Chief Financial Officer

About the Company

NPM Franchising, LLC is the franchisor for the EarthWise Pet brand family, with franchise locations nationwide and continuous annual expansion. The organization is progressing into a new phase focused on accelerating franchise development, enhancing unit-level economics across its brands, and establishing sustainable financial infrastructure to attract prospective partners, investors, and acquirers.

Position Summary

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will act as a strategic collaborator to the CEO and senior leadership, overseeing all financial strategies, franchise finance management, and scalable organizational growth. This leadership role requires hands-on involvement to develop and refine financial systems and reporting processes while strategically planning years ahead concerning franchise expansion, capital structure, and financial preparedness for long-term strategic decisions. The ideal candidate will have experience leading finance during rapid multi-unit growth and be adept at both high-level strategic financial planning and detailed execution.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop and own the financial strategy, including yearly budgets, long-term financial planning, and capital allocation.
• Collaborate closely with the CEO and President/COO on growth strategies, potential brand or market expansions, and critical investment decisions.
• Lead and build a finance and accounting team capable of supporting a growing multi-brand franchise and retail network.
• Work with Franchise Development and Support teams to model unit economics and update financial assumptions for the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
• Assess franchise fee structures, royalty models, and incentive programs to balance franchisee profitability and franchisor revenue enhancement.
• Support due diligence and structure financial frameworks for multi-unit and area representative franchise agreements.
• Partner with retail operations to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), develop new KPIs as needed, and adjust operations accordingly.
• Oversee purchasing and vendor relationships to assist operations in significant decision-making and procurement planning.
• Hold profit and loss responsibility for company-operated retail locations, including budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing variances.
• Implement and enforce store-level financial controls such as cash handling, point-of-sale reconciliation, inventory shrinkage mitigation, and loss prevention.
• Monitor retail store performance, identify underperforming units, and lead corrective actions with operations leadership.
• Standardize accounting policies, reporting schedules, and internal controls across all stores ensuring consistency and readiness for audits.
• Manage cash flow rigorously at store and portfolio levels, including working capital optimization, management of vendor terms, and inventory investment.
• Oversee month-end close processes and analytical reviews; provide prompt, accurate financial reports and KPIs to executive leadership and board members.
• Develop scalable financial planning and analysis (FP&A) processes, forecasting models, and dashboards aligned with unit growth.
• Monitor changes in accounting standards and guide the accounting team accordingly.
• Establish robust internal controls and processes to ensure audit preparedness across all entities and brands.
• Manage banking relationships, credit facilities, and working capital to support company growth.
• Build comprehensive financial reporting infrastructure and prepare historical performance narratives to facilitate future capital raising, partnerships, or company transactions.
• Advise executive management and board on capital structure decisions as the organization scales.
• Ensure compliance with franchise disclosure regulations, tax laws, and multi-state financial requirements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal, Franchise Development, Marketing, and Operations leadership.
• Manage insurance, risk assessments, and vendor relationships affecting the company’s financial health.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of progressive leadership experience in finance, including at least 3 years as CFO, VP of Finance, or equivalent senior finance role.
• Strong foundation and experience in technical accounting.
• Preferred background in franchise systems, multi-unit retail, or brand licensing.
• Proven success in developing financial infrastructures during periods of rapid growth.
• Experience preparing companies for capital raises, recapitalizations, or acquisitions is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cash flow and liquidity within capital-constrained environments, including expertise in working capital discipline and negotiating with vendors or creditors.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related disciplines; CPA or MBA credentials are advantageous.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of engaging effectively with executives, franchisees, and board members.