Senior Director, Strategic Finance (FP&A) (Chicago)

Senior Director, Strategic Finance (FP&A), PE Portfolio Company

Remote - **Candidates must be located in Central, Eastern, or Mountain Time Zones**

I'm working with one of my favorite clients, a private equity owned business services company , to hire a Senior Director, Strategic Finance (FP&A). This person will lead the finance function's move into AI and data-driven decision-making.

The Senior Director, Strategic Finance (FP&A) will serve as a key strategic partner and right hand to the CFO , driving financial planning, reporting and analysis to support the company's growth and value creation objectives.

The Senior Director will influence cross-functional leaders and play a pivotal role in building scalable capabilities at the intersection of AI and Finance.

This role is highly visible across the organization and with private equity stakeholders.

The PE firm:

I work with this PE firm across several portfolio companies, and have gotten to know them personally over the years:

• I can personally tell you that they are the brightest, most humble and best leaders around. Somehow, they defy all the negative PE stereotypes but exhibit all the positive ones. They are great strategic partners to their operators, they are hardworking, they roll up their sleeves and they take care of their people.
• If you are successful at one portfolio company, the entire network of other PortCos is there for your next promotion.
• This VP, Strategic Finance role is a fast track feeder role for CFO roles across the portfolio.

The company:

• About $300M in revenue, with operations across multiple states.
• Has grown organically and through acquisitions and is now focused on integration and more organic growth.
• A lean, hands-on finance team with a CFO who has 20 years of PE experience.
• Leadership is fully committed to building AI into how the business runs.

What you'll do:

• Hire and build your own FP&A team.
• Lead the annual operating plan, forecasts, monthly reporting packages and weekly cash flow.
• Prepare reporting for the Board, the PE sponsor and lenders, and turn the numbers into a clear story.
• Pull together financial and operational data from across the business to find what actually drives margin and growth.
• Lead the adoption of AI tools like Claude across financial analysis and reporting, moving the team beyond spreadsheet-driven processes.
• Partner closely with business operating leaders

What we're looking for:

• 6 to 10 years of experience in FP&A, strategic finance or data-driven finance roles - can also come from Investment Banking or Private Equity deal team or Portfolio Operations.
• PE portfolio company experience is preferred
• Real hands-on AI experience (Claude or similar) over the last 6 to 12 months, and excitement about what it can do for finance.
• A passion for data, with experience tying operational metrics to financial results.
• High EQ and the ability to build credibility with operators at every level.
• Hands-on and comfortable in a lean environment.
• Industry is flexible but business services, industrials, transportation, industrials, or similar preferred.
• Ambition to become a PE portfolio company CFO.

Location:

• Remote (Central, Eastern, or Mountain time zone) with travel to the Midwest headquarters about once a month.

Compensation:

• $185k-$205k base + competitive cash bonus