Interim CFO / Strategic Finance Consultant

Interim CFO / Strategic Finance Consultant (Fractional)

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)
Duration: Initial engagement focused on 2027 budgeting cycle; potential extension based on business needs
Schedule: Approximately 2-3 days onsite per week, with greater involvement during budgeting and planning periods

Overview

Our client, a leading strategic communications agency is seeking a hands-on Interim CFO / Strategic Finance Consultant to partner with executive leadership during a critical planning period.

This consultant will work closely with the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team to lead the 2027 budgeting process, enhance forecasting capabilities, and establish a more rigorous and repeatable financial planning framework. The ideal candidate combines strong FP&A expertise with the ability to serve as a strategic business partner, bringing best practices from agency, consulting, or professional services environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate the company's 2027 budgeting and long-range planning process.
• Develop and implement a bottoms-up revenue forecasting methodology across multiple revenue streams, including retainers, project-based engagements, paid media, and new business opportunities.
• Partner with executive leadership to improve forecast accuracy, reporting, and financial visibility across the organization.
• Build scalable budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes that can be sustained internally.
• Analyze client retention trends, pipeline activity, historical conversion metrics, and revenue performance drivers.
• Establish meaningful KPIs and reporting metrics to improve revenue predictability and support strategic decision-making.
• Translate financial data into actionable business insights and recommendations for leadership.
• Enhance financial models, reporting tools, and planning processes within NetSuite.
• Serve as a thought partner to leadership by identifying opportunities to improve financial performance and operational effectiveness.
• Provide mentorship and best-practice guidance to the finance and FP&A function.

Qualifications

• Prior experience as a CFO, Fractional CFO, VP of Finance, Head of FP&A, Finance Director, or similar senior finance leader.
• Strong expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and strategic planning.
• Experience developing bottoms-up revenue forecasts and operating plans.
• Background within strategic communications, public relations, advertising, marketing agencies, consulting firms, or other professional services organizations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a hands-on environment.
• Experience partnering directly with executive leadership teams.
• NetSuite experience preferred.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across finance and operations.

Ideal Candidate

• Has successfully led annual planning and budgeting processes for professional services or agency-based organizations.
• Understands recurring revenue, retainer-based engagements, project revenue, pipeline forecasting, and client retention metrics.
• Brings a consultative approach and can quickly assess and improve existing financial planning processes.
• Comfortable rolling up their sleeves to build models, analyze data, and drive deliverables while also providing executive-level strategic guidance.
• Can implement best practices that create long-term value beyond the duration of the engagement.

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