitude and “get the job done” mentality, and prefers to be hands-on operationally
• Compassionate builder/leader of teams, open communicator and indisputable high integrity.
• Open, approachable and engaging who can easily relate to a broad spectrum of people, and understands and appreciates cultural differences.
• Highly collaborative and can serve as a true business partner to the CEO and the management team.
• Presents positions clearly and positively without being defensive, while remaining open-minded and willing to consider other viewpoints.
• Able to travel occasionally for business needs.

Education

• A professional accounting designation with a university degree. An MBA, Masters in Accounting or Masters in Finance is a definite asset.