Director of Finance

McChrystal Group•Alexandria, VA

About The Position

McChrystal Group is a leadership and management consulting firm that partners with executive teams to solve their most complex performance and coordination challenges. Founded in 2011 by General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, we help organizations operate with the speed, alignment, and cohesion required to succeed in dynamic environments. Our work is rooted in the Team of Teams® framework - a leadership system developed from General McChrystal’s transformation of the Joint Special Operations Command. We believe that enduring performance depends not just on strategy, but on how effectively leaders, teams, and systems work together under pressure. McChrystal Group consultants work on small, high-impact teams tackling challenges that matter. You’ll work shoulder to shoulder with senior executives, world-class advisors, and teammates who take pride in the quality, integrity, and purpose of their work. The pace is demanding, the problems are complex, and the impact is tangible. People join McChrystal Group because they want to grow as leaders and do work that makes a difference. Role Overview: The Director of Finance serves as the financial backbone of McChrystal Group, providing the analytical clarity, strategic insight, and operational rigor that enable leadership to make informed, confident decisions. In a small but growing professional services firm, this role demands someone who is both a hands-on operator and a trusted strategic partner who owns the full finance function while translating financial data into the visibility and context the team needs to execute and grow. The Director of Finance actively leverages AI and modern tooling to make the finance function faster, more accurate, and more valuable to the business. This means not just managing what exists, but continuously raising the bar on what finance can deliver. The Director of Finance leads a small finance team and reports directly to the Managing Partner .

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field required; CPA, CMA, or MBA is a plus.
8 or more years of progressive finance experience; prior experience in a professional services or similar environment preferred.
Demonstrated ability to own the full finance function end-to-end including AP, AR, FP&A, reporting, and tax.
Track record of serving as a strategic finance partner to executive leadership, not just a reporting function.
Hands-on proficiency with financial systems and data visualization platforms such as Power BI, NetSuite, QuickBooks, or equivalent.
Demonstrated experience using AI tools, including generative AI, AI-enhanced ERP or FP&A platforms, and automation tools, to meaningfully improve finance workflows and outputs.
Strong financial modeling and analytical capabilities.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial information to non-finance audiences.
Ability to operate as both a strategic thought partner and a hands-on executor without losing quality in either direction.
Ability to manage multiple finance processes simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.
Ability to identify where AI and automation tools can responsibly reduce manual burden, along with the judgment to know where human oversight remains non-negotiable.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, handle sensitive information with discretion, and maintain confidentiality at all times.
Ability to work independently, anticipate the needs of leadership, and follow through without close supervision.
Ability to identify inefficiencies and process gaps and propose practical, workable improvements.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and remain organized in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, or MBA is a plus.
Exposure to M&A, due diligence, or company integration activities is valued.
Experience with ESOP structures, administration, or reporting is preferred.
Experience in both private and public sector or company environments is a differentiator.

Responsibilities

Financial Operations and Oversight Own and manage all core finance functions including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, monthly close, and tax compliance.
Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting across the organization.
Manage cash flow, forecasting, and working capital with appropriate rigor for a professional services environment.
Maintain internal controls and ensure compliance with applicable regulations and reporting requirements.
Identify and implement AI and automation tools to reduce manual processing burden in high-volume functions such as AP, reconciliations, and month-end close, while preserving audit-readiness and control integrity.
Oversee relationships with external accountants, auditors, and banking partners.
FP&A and Strategic Support Lead annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning processes in partnership with the executive team.
Develop and maintain financial models that support strategic decisions around pricing, headcount, capacity, and growth.
Leverage AI-enabled FP&A tools and natural language querying to accelerate scenario modeling, variance analysis, and financial commentary generation.
Provide executive leadership with clear, actionable financial visibility: not just what the numbers are, but what they mean and what actions they imply.
Monitor financial performance against plan, surface variances, identify root causes, and recommend corrective actions.
Support due diligence and integration activities for acquisitions or strategic transactions as needed.
Reporting and Data Visibility Design and maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks that give leadership and department heads meaningful, real-time financial visibility.
Leverage data visualization tools such as Power BI with Copilot or equivalent AI-enhanced platforms to surface insights, answer questions in natural language, and reduce time spent on manual report production.
Use generative AI tools to draft financial narratives, summarize performance, and accelerate the preparation of board-ready materials and executive presentations.
Champion financial literacy across the organization, enabling non-finance leaders to understand and act on financial information effectively.
Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner actively with operational, sales, and delivery teams to ensure financial planning is grounded in operational reality.
Own cross-functional financial processes and surface the right information to the right stakeholders at the right time.
Function as a connective bridge between the financial picture and the decisions that drive the business forward.
Team Leadership Lead and develop a small finance team, setting clear goals and supporting professional growth.
Manage workload distribution, prioritization, and quality standards across the finance function.
Foster a team culture that embraces AI and modern tooling as a way to do higher-value work, treating it as a capability multiplier rather than a threat.
Partner with HR on compensation modeling, headcount planning, and people-related financial analysis.
Build a team culture grounded in accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Other duties as needed.