Director Project Finance

Interim Controller — Finance Transformation & M&A Integration

We're working with a growing $1B+ privately held company to find a senior accounting and finance leader who can combine strong Controller-level accounting experience with hands-on finance transformation, ERP implementation, M&A integration, and complex project leadership.

This is not a traditional Controller role focused solely on maintaining the close and financial reporting. We're looking for someone who understands accounting at a deep level but has also spent significant time building, integrating, implementing, and transforming finance organizations.

The right person will be comfortable moving between technical accounting and controllership responsibilities, ERP and systems projects, acquisition integration, process redesign, and executive-level project leadership. This is a long-term 9+ month consulting engagement with potential for long-term hire as the company expands.

The work will span several interconnected priorities:

• Controllership and accounting leadership — bringing a strong understanding of the close, consolidations, financial reporting, controls, chart of accounts, accounting operations, and scalable finance processes
• ERP implementation and conversion — leading the finance and accounting workstream through design, configuration, testing, data migration, cutover, stabilization, and hypercare
• M&A integration — integrating acquired businesses into the broader finance organization, including opening balance sheets, chart of accounts alignment, reporting, controls, systems, close processes, and accounting policies
• Finance transformation — redesigning accounting and finance processes to improve efficiency, strengthen controls, accelerate the close, and support continued growth
• Complex project leadership — driving large, cross-functional initiatives involving finance, accounting, IT, operations, external advisors, and senior leadership
• Systems and data integration — ensuring financial data, reporting structures, master data, and accounting processes translate effectively into the future-state environment
• Program governance and execution — establishing milestones, managing dependencies and risks, coordinating multiple workstreams, and providing clear executive-level reporting
• Post-implementation optimization — identifying gaps after implementation or integration and ensuring new processes and systems are fully adopted and operating effectively

What we're looking for:

• 10+ years of progressive accounting and finance project experience
• Strong foundation in GAAP accounting, month-end close, consolidations, financial reporting, controls, and accounting operations
• Significant hands-on experience leading or playing a major finance-side role in ERP implementation, conversion, or migration
• Experience with platforms such as JDE and Oracle highly preferred
• Meaningful M&A and post-acquisition integration experience, preferably involving the integration of accounting processes, systems, reporting, and controls
• Demonstrated success leading large, complex finance projects from planning through execution
• Ability to operate at both the strategic and hands-on level — this person should be equally comfortable working with executives and getting into the details of accounting, systems, or integration issues
• CPA strongly preferred; CMA or MBA also valued
• Big 4 and/or consulting experience is helpful, but this role requires someone who has owned and executed transformation inside an organization — not simply advised on it

The ideal profile:

A current or former Controller / Corporate Controller / Assistant Controller / Accounting Director who has become the go-to person for major finance initiatives — ERP implementations, acquisition integrations, finance transformation, process redesign, and other projects where strong accounting knowledge and strong execution capability are equally important.

Details:

• Chicago area; flexible hybrid
• 9+ month consulting engagement
• Competitive hourly rate commensurate with experience