Senior Associate

Job Description

Senior Associate – Executive Search | CFO & Finance Leadership

Location: Manhattan, NY or Stamford, CT

Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 3 days per week in the office

The Opportunity

An established, nationally recognized executive search boutique is seeking a Senior Associate to join its specialized CFO practice.

With more than 25 years of experience advising leading organizations on senior financial leadership appointments, our client has developed longstanding relationships with Fortune 500 companies, private equity sponsors, and privately held businesses across a broad range of industries.

This opportunity is particularly attractive to an experienced search professional who wants to move beyond traditional research and execution into a more consultative, client-facing role, with the longer-term ambition of developing and managing their own business.

Working alongside accomplished search partners, you will gain exposure to sophisticated executive mandates, participate directly in client engagements, and develop the commercial skills necessary to build a successful career in executive search.

About the Business

Our client is a highly specialized executive search firm focused on identifying and recruiting senior financial executives across the Office of the CFO.

Its reputation has been built on deep functional expertise, rigorous candidate assessment, and a relationship-driven approach to executive recruitment. Rather than operating as a high-volume recruitment business, the firm emphasizes thoughtful advisory work, personalized service, and long-term partnerships with clients and candidates.

The practice advises organizations on appointments including:

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• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
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• Divisional and Regional CFO
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• Chief Accounting Officer (CAO)
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• Corporate Controller
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• Vice President of Finance
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• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) leadership
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• Treasury, Tax, and Investor Relations executives
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• Other senior financial leadership positions
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The firm's boutique structure creates an environment where Associates work directly with experienced partners and gain meaningful exposure to both the strategic and execution sides of executive search.

Your Responsibilities

Lead Research, Talent Identification & Candidate Engagement

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• Develop comprehensive market maps and identify senior finance executives across relevant industries and ownership structures.
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• Engage passive executive talent through targeted outreach and relationship development.
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• Conduct candidate interviews, evaluate professional backgrounds, and assess technical qualifications, leadership capabilities, and cultural alignment.
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• Prepare detailed candidate profiles, market intelligence reports, and client presentations.
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• Coordinate searches through the full recruitment lifecycle, including shortlisting, interviews, referencing, offer negotiations, and completion.
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Contribute to Client Advisory & Search Strategy

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• Partner with senior search professionals to understand client organizations, business priorities, and leadership requirements.
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• Participate in client briefings, progress meetings, and candidate evaluation discussions.
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• Provide informed perspectives on executive talent availability, compensation trends, and competitive market dynamics.
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• Build relationships with CFOs, senior finance executives, and key stakeholders within client organizations.
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• Help ensure a high-quality, consultative experience throughout each engagement.
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Build Expertise & Develop Commercial Capabilities

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• Establish a strong understanding of the financial leadership landscape across public, private equity-backed, and privately held businesses.
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• Develop subject matter expertise across controllership, FP&A, financial reporting, capital markets, and other CFO-related functions.
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• Cultivate a network of senior finance professionals and industry contacts.
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• Gain exposure to client relationship management, account development, and new business origination.
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• Gradually assume greater ownership of search assignments and client relationships.
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What We're Looking For

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• 5+ years of experience in executive search or professional recruitment, ideally within the office of the CFO
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• Previous exposure to senior-level finance recruitment, executive assessment, or retained search assignments is highly desirable.
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• Strong research, sourcing, and candidate engagement capabilities.
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• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to engage senior executives.
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• Intellectual curiosity and an interest in understanding business models, financial leadership structures, and organizational strategy.
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• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple complex assignments.
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• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset and a strong sense of personal accountability.
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• A collaborative approach and willingness to learn from experienced search professionals.
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• A genuine ambition to progress toward client ownership and business development.
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