OVERVIEW
As a cutting edge group of technical consulting firms known for innovative problem-solving in the built environment, Constructive Technologies Group (CTG) has doubled in size over the past two years. Leveraging its strengths as a longtime leader in innovation in the Mechanical/Electrical/Energy engineering fields for buildings, CTG has emerged as a leader in sustainability and energy efficiency for the built environment, helping to create effective and innovative market responses to the “perfect storm” of business conditions that stem from growing concern over critical environmental issues (energy crisis, green revolution, global climate change). The company’s growth will continue for the foreseeable future with a projected 100% increase, incrementally, over the next five years, both in revenues and employees.
The role of Vice President of Internal Services/ Chief Financial Officer has been created to take the company’s infrastructure to the next level in meeting the demands of an increasingly complex financial and operating environment resulting from business expansion and the evolution to a multi-site operation. As a member of the top management team, this new role partners with the CEO and the other Vice Presidents in planning and strategizing the company’s objectives.
Reporting to this newly created position is the Internal Services Group (ISG) which provides critical financial, operational and administrative support to the company’s revenue generating activities, enabling CTG’s ability to achieve “client delight” as a premier provider of engineering consultation services.
The role calls for someone with entrepreneurial drive to respond to the challenges accompanying vigorous growth, yet who also brings the disciplined approach, financial acumen, strategic and systems oriented thinking, and relentless customer focus needed to cultivate an environment of operational effectiveness and administrative excellence that achieves with “internal clients” the same level of service and satisfaction that the company strives for in its external client relationships.
THE COMPANY
Mission Statement:
CTG’s mission is to make the world a better place through the practical application of innovative technologies, information and management to real-world buildings/real estate projects. Our goal in our projects is to bridge the gap between leading-edge concepts and real-world projects. Our goal for being part of the CTG team is to provide opportunities for personal development, technical entrepreneurship, and working with a team of passionate cohorts on projects that are cutting edge.
With five offices across the United States, CTG is a group of multi-disciplinary technical consulting firms dedicated to innovative problem-solving in the built environment. The company’s preferred role is “trusted advisor” to clients, helping them to formulate and implement strategic approaches to the issues on which CTG consults. CTG’s vision in its client relationships is to be a bridge between the leading edge and the practical, so as to enable clients to achieve the state-of-the-art in their businesses and projects in ways that are cost-effective and innovative. In other words, the company is committed to bringing to their assignments a unique combination of practical experience and innovative creativity.
Increased environmental awareness, particularly as it affects the built environment, has created tremendous opportunities for CTG. The company’s astute response to the needs and opportunities has resulted in dramatic growth – more than doubling since 2005. With many new directions for which the company sees market need and interest, all indicators point toward this growth as a continuing trend; in fact, the company finds that it consistently has more business opportunities than it can accept. CTG is responding strategically and carefully to the growth opportunities with which it is presented.
Founded in 1997, CTG built upon the industry-leading reputation developed by the company’s founder and CEO, Dr. Malcolm Lewis, in both forensic engineering and energy efficiency markets. With the heightened awareness in society of the critical need for sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment, and Dr. Lewis’s longstanding interest and growing expertise in this area, the Energetics group has experienced rapid growth reflecting the related market explosion.
As it has grown, the company has now been structured into two key operating divisions: CTG Forensics, Inc. and CTG Energetics, Inc., described below. CTG Enterprises, Inc., the holding company, provides multi-location support services to the operating divisions.
CTG Energetics focuses on sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings and communities, combining expertise in fundamental disciplines such as energy modeling, commissioning, and ecological design with leading edge tools and capabilities in carbon footprint analysis, LEED® implementation, and sustainable community modeling. Representative clients include building owners, developers, architects, engineers, agencies, et al. With broad inter-disciplinary capabilities, CTG Energetics is working on a number of the most significant green building projects in the world, and is recognized as one of the leading green building consulting firms in the US. This group is headed by a Vice President who was promoted from within the company several years ago.
CTG Forensics provides consulting relative to resolution of construction and design-related disputes in the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, cost estimating and scheduling disciplines. Working in close collaboration with attorneys, insurance carriers, contractors, project owners and others, the firm investigates failures in building systems and provides expert testimony at Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), deposition and trial. CTG Forensics is known as a leading expert witness firm in the US in its areas of expertise, and the firm has a growing national practice. This group is headed by a Vice President who was recruited from outside the firm two and a half years ago.
