Director, Finance & Accounting Advisory Services

Intrinsic LLC•Chicago, IL

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

This senior advisory role requires a blend of technical expertise, client relationship management, and practice building. As a Director in the Finance & Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) practice, you will be responsible for setting the quality standard for serving PE-backed portfolio companies during critical finance function transformations. You will have the authority to shape engagement strategies, make decisions on complex technical accounting matters, and advise PE sponsors, CFOs, and Boards on high-stakes decisions. The role involves owning a portfolio of client relationships, translating finance challenges into transformation plans, and fixing past issues while building future infrastructure. It's also an entrepreneurial opportunity to shape the FAAS practice's trajectory, define delivery methodologies, build the team, refine client engagement strategies, and establish foundational frameworks and intellectual capital. This is not a staff augmentation or project management role; it's a trusted senior advisor position impacting enterprise value, operational readiness, and exit outcomes.

Requirements

CPA required (active or eligible).
8+ years of progressive experience in Big 4 FAAS, PE-backed controllership or CFO advisory, top-tier consulting, or corporate finance leadership, with significant time in middle-market environments undergoing transformation.
Demonstrated mastery across multiple domains: close transformation, technical accounting (ASC 606/842/805), cash and working capital management, M&A integration, and exit preparation.
Authoritative command of US GAAP, PE-specific accounting (normalization, carve-outs), and ERP/system landscapes.
Deep fluency in middle-market finance functions: cash-to-accrual migrations, first-time audits, QuickBooks-to-ERP transitions, close process redesign, and building finance infrastructure.
Ability to command the room with PE Partners, CEOs, CFOs, and Boards.
Ability to translate complex accounting into plain-English business implications.
Ability to design and own workplans that align people, systems, and processes.
Experience navigating competing stakeholder priorities.
Decisiveness under pressure and sharp judgment in high-stakes situations.
Intellectual versatility to discuss technical accounting and present value creation roadmaps.
Ability to build teams, hire well, develop people deliberately, and structure capacity.
Entrepreneurial mindset to build and refine methodology, deliverables, and playbooks.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior point of accountability on engagements, setting strategic direction and defining workplans that align with client finance goals and investment thesis.
Navigate multi-stakeholder dynamics, aligning sponsors, management teams, and technical advisors, and proactively surfacing risks and trade-offs.
Diagnose root causes, remediate issues, and build finance function infrastructure for long-term success.
Lead concurrent engagements across post-acquisition integration and exit preparation.
Ensure the quality and defensibility of all deliverables, making judgment calls on technical matters and setting priorities.
Oversee finance and accounting change management, month-end close acceleration, financial reporting transformation, and technical accounting resolution (ASC 606, 842, complex transactions, carve-out accounting).
Manage cash flow visibility, controls, and management, and build reporting and KPI infrastructure.
Lead post-acquisition integration efforts, including COA harmonization, system consolidation, and team assessment and design.
Manage exit preparation and sell-side readiness initiatives.
Present complex findings with boardroom-level clarity to CFOs, PE operating partners, and founders.
Anticipate objections, frame trade-offs, and guide stakeholders toward aligned decisions.
Build the team by hiring, structuring capacity, developing talent, and providing constructive feedback.
Contribute to building the FAAS practice by refining delivery methodology, developing internal frameworks and intellectual capital, and shaping operational scaling.
Model the standard of work and client service expected.