Chief Financial Officer — Private Equity-Backed Platform Company
Location: Philadelphia Metro Area (on-site/hybrid, with regular presence at company headquarters) Reports to: Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors Type: Full-Time, Executive Leadership
The Opportunity
Our client, a prominent private equity firm, is seeking a Chief Financial Officer for one of its platform companies headquartered in the Philadelphia metro area. This is a hands-on, high-impact opportunity for an operationally minded finance executive to lead a business through a critical phase of integration, restructuring, and value creation — with a planned transaction event within the next 24 months.
The company has completed multiple acquisitions that currently operate on separate financial systems and processes. The incoming CFO will lead the integration of these businesses onto a unified platform, build out a scalable finance organization, drive operational restructuring, and prepare the company for a successful exit. The CFO will work closely with the CEO, the private equity sponsor, and the Board, and will have significant equity participation in the outcome.
Key Responsibilities
Integration & Systems Consolidation
- Lead the integration of acquired companies onto a single ERP and consolidated financial reporting platform, including chart of accounts standardization, close process alignment, and data migration
- Establish one source of truth for financial and operational reporting across all business units
- Harmonize accounting policies, billing, AP/AR, payroll, and procurement processes across legacy entities
- Identify and capture cost synergies across the combined organization
Restructuring & Operational Improvement
- Assess the current cost structure and lead restructuring initiatives to improve profitability and cash flow
- Develop and execute margin improvement, working capital optimization, and cost rationalization plans
- Build rigorous 13-week cash flow forecasting and liquidity management disciplines
- Partner with operations leadership to instill financial accountability across the business
Finance Department Buildout
- Design, recruit, and develop a right-sized finance and accounting organization, including Controllership, FP&A, and transactional accounting functions
- Implement scalable processes, controls, and systems appropriate for an institutional-quality, exit-ready company
- Establish a reliable monthly close, board reporting package, and KPI dashboard
- Upgrade budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning capabilities
Transaction Readiness & Sponsor Relations
- Prepare the company for a transaction within the next two years, including sell-side readiness, quality of earnings preparation, and data room buildout
- Develop the financial narrative, historical bridge analyses, and pro forma models that support valuation
- Serve as the primary financial interface with the private equity sponsor, lenders, and the Board
- Manage banking relationships, credit agreement compliance, and covenant reporting
- Support any additional add-on acquisitions, including diligence, valuation, and post-close integration planning
The Ideal Candidate
Required Experience
- 12+ years of progressive finance leadership, including prior CFO or #2 finance experience in a private equity-backed company
- Demonstrated success leading post-acquisition integrations, including consolidating multiple entities onto a common ERP and reporting platform
- Hands-on restructuring and turnaround experience — cost takeout, cash management, and operational improvement in a performance-driven environment
- Track record of building or substantially rebuilding a finance department, including hiring and developing teams and implementing processes and systems
- Transaction experience on the sell-side and/or buy-side: exits, recapitalizations, refinancings, or sale processes, including quality of earnings and diligence management
- Strong command of U.S. GAAP, financial modeling, and lender/covenant reporting
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
Preferred
- CPA and/or MBA
- Experience taking a founder-led or multi-entity business through professionalization to a successful exit
- ERP implementation or migration leadership (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, or Oracle)
- Prior experience working directly with private equity sponsors and boards
Personal Attributes
- Roll-up-your-sleeves operator comfortable moving between strategy and detail
- Decisive and comfortable driving change in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Clear, direct communicator who builds credibility quickly with sponsors, lenders, and operating teams
- High sense of urgency and ownership, with the resilience to lead through a demanding value-creation plan
Compensation
- Competitive base salary of $350,000 – $450,000, commensurate with experience
- Annual performance bonus with a target of 40%–60% of base salary
- Meaningful equity participation in the platform, aligned with the value created at exit
- Comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage and retirement plan with company match