From its original base in Southern California, regional expansion of CTG’s office locations across the US has been both a contributor to and result of the company’s growth, reflecting the value of CTG’s national reputation and brand recognition as well as the regional diversity within its markets. Currently the company has five offices including its headquarters office located in Irvine, California, and other locations in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, Providence, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. The company is evolving from a “regional office” model to a multi-office entity, with its senior management structure under revision to reflect this change. Future developments will include a more prominent multi-office presence and, most likely, increased international exposure.
CTG has 60+ employees with 36 in Energetics (mostly project managers), nine in Forensics and the remainder in the holding company, including the administrative and internal operations functions that comprise Internal Services.
With the other forward-looking changes that have been made, the new VP-Internal Services/CFO role has been created to strengthen the company’s infrastructure in preparation for growth. The company is also consciously growing its technical staff not only to meet the enormous and unique opportunities created by growing environmental consciousness but to create the “next generation” of technical experts.
As the company looks ahead, overarching goals are to grow the firm’s capabilities (people, financial, operational) and business scale. Specific and measurable goals address developing new business areas, creating a formal “futures” component to business practices, intentionally encouraging CTG staff to pursue new concepts and business opportunities, investment of revenues in Research & Development, and annual assessment of the ongoing value of each line of business as it relates to other opportunities.
Four of the firm’s top strategic goals for 2008 are directly impacted by the new VP-Internal Services/CFO role:
- Develop a more formal approach to human capital management, including planning, recruitment, training and development, and retention efforts
- Increase collaboration across offices and service areas
- Manage and plan for growth
- Measure and improve performance at the “triple bottom line” (financial, environmental, social)
FOUNDER
CTG was founded by Dr. Malcolm Lewis, a consulting engineer with over 30 years of experience in the engineering design, analysis, and construction observation of mechanical and electrical systems of buildings. Dr. Lewis is an internationally recognized expert in both forensics and sustainable / energy-efficient building design. In addition to leading CTG, he is an experienced instructor, has served as director of the U.S. Green Building Council, is actively involved in the development of the LEED™ Green Building Rating system, has developed sophisticated interactive training software for the U.S. Department of Energy, and has been the Engineer of Record for hundreds of public- and private-sector new-construction and renovation projects totaling over 20 million square feet. He has provided forensics services in over 1000 construction-related cases. As a practicing engineer with a strong interest in advanced technologies, he has created an environment within CTG which honors both – leading to the company mission to bridge leading edge technologies with the real world practices of the built environment industry.
COMPANY CULTURE
CTG is a mission-driven company with triple bottom line business goals and is highly competitive in seeking business and winning awards. The company is committed to the highest levels of integrity and ethics in its relationships and all of its activities. Underlying the company’s success is a desire that transcends and yet influences its business objectives -- the desire to “make a difference.”
Dr. Lewis has set the tone for the company’s values. He is known in the marketplace for his truthfulness, integrity, and gracious style. He is committed to “taking the high road”, authenticity, honesty, and treating people fairly. Over the years, he has hired a diverse group of people that embrace and support the principles that comprise the company’s ethos.
The company culture is collaborative and supportive with a high degree of collegiality and respect for each other, a strong work ethic, mutual accountability, sincerity, openness and transparency. Individual team members are valued and help to define the future of the firm. Very little emphasis is placed on hierarchy or titles and the company is described by employees as having “no big egos.”
CTG breeds an entrepreneurial culture in which change is welcomed and embraced. Creative and innovative thinking are intentionally encouraged. In its recruiting, the company promises an opportunity not only to “think outside the box” but also to “work outside the box.”
The company attracts people who are passionate both about their work and about the environment. Many of CTG’s employees see working for this company as an opportunity to live out their values.
While CTG’s people work hard, significance is placed on work-life balance, family relationships and making CTG a fun place to work.
CTG formally states that “people are our primary asset and must be continuously nurtured, enhanced and protected.” The company’s vision with regard to its people is stated as: “CTG’s vision is to be one of the best firms in the world in which to work.”
The measures that the company uses for these commitments include: positive impact of one’s work on the planet, personal professional development, the working environment, sense of contribution to and involvement with the firm, ability to pursue and accomplish professional goals within the structure of the firm.
