Interim CFO (Confidential | Private Equity Portfolio Company)
Position Overview
Vaco is conducting a highly confidential search for an Interim Chief Financial Officer on behalf of a private equity-backed, mid-market consumer services company headquartered in the Southeast. This organization is undergoing an ownership transition and is seeking an experienced finance executive to provide immediate leadership, strengthen financial operations, and serve as a strategic business partner to the executive team and investors.
The Interim CFO will play a critical role in helping the organization strengthen its finance function within a private equity operating environment. This individual will be responsible for improving financial visibility, enhancing performance reporting, driving accountability across the organization, and ensuring the company is positioned for continued growth and operational improvement. The engagement is expected to last approximately six months, with the potential for consideration for a permanent role.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Finance & Executive Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team, providing actionable financial insights to support strategic decision-making.
- Translate financial performance into meaningful business recommendations and operational priorities.
- Partner with ownership and leadership to establish a finance function aligned with private equity expectations and value creation initiatives.
- Drive a proactive, data-driven approach to forecasting, performance management, and business planning.
Financial Leadership & Reporting
- Oversee all accounting and finance operations, ensuring timely, accurate, and decision-useful financial reporting.
- Enhance EBITDA-focused reporting and KPI visibility across the organization.
- Strengthen forecasting, budgeting, and cash flow management processes.
- Establish reporting packages and financial analytics that provide clear insight into business performance, profitability, and operational drivers.
- Improve communication and consistency of financial information between management and stakeholders.
Operational Improvement & Value Creation
- Partner cross-functionally to identify and execute operational improvement opportunities.
- Develop financial transparency around product, customer, and business unit profitability.
- Support cost optimization initiatives and performance improvement programs.
- Drive accountability throughout the organization by implementing effective measurement and reporting frameworks.
- Ensure finance serves as a collaborative business partner across operations, supply chain, marketing, technology, and other functional areas.
Team Leadership
- Mentor and develop the existing accounting and finance team.
- Evaluate current processes, controls, and organizational structure, identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Introduce best practices associated with high-performing private equity-backed organizations.
- Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Cash Flow & Liquidity Management
- Maintain a strong focus on cash management and working capital optimization.
- Provide leadership around liquidity planning and seasonal cash flow requirements.
- Ensure adequate visibility into future cash needs and operational funding requirements.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Required Experience
- Prior CFO experience at a private equity-backed company with revenues in excess of $100million.
- Demonstrated success leading finance functions for mid-market organizations.
- Strong understanding of private equity reporting, value creation plans, KPI management, and EBITDA-focused performance measurement.
- Experience partnering closely with executive leadership teams and investors.
- Proven ability to quickly assess situations, establish credibility, and drive results in an interim capacity.
- Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate strategically while remaining engaged in execution.
Preferred Experience
- Background within multi-location, multi-unit, retail, hospitality, consumer, franchised, or distributed service environments.
- Experience leading organizations through ownership transitions, business transformations, or operational improvement initiatives.
- Track record of improving financial reporting, forecasting, and business analytics.
- Experience supporting organizations with significant seasonality, inventory complexity, or operational scale.
Leadership Characteristics
- Highly collaborative and effective cross-functional partner.
- Strong communicator capable of influencing executives, investors, and operational leaders.
- Bias toward action and problem-solving.
- Proactive, accountable, and results-oriented.
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments undergoing change and transformation.
- Skilled at building trust while driving organizational accountability.
Engagement Details
Position: Interim Chief Financial Officer
Duration: Approximately 6 months
Location: Southeast U.S. (significant on-site presence required)
Compensation: $7,000 - $8,000 per week plus travel expenses
Start Date: Immediate availability preferred
About the Opportunity
This engagement offers the opportunity to work directly with executive leadership and investors during a pivotal stage of the company's evolution. The Interim CFO will have a meaningful impact on financial performance, operational effectiveness, and the continued professionalization of the organization while helping establish the foundation for long-term value creation.
Desired Skills and Experience
CFO, Private Equity
Equal Opportunity NoticeHighspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR@vaco.com .
Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.
Representation NoticeBy submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.
Privacy NoticeVaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.
- California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
- Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
- Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
- Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
- Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.
Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.
Pay Transparency NoticeDetermining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
· the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
· licensure and certification requirements;
· office location and other geographic considerations; and
· other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).
