Chief Financial Officer — Newly Formed Private Equity-Backed Platform
Location: Tampa Bay, FL 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 newly formed private equity-backed platform company headquartered in the Tampa Bay metro area, is seeking a Chief Financial Officer. The platform was established through the sponsor's recent majority recapitalization of a well-established, long-time owner-operated business — the company's first institutional capital in its history. The founding ownership remains actively involved and has rolled significant equity into the new platform, and the sponsor has a clear plan to accelerate growth from a strong foundation.
This is a transition-era mandate. The company has performed well for years under private ownership, but its financial practices reflect that heritage: lean reporting, owner-driven decision-making, and limited formal planning. The incoming CFO will bridge two worlds — honoring the culture and relationships that built the business while installing the reporting, forecasting, controls, and financial leadership that institutional ownership requires. The CFO will be a steadying, credible presence for legacy leadership and employees, and the sponsor's trusted partner in translating a successful private company into a scalable, exit-ready platform.
Key Responsibilities
Institutional Transition & Professionalization
- Lead the company's financial transition from private, owner-operated practices to institutional-grade discipline, including its first sponsor-standard monthly close, board reporting package, and KPI framework
- Establish formal budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning where informal, owner-led planning existed before
- Implement internal controls, audit readiness, and documented policies appropriate for institutional ownership
- Work alongside legacy ownership and long-tenured staff with respect and transparency, building trust while raising the bar
Reporting, Planning & Decision Support
- Deliver reliable, timely financial reporting that gives the sponsor, Board, and management a clear view of performance
- Build visibility into margin, profitability, and unit economics across products, customers, and business lines
- Partner with the CEO and operating leadership on pricing, investment, and growth decisions, bringing analytical rigor to choices previously made on instinct and experience
- Develop scenario planning tied to the sponsor's value-creation plan
Finance Organization, Systems & Controls
- Assess, develop, and augment the existing finance and accounting team, adding capabilities in FP&A, reporting, and analysis while retaining institutional knowledge
- Evaluate the current systems environment and lead the selection and implementation of an ERP and financial technology stack that can scale with the platform
- Strengthen billing, collections, payroll, and procurement processes, reducing manual effort and key-person dependency
- Oversee tax, insurance, and risk management for the newly capitalized entity
Capital Structure & Sponsor Partnership
- Serve as the primary financial interface with the private equity sponsor, lenders, and the Board
- Manage the platform's new debt facilities, including covenant compliance, lender reporting, and banking relationships — disciplines new to the organization
- Implement cash flow forecasting and treasury operations suited to a leveraged, sponsor-owned business
- Support future add-on acquisitions, including diligence, valuation, and post-close integration
- Help shape the platform's long-term equity story and prepare the business for eventual value realization
The Ideal Candidate
Required Experience
- 12+ years of progressive finance leadership, including CFO, VP of Finance, or #2 finance experience in a private equity-backed company
- Direct experience guiding a founder- or family-owned business through its first institutional ownership — professionalizing reporting, controls, and planning post-recapitalization
- Demonstrated success upgrading finance teams, systems, and processes while retaining legacy talent and institutional knowledge
- Experience in a leveraged environment, including lender reporting and covenant management
- Strong command of U.S. GAAP, monthly close, consolidated reporting, and audit preparation
- Financial modeling and FP&A capability appropriate for sponsor and lender audiences
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
Preferred
- CPA and/or MBA
- Experience working alongside founders or family ownership who remain active in the business post-transaction
- ERP selection and implementation experience (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Buy-side M&A experience, including diligence and post-close integration
Personal Attributes
- High emotional intelligence — able to drive change in a proud, close-knit organization without breaking what makes it work
- Patient teacher and credible authority in equal measure, comfortable explaining the "why" behind new disciplines
- Hands-on builder willing to operate lean while the upgraded function takes shape
- Direct, trustworthy communicator who earns the confidence of the sponsor, the founders, lenders, and long-tenured employees alike
Compensation
- Competitive base salary of $300,000 – $400,000, commensurate with experience
- Annual performance bonus with a target of 35%–50% of base salary
- Meaningful equity participation in the platform, aligned with value created through growth and eventual exit
- Comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage and retirement plan with company match
