Do you enjoy building in an entrepreneurial, fast‑growing company? Do you have hands‑on experience building a finance function from the ground up? Have you modernized systems, tightened processes, and scaled a services business by strengthening the foundation to drive growth? This mandate calls for a CFO who is energized by transformation and ready to lead systems modernization and operating upgrade.
Sussex Strategy Group is entering one of the most exciting chapters in its history. Fengate Private Equity recently made a strategic investment in Sussex to support its next stage of growth across Canada expanding its footprint and investing in people, platforms, and technology. To do so, Sussex is seeking a hands‑on, transformational Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to build a modern finance function, unlock real‑time insights, and architect the systems and processes that will power the expansion.
This is not a maintenance role. This is a build and scale mandate at a pivotal moment for a fast‑growing professional services organization. It calls for an experienced finance leader who is energized by transformation and committed to true partnership with the business. The CFO will work closely with Sussex leadership and Fengate to build a scalable, data‑driven finance function that supports organic expansion and future M&A.
This is a unique opportunity to join one of Canada’s premier public affairs and strategic communications firms, with integrated capabilities across government relations, strategic communications, and digital advocacy. The CFO will play a central role in shaping the financial backbone of the organization leading consolidation, reporting, treasury, and M&A integration while supporting strategic decision‑making at the highest levels.
What Needs to Get Done
This is a high-impact role for a finance leader who thrives in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments and is passionate about driving excellence and change the right way.
Ask yourself:
- Do you enjoy building and modernizing the finance function and platform?
- Are you deeply familiar with the ERP, Professional Services Automation (PSA) and finance tool options available today? Are you comfortable leading IT tool selection, requirements and implementation?
- Are you curious about AI and other emerging tools and capable of applying them thoughtfully to enhance finance workflows and analysis?
- Are you focused on operational excellence, and have you improved processes to reduce time, effort, and manual work?
- Can you confidently lead a team through change while collaborating closely with the business?
- Do you bring a bias for action, a roll-up-your-sleeves mindset, and a passion for getting things done?
- Are you excited to step into an entrepreneurial environment where you can make an immediate impact, be recognized for your contributions, and build meaningful long-term value?
If these questions resonate with you, and you’re ready for a role that blends technical depth with strategic influence, this may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
What you will be responsible for:
- Lead the finance function: evaluating the current state and developing the plan to improve it.
- Lead the IT function: evaluating the current state and quickly developing future state and the plan to get there.
- Identify and apply AI and emerging tools to streamline finance processes and improve analytical insight.
- Streamline core operations by reducing month-end close, improving billing processes, and implementing controls, redundancy, and cloud-based backup to strengthen risk management.
- Build real-time reporting tools to drive productivity, profitability, and strategic decision-making.
- Implement forecasting, KPI dashboards, and operational analytics that leadership can rely on.
- Improve revenue visibility by client, practice area, project, and consultant.
- Set the tone as a collaborative, trusted partner to the senior leadership team.
- Partner closely with the PE fund on reporting, governance, and value creation.
- Support strategic organic and inorganic growth initiatives, including M&A.
What you Bring to the Table:
- Experience in professional services or consulting/advisory firm, where managing billable time and utilization are central
- End-to-end leadership of a system modernization and/or ERP transformation.
- Experience scaling a finance function in a PE-backed, entrepreneurial, and fast-growth environment
- Practical, operational finance skills across billing, payables, reporting, and FP&A
- CPA designation, with audit training being preferred
What Does Success Look Like:
- A modern, scalable finance infrastructure enabling smooth operations, accurate data, and timely information.
- Leadership has timely, accurate visibility into performance, trends, and risks through streamlined reporting and dashboards.
- Forecasting, budgeting, and KPI reporting run as reliable, repeatable processes that drive data‑based, forward‑looking planning.
Why is this the Right Fit For You:
- You’re a data‑driven leader who turns insights into action and impact.
- You thrive as a strategic finance partner, working closely with leadership to drive clarity, performance, and change.
- You bring strong technical finance skills and can translate numbers into clear, commercial narratives that guide decisions.
- You’re energized by speed and accountability, producing high‑quality work quickly and consistently.
- You’re a self‑starter with a bias for action, known for taking ownership whether automating reporting or rebuilding core processes.
- You excel in lean, high‑performing environments and don’t need large teams or heavy processes to get things done.
This is a rare opportunity for a high-performing finance leader who thrives in a strategic yet hands-on role with wide-ranging impact. You’ll play a central role in the company’s financial leadership, designing the frameworks, intelligence, and capabilities that enable the next chapter of growth.
If this aligns with where you want to go next, please apply in confidence at your earliest convenience.
