Director, FP&A and Strategic Finance | PE-Backed Services Business | Chicago Area (Hybrid)

About the company
Our client is a private equity backed services business with around $250M in revenue and operations in more than 15 states. It has grown quickly through acquisitions and serves public sector and commercial clients.

The role
This is the CFO's right hand on planning and strategic finance. The role is highly visible across the organisation and with private equity stakeholders. It isn't a traditional reporting job. The company has grown through acquisition and still runs largely on Excel. Your job is to bring together financial and operational data from across the business, work out what actually drives performance, and turn that into decisions leaders can act on. You'll also lead the effort to bring AI into how the business analyses and makes decisions.

The FP&A function is lean today. You'll hire your first analyst and build the team as the function grows.

What you'll own

• The annual operating plan, quarterly forecasts and long-range plan
• Reporting packages for the board, private equity sponsor and lenders, and the explanation behind the numbers
• Performance analysis with operations and commercial leaders, including pricing, margin and cost work
• Financial support on acquisitions, from diligence and modelling through integration and synergy tracking
• Building FP&A tools, data and processes, including putting AI to work in everyday analysis
• Data integrity and governance, working with the CFO and Controller

What we're looking for

• Roughly 6 to 10 years of progressive finance experience, including time leading FP&A or strategic finance
• Experience in a PE-backed company, ideally a multi-site or multi-entity business
• Real, hands-on use of AI, automation, analytics or BI tools in finance, with examples of what you built and what changed
• Advanced financial modelling and Excel, plus experience with ERP or financial systems
• Confidence presenting to senior executives, boards and investors
• Interest in a CFO track within private equity
• Degree in finance, accounting, economics or a related field. An MBA, CPA or CFA is a plus