Two of the most recent and tangible steps taken to fulfill these goals include:
- CTG University, an internal training system to bring new recruits up to speed, assure that everyone has basic job knowledge and enhance professional growth and development. The “university” will also offer learning opportunities to clients, but the primary focus is on the CTG team.
- Recent adoption of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
One of CTG’s long-standing practices is to be a good citizen in the communities in which it does business. This includes not only geographic communities, but also professional communities. Each member of the CTG team is encouraged and supported in being a volunteer or leader in community activities, or in performing pro bono work for worthy organizations.
THE POSITION
The VP-Internal Services/CFO position was created to respond to the growing demand for a more sophisticated internal operating environment, along with more strategic financial management and planning in response to the challenges of growth.
This role will report directly to the President & CEO and will serve as a member of the Senior Management Team. The firm is structured so that CTG Enterprises, Inc., a holding company, provides support services to the operating divisions of CTG allowing these groups to perform with minimum distractions and maximum sense of effective support. As a Vice President of CTG Enterprises, this role is responsible for assuring that this support goal is met. The VP-Internal Services/CFO will function as part of a matrix management structure with the VP-Marketing who is also part of the holding company. Other peers include the VP-Energetics and VP-Forensics which head the two operating companies.
The VP-Internal Services/CFO will manage and integrate the daily support operations for the entire company, with direct oversight of the 15-member Internal Services Group upon which the smooth functioning of the entire consulting enterprise depends. ISG consists of: Administration, Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technologies, Marketing, Contracts/Legal, Insurance and Facilities.
The VP-Internal Services/CFO will direct ISG to achieve smooth operations and excellent inter-office communications and support. A primary focus of this position is to improve the ways the firm’s people and systems integrate and to facilitate delivery of a world class level of service to the staff and clients wherever they are located. The position will require identifying goals and metrics for performance of the internal services, and both devising and implementing a strategy for expanding the internal services capabilities as the overall firm grows.
As CTG has focused on the activities that have achieved the company’s leading edge reputation for outstanding client service, the needs for internal controls, information management, administrative and operational support and other aspects of a smoothly running environment have burgeoned. The new VP-Internal Services/CFO will arrive at a strategic time, addressing the existing needs before they become critical while strengthening the company’s ability to meet the challenges on the horizon.
A key challenge of this new role will be to first “catch up” ISG to meet the needs that have emerged with the company’s exciting and rapid growth, and then to maintain a robust Internal Services infrastructure that both keeps pace with the firm’s changing needs and facilitates the firm’s continued accelerated growth. One of the most immediate needs involves upgrading the company’s information technology function which supports the vital flow of information throughout the company.
In the company’s most recent strategic planning meeting, goals established specifically for ISG include:
- Optimize performance and cost-effectiveness of all overhead/support functions, whether provided by ISG staff or outsourced.
- Expand and accelerate the “process improvement” process to serve users’ needs better and to improve efficiency and “client delight”.
- Develop integrated approach to supporting and maximizing synergy of multiple offices, in support of goal that they “work effectively and synergistically as a unified consulting team.”
- Develop continuous approach to strategic planning, innovation, and organizational development.
As ISG advances under the direction of this newly created role, it has the opportunity to not only promote the company’s ability to provide world class service as it makes a difference in society, but to in itself become a world class service organization in meeting the needs of CTG staff, its “internal clients.”
Primary Responsibilities
The VP-Internal Services/CFO’s primary responsibility will be the effective management and integration of a set of Internal Services departments to meet the needs of all consultants regardless of their location. Given the firm’s recent evolution from a single-office entity to regional offices, and now to a multi-office firm where each office is a part of an integrated whole, there is a significant challenge in defining the support needs and capabilities of each office as part of the overall firm, and in delivering support services which address the needs of all.
As an equal responsibility, this role will also serve as the company’s Chief Financial Officer with overall responsibility for ensuring effective, timely and accurate financial management and reporting. A core emphasis of this role is on participating in the company’s overall strategic planning and assessment from a financial management and planning perspective.
