Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: President
Salary Range: $115,000–$127,000 annually, commensurate with experience, plus discretionary bonus opportunities

The Source and Recruit Company has been retained to assist John A. Russell Corporation (JARC) in recruiting a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). All inquiries and candidate conversations will be handled confidentially.

About John A. Russell Corporation

John A. Russell Corporation (JARC) is a diversified Vermont-based organization with business interests spanning construction and senior living. Its construction operations generate approximately $12–15 million in annual revenue, with additional business interests in senior living communities.

With an established operating foundation, multiple business interests, and a long-term vision for transitioning leadership and ownership over the next decade, JARC offers an opportunity for a financial professional who wants to contribute beyond traditional accounting responsibilities.

The organization is also modernizing its financial infrastructure, including transitioning toward cloud-based accounting systems to improve reporting, accessibility, and operational efficiency.

Role Overview

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will serve as a trusted financial and strategic advisor to the President, overseeing the organization's core financial operations while helping guide its continued development.

This is a hands-on leadership position well suited to an experienced Controller, Finance Director, or accounting leader who has developed strong technical fundamentals and is ready to take on broader executive responsibilities.

The CFO's primary focus will be the construction business, including accounting operations, financial reporting, cash management, and financial systems. The position also provides financial oversight and advisory support to the organization's senior living interests, with opportunities to assume additional responsibilities as those businesses evolve.

An important near-term priority will be supporting the organization's continued transition from traditional accounting systems to a modern, cloud-based financial environment. The ideal candidate will be comfortable navigating both the technical and organizational aspects of that transition.

Beyond financial management, the CFO will have the opportunity to participate in executive-level decisions, operational improvements, business planning, and the organization's longer-term leadership succession strategy. For someone interested in building a lasting professional future, the position offers potential pathways into broader executive leadership and possible ownership participation as the business evolves.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management & Accounting Operations

Direct the organization's day-to-day accounting and financial management functions, with primary responsibility for its construction operations.
Oversee the general ledger, month-end and year-end closing processes, account reconciliations, and financial statement preparation.
Maintain accurate financial records and ensure accounting practices align with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
Manage cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial planning, and working capital requirements.
Oversee construction-related financial reporting, including job costing, project profitability, work-in-progress reporting, and cost-to-complete analysis.
Develop and refine financial reporting tools that provide leadership with timely, accurate, and actionable information.
Coordinate relationships with external accountants, financial institutions, insurance providers, and other professional advisors.

Financial Systems & Process Improvement

Support and advance the organization's transition to cloud-based accounting and financial management platforms, including its Sage Timberline and Sage Intacct environment.
Evaluate existing accounting workflows, reporting processes, and internal controls to identify opportunities for improvement.
Improve the consistency, accessibility, and reliability of financial information across the organization's business interests.
Develop practical systems and procedures that improve efficiency while maintaining sound financial oversight.
Help establish scalable financial processes that support the organization's future growth and evolving leadership structure.

Leadership & Cross-Business Collaboration

Provide direct leadership and oversight to the Office Manager and associated accounting and administrative functions.
Collaborate with bookkeeping personnel supporting the organization's senior living businesses, offering financial guidance, reporting support, and accounting expertise.
Help coordinate financial information and practices across related business entities while recognizing their distinct operational and accounting responsibilities.
Support the potential expansion of the finance function as additional business or bookkeeping responsibilities are brought under centralized financial leadership.
Serve as a knowledgeable, approachable resource to operational managers and other team members on financial matters.

Executive Management & Strategic Planning

Partner directly with the President on financial strategy, business performance, capital planning, and operational decision-making.
Provide financial analysis and recommendations that support business investments, growth opportunities, and risk management.
Participate in executive management discussions and contribute to decisions extending beyond the accounting function.
Help evaluate opportunities within the organization's construction and senior living business interests.
Contribute to long-term organizational planning, including the anticipated leadership and ownership transition over the coming decade.
Take a practical, solutions-oriented approach to addressing financial, administrative, and operational challenges.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
Minimum of five years of progressive accounting or financial management experience, including experience with meaningful responsibility for financial reporting and accounting operations.
Strong working knowledge of GAAP, financial statements, general ledger management, reconciliations, budgeting, and cash flow management.
Demonstrated experience working with modern accounting software or cloud-based financial systems.
Strong technical accounting fundamentals, with the ability to work independently and resolve complex accounting issues.
Experience supervising personnel, leading projects, or coordinating accounting functions across departments or business units.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to translate financial information into practical business recommendations.
The ability and willingness to remain hands-on in accounting operations while contributing at the executive management level.

Preferred Qualifications

Previous experience as a Controller, Finance Director, CFO, or in a comparable accounting leadership position.
Experience implementing, migrating, or optimizing cloud-based accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Familiarity with Sage Timberline, Sage Intacct, or comparable accounting platforms.
Experience with construction accounting, including job costing, work-in-progress reporting, and cost-to-complete accounting.
Experience supporting multiple business entities or working with diverse operating divisions.
CPA or CMA designation.
Experience contributing to strategic financial planning, operational improvements, or business succession initiatives.

Construction industry experience is not required. JARC welcomes candidates from other industries who bring strong accounting fundamentals, sound financial judgment, and the ability to learn industry-specific accounting practices.

Compensation & Benefits

JARC offers a compensation and benefits package that includes:

Base Salary: $115,000–$127,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
Bonus Opportunity: Discretionary performance-based bonus opportunities.
Health Insurance: 50% company-paid health insurance.
Paid Time Off: 3–5 weeks of combined time off (CTO), depending on applicable eligibility and experience, in addition to seven paid holidays.
Retirement: 401(k) plan with a 3% company matching contribution.
Work Arrangement: Flexible working arrangements, including the possibility of a hybrid schedule.
Career Development: Opportunities to expand responsibilities into executive management, additional business interests, and long-term organizational leadership.
Long-Term Opportunity: Potential ownership participation as the company considers its future leadership and ownership transition.

Work Schedule & Flexibility

JARC's standard office schedule is Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The organization is open to discussing hybrid arrangements. While a local presence and the ability to collaborate directly with leadership are valued, the ongoing transition to cloud-based systems creates greater flexibility in how work can be performed.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

For an accomplished accounting professional who is ready to move beyond a traditional Controller role, this position offers an opportunity to make a measurable impact without stepping away from the technical financial work that forms the foundation of effective leadership.

The next CFO will inherit an organization already progressing toward modern financial systems, have direct access to the President, and play a meaningful role in shaping financial operations and business decisions.

Perhaps most importantly, this is a position with a longer-term horizon. As JARC considers its future leadership and ownership structure over the next decade, the CFO will be positioned to contribute to those discussions and potentially grow into expanded responsibilities across the organization's business interests.

Candidates with strong accounting backgrounds, sound judgment, technological aptitude, and an interest in long-term executive development are encouraged to apply, including those whose experience has been gained outside the construction industry.

All inquiries and candidate conversations will be handled with the highest level of confidentiality.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

John A. Russell Corporation and The Source and Recruit Company are equal opportunity employers. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Qualified applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Russell Construction Services

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