Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the CFO will serve as a trusted financial advisor to the firm's Chair, Managing Partner, Executive Committee, and Board. The successful candidate will bring the commercial judgment, operational discipline, and executive presence required to guide financial strategy, optimize profitability, strengthen financial infrastructure, and support major investment and growth decisions.

Base Salary: $550,000–$750,000
Primary Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Alternative Locations: New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Palo Alto
Work Arrangement: Hybrid, three days onsite per week
Standard Workweek: 35 hours, with flexibility appropriate to an executive leadership role
Travel: Periodic travel to other firm offices and leadership meetings

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy & Executive Leadership

Serve as the firm's principal financial advisor, partnering with executive leadership on strategy, financial performance, capital allocation, and enterprise risk.
Help shape annual and long-term strategic plans, aligning financial priorities with firmwide growth objectives.
Evaluate investments in practice expansion, lateral partner recruitment, office growth, technology, real estate, and potential strategic combinations.
Present actionable financial insights to partners, management committees, and senior executives.

Financial Planning, Performance & Profitability

Oversee annual budgeting, multiyear financial planning, rolling forecasts, and scenario modeling.
Drive improvements in profitability, working capital, financial performance, and resource allocation.
Establish meaningful KPIs, executive dashboards, and financial reporting frameworks.
Partner with practice and office leadership to evaluate financial performance and growth opportunities.

Global Finance Operations & Governance

Direct accounting, financial reporting, tax, treasury, audit, payroll-related accounting, and internal controls.
Ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Oversee banking relationships, liquidity planning, capital management, and financial risk mitigation.
Maintain rigorous governance standards and protect confidential partner, client, and firm financial information.

Revenue Cycle & Financial Systems

Provide executive oversight of billing, collections, accounts receivable, work in progress, and revenue realization.
Improve cash conversion and financial efficiency through stronger controls, reporting, and accountability.
Lead modernization of financial systems, data architecture, business intelligence, and process automation.
Evaluate opportunities to leverage AI, predictive analytics, and emerging technologies responsibly within finance operations.

Leadership & Organizational Development

Lead and develop a sophisticated, multidisciplinary global finance organization.
Establish clear performance expectations, succession planning, and leadership development initiatives.
Build strong relationships across the firm's offices, practice groups, and administrative functions.
Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline; MBA preferred.
CPA designation strongly preferred, although equivalent executive financial leadership experience will be considered.
Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible financial leadership experience, including substantial experience advising executive leadership or governing boards.
Significant experience within an AmLaw 100 firm, international law firm, partnership, or comparably complex professional-services organization strongly preferred.
Comprehensive knowledge of law firm economics, including profitability, utilization, leverage, realization, working capital, and partner compensation structures.
Demonstrated success leading finance functions encompassing FP&A, accounting, treasury, tax, billing, collections, financial systems, and internal controls.
Experience driving organizational transformation, financial technology implementation, and operational improvements.

Plona Partners

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