The specific areas of focus and responsibility of this new position will include the following:
- Serve as part of the CTG senior management team, providing leadership and vision from financial and operational perspectives, to contribute to a strategic approach to operations, organizational structure and information flow and to anticipate the operations and administration requirements arising from new business initiatives and/or changing business dynamics
- In consultation with the CEO and other senior managers, develop financial, operational and administrative policies, objectives, and initiatives to support the organization’s effectiveness
- Oversee the company’s budgeting process in collaboration with other members of the senior management team, including preparation and review of the annual budget, ongoing monitoring and assessment of operating expenses relative to financial performance and recommending adjustments as needed
- Provide proactive financial and strategic analysis to support the senior management team in effective planning and decision-making; coordinate with and advise all levels of management on business management issues and planning
- Oversee and manage all internal operations functions, ensuring operational systems are continuously evaluated, appropriate and up-to-date; establish and codify processes and procedures for the efficient flow of information within the firm
- Provide CTG divisions and offices with the support needed to function efficiently, including driving decisions about centralized services vs. locally-procured services where more cost-effective and/or responsive to the needs of the various locations
- Direct Manager of Administrative Team to assure responsiveness to administrative needs throughout the organization, including accurate and timely completion of work, appropriate prioritization and integration of needs, well-managed workflow and overall smooth functioning
- Provide overall direction to the Controller to assure effective and efficient financial accounting, management, analysis and reporting, project accounting, treasury and cash management functions and tracking of key performance indicators, as well as meeting the regular and ad hoc financial information needs of the offices and divisions
- Direct Manager of IT to assure the smooth and cost-effective flow of information and telecommunications within the firm
- Direct Manager of Recruiting & Human Resources to ensure maximum effectiveness in meeting the company’s needs in terms of recruitment, employment, safety, training, benefits, and wage & salary administration
- Collaborate with VP Marketing to assure that the Marketing and Sales functions support the needs of the operating divisions
- Direct office managers in each CTG office regarding facilities maintenance and support
- Ensure provision of accurate, timely and actionable project management information; working with management team to effectively use this information to optimize the company’s performance
- Assess the impact of and ensure appropriate responsiveness to external changes and trends (i.e., legislation, regulatory requirements, economic developments, best practices, etc.) influencing the company’s financial management and reporting
- Coordinate with outside CPA firm on audit and tax issues and periodic reviews
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Education Requirements:
- Bachelors degree in Business, Finance, Accounting or equivalent; MBA (or other relevant graduate degree) is highly preferred, CPA is desirable, but not required
Minimum Experience Requirements:
- At least 15 years of business experience with 7+ years in people management
- Demonstrated success in proactively managing internal operations, administrative functions and all aspects of financial planning and management for a consulting or professional services firm with an overall employee size of 75 or greater
- Financial management responsibilities at the CFO or vice president of finance level including in-depth financial and strategic analysis, and implementation and oversight of financial management operations, procedures, systems and controls
- Participation as a key member of a senior management team, providing leadership and vision from a financial and operational perspective
- Successful experience supporting multiple teams and coordinating work in service firms with multiple offices with a high degree of responsiveness
- Successful management (and preferably implementation) of enterprise-wide information systems to facilitate multi-office collaboration and management of intellectual capital
- Experience in formulating policies and strategies to ensure effective operations, administration and information flow, with design and/or development of effective operational and administrative systems, processes and procedures
- Must have worked in a growing business (of a scale similar to or greater than CTG’s), demonstrating the ability to anticipate and respond to the requirements brought about by significant change
Preferred Experience:
- Successful experience functioning within a matrix organization
- Experience in an architecture or engineering firm, or organization involved in some aspect of building design, construction, engineering or development, environmental consulting or other form of engineering or construction, ideally involving energy-efficiency and/or sustainability
Skills and Abilities:
- Excellent management and organizational skills, with a proven track record of leading a team and achieving results
- Familiarity with organizational development and design
- Strong problem solving and analytical skills, with close attention to detail
- Ability to communicate effectively, articulately and at all levels of an organization, with the ability to make persuasive arguments and professional presentations
- Able to work in a dynamic multi-faceted environment with a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to proficiently multi-task
- Expertise in Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and with computer-based financial analysis
- Must be able to work well with senior technical managers to interpret and support their operational needs and gain their respect and trust
Personality Characteristics:
- Impeccable integrity and commitment to honesty, truthfulness and fairness in all dealings
- Entrepreneurial spirit and drive with an affinity toward change and growth
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and positive, can-do attitude
- Enjoys being part of a team
- Resonates with CTG’s goal of achieving “client delight”
- Strong internal desire for excellence
- Ideally, will be environmentally conscious and excited about CTG’s areas of focus
- Overall, values and personality which integrate with CTG’s culture and ethics, preferably with a passion for the environment and what CTG stands for
Discussion of Characteristics & Qualifications:
In addition to the character and personality attributes that contribute to a cultural fit, it is desired that the candidate make a connection with the entrepreneurial spirit found within the company. The person who fits best within this environment will have a strong desire for continually “going to the next level” of excellence, ability to gauge and take calculated risks, and a high level of flexibility and tolerance for change. The role calls for someone who is adept at change management, yet has an aversion to change-for-the-sake-of-change. This is someone who makes changes strategically, sensitively and judiciously with an excellent sense of timing and the ability to achieve buy-in.
