CFO

The Company

Oceano Fresco is a sustainable seafood company using innovative aquaculture techniques to grow high-quality bivalve species. We believe it is possible to regenerate nature by changing the way we eat and the way we farm. We farm native European species currently in decline and threatened by exotic and invasive species yet highly sought-after and with scarce supply. With our vertically integrated operations we can farm in a sustainable traceable and scalable way. It includes our hatchery at our state-of-the-art BioMarine Center (Nazar Portugal) and the worlds first open-sea clam farm (off the coast of Algarve Portugal) where bivalves are fed with naturally available microalgae in the Atlantic. All this is made possible by our dedicated team of scientists that lead our R&D and selective breeding programs awarded a Seal of Excellence by the European Commission. The underlying breakthrough comes from the actual biology of low trophic animals like bivalves. With no major negative inputs (artificial feed antibiotics fresh water) and several positive outputs (CO2 capture in the shells water filtering and the shelter effect of our open-sea farm) bivalves are an obvious yet largely untapped protein source. We can supply both adults for consumption and seeds to other producers. Our commitment to customers is to provide a reliable all year-round supply and business partnerships that grow consumption of premium bivalves across Europe. Our multinational team blends deep technical experience with an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for the Oceans.

The Company has been funded by its founders public grants and venture capital who share our paradigm-shifting vision of a true Blue Economy for Europe and the World.


Responsibilities

• Financial planning & budgeting: Lead the high-level financial planning including Business Plan ownership but also its operationalization throughout the Company.
• P&L Management & Forecast: Be the Companys guardian for top- and bottom-line growth. Deliver the annual targets report deviations during the year and propose corrective actions as early as possible. Lead the P&L forecast and goal-setting for current FY and future FY.
• Cash flow management: Lead the planning and of the Companys cash flow including expense internal controls payments & receivables debt & grants management and insurance coverage.
• Financial Statements: Oversee and govern the timely preparation of financial statements (including tax) and reports for investors the external auditors the Companys audit committee and public authorities.
• Fund Raising: Coordinate the ongoing funding plan (equity debt grants) and support the Board and CEO in the upcoming fund-raising rounds.
• Grants: Coordination of grants applications and payments submission on time and quality.
• Business Information System: Lead the design and implementation of the accounting finance projects and HR modules within the company Entreprise Resource Planning system.
• Expansion & Productivity: Lead the planning & of all CAPEX plans (incl. risk management and right phasing) and all Productivity plans (for year-on-year margins improvement).
• Statutory Leader: Ensure ongoing compliance to the Shareholders Agreement Board Agreement Investors and Loan Agreements. Support Board on minutes and all statutory related matters.
• HR Leader: Be the Companys HR leader for the foreseen years. With this the CFO is expected to setup all new internal processes and ensure employee adherence. The CFO is also expected to execute the Companys Stock Options Bonuses and Recruitment plans. Also to govern all employee labour related agreements (hiring termination and litigations) and manage the implementation of employee benefits (company car insurance mobile phones etc.. External teams to be used for support.
• Team management: Lead direct reports in the Finance & Accounting team including recruitment coaching and management aspects so to create a high-performing F&A team.
• Leadership & Impact: Contribute beyond the pure F&A responsibilities and as a senior executive provide broad impact with leadership influence and a culture of trust for the Company

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in finance roles with proven career progression in Portugal and abroad.
• Experience as finance director or finance deputy director ideally in start-ups or scale-ups.
• Track-record in leading and building finance teams as well as governance processes and systems
• Track-record as member of a Management Team or of working with C-Level Ideally experienced with food businesses models.
• Expertise across all areas of finance (accounting treasury planning and control tax P&L management etc) administrative and legal.
• Experience with fund raising and specifically managing public grants (local and European).
• Basic understanding of human resources function specifically administrative and legal aspects.
• Knowledge of ERPs and other finance and administrative management programs.
• Ambition to play the lead role in building an innovative food player and helping to scale it.

Key success factors

• Knowledge across all finance-functions to be able to be able to act as effective day-to-day CFO.
• Experience with raising and managing grants.
• Interpersonal skills enabling him/her to manage effectively stakeholders at the different levels of the organization from the farm worker to the Board of Directors.
• Hands-on and entrepreneurial drive/ownership mentality.
• Results and change results-oriented mind-set with capacity to get things done.
• Ability to scale the finance function over time in li