Senior Manager, CFO Advisory - Strategic Finance & Interim Finance Leadership
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced finance professional to lead complex advisory engagements for private equity-backed portfolio companies. This role operates at the intersection of strategic FP&A, accounting stabilization, and systems transformation.
You will frequently step in as an interim finance leader (e.g., Interim VP of Finance or Director of FP&A) during critical post-acquisition transition periods. The ideal candidate does not strictly need to be a CPA but must possess a strong foundational understanding of accounting mechanics, the month-end close process, and general ledger architecture to effectively bridge the gap between historical accounting data and forward-looking operational finance.
Key Responsibilities
Interim Finance Leadership & Post-Acquisition Integration
- Act as the interim finance leader for PE-backed portfolio companies immediately following an acquisition or carve-out.
- Assess and stabilize the target company’s existing finance and accounting functions, identifying immediate resource, process, and data gaps.
- Serve as the primary liaison between the portfolio company’s operations team and the private equity sponsor.
Strategic Finance & FP&A Architecture
- Design and implement driver-based financial models, rolling 13-week cash flow forecasts, and annual operating plans (AOP).
- Develop automated, institutional-grade executive reporting packages and KPI dashboards for Board of Directors and PE sponsor reviews.
- Establish unit-level economics, cost-to-serve models, and margin analysis to support operational decision-making.
Accounting Operations & Systems Transformation
- Lead data hygiene initiatives to clean up messy historical accounting data, ensuring the general ledger can support advanced FP&A reporting.
- Drive systems transformation projects, including migrating legacy accounting software to scalable ERPs (e.g., NetSuite, Intacct) and implementing BI tools.
- Optimize and accelerate the month-end close process, moving clients from cash to accrual accounting where necessary.
Qualifications & Requirements
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Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in corporate finance, FP&A, or financial advisory, with direct experience operating within or advising private equity-backed companies.
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Accounting Acumen: A strong working knowledge of GAAP, general ledger mechanics, and the accounting close process. While a CPA is not required, the ability to navigate a trial balance and resolve accounting operational bottlenecks is mandatory.
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Systems Transformation: Proven experience participating in or leading finance systems implementations, data migrations, or reporting automation (e.g., ERP rollouts, Power BI/Tableau integrations).
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Technical Skills: Advanced financial modeling capabilities (Excel) and high proficiency in extracting and manipulating large datasets.
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Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage client engagements, lead cross-functional teams, and communicate complex financial concepts directly to C-suite executives and private equity investors.
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Agility: Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced, and unstructured post-transaction environments.
What you can expect from us:
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Our shared values that foster inclusion and belonging including uncompromising integrity, collaboration, trust, and mutual respect
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The opportunity to innovate and do work that motivates and engages you
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A collaborative environment focused on enabling you to further your career growth and continuous professional development
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Competitive compensation and a total rewards package that focuses on all aspects of your wellbeing
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Flexibility to do impactful work and the time to enjoy your life outside of work
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Opportunities to connect and learn from professionals from different backgrounds and with different cultures
Benefits Information:
Cherry Bekaert cares about our people. We offer competitive compensation packages based on performance that