As a fast growing organization propelled forward by a group of highly motivated, creative technical experts, this role requires an executive who can enter into an environment that does not have a lot of structure and internal controls in place, yet will be able to implement a appropriate structure and internal controls that are flexible enough to “walk a fine line” in uniquely maximizing the strengths of a creative and innovative environment while also increasing synergy, collaboration and sharing of resources and information between divisions, individuals and locations. The person who will be successful in this role will find enjoyment in creating an environment in which creative and innovative professionals thrive.
CTG is a lean organization. The VP-Internal Services/CFO will be a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves professional, while still being an executive level orchestrator.
The person most effective in this role, given the nature and “newness” of the role and the culture of the organization, will be someone who is a strong leader yet more collegial than autocratic or authoritarian, someone who is decisive yet not perceived as rash, someone who is persuasive in presenting ideas yet not perceived as “selling.” In this participative, team-oriented setting, leaders must be open to opinions and ideas, even encouraging feedback and input, yet able to express high expectations and to hold people accountable while creating a supportive environment. The role calls for wisdom, sound judgment, the ability to listen and to build consensus. In this environment, there is little emphasis on position or title; authority is based on effectiveness and expertise, and reinforced by authenticity, the ability to elicit trust and commitment to the company’s goals.
This new role is vitally needed and welcomed. Someone who demonstrates the desire to serve the needs of the operating groups and to do so with enthusiasm, competence, excellence and patience will find a ready reception at CTG.
THE LOCATION
The position is located in the Irvine, California offices housed in a modern industrial park off the Interstate 5 freeway. At 10,000 square feet, the company is outgrowing the facility and will move to another location in Irvine within the next year. The offices include classrooms for training seminars for clients and staff and an on-site laboratory/shop for forensics investigations. The company, as expected, is committed to creating a “green” environment within its offices, and its current Irvine office is certified as a LEED-Silver green building.
Irvine, California is the key business hub for Orange County, an outlying suburban section of the Los Angeles metro area, located between Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Irvine is a planned city, formally incorporated in 1971, encompassing 70 square miles. The city has a population of 202,079 as of 2007. Since 2005, it has held the title as The Safest City in the United States.
Irvine is home to two universities, several satellite campuses and a community college. It is also home to a number of corporations, particularly in the technology sector.
Orange County is also a recreation center with well-known attractions Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, sandy beaches for swimming and surfing, yacht harbors for sailing and pleasure boating, and extensive area devoted to parks and open space for golf, tennis, hiking, kayaking, cycling, skateboarding, and other outdoor recreation. It is often portrayed in the media as a quite affluent and politically powerful region. It is at the center of Southern California's Tech Coast.
Source: www.wikipedia.com
See also:
http://www.cityofirvine.org/
http://www.destinationirvine.com/
http://egov.ocgov.com/portal/site/ocgov/
COMPENSATION
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications
- Achievable performance bonuses
- Participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan
OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY
This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a financially stable and profitable, growing, entrepreneurial company in a newly created senior management role that will take the company to the next level in organizational effectiveness and operational efficiency.
CTG is an industry leader on the cutting-edge dedicated to “making a difference” as already demonstrated by significant contributions to the critical effort to conserve energy, protect the environment and to promote health and safety in the built environment. The company offers a setting that welcomes innovation and fresh ideas within an exceptional organizational culture that places high value on integrity and ethics, work-life balance, providing opportunity for meaningful work and professional growth and development, creating an enjoyable and supportive work environment, and giving back to the community.
This person in this position will have the satisfaction of making a decisive impact on the company’s future success while benefiting from a competitive salary and generous benefits program. |
