Senior Director, Finance

Chai Trust Company LLC • Chicago, IL

2h

About The Position

The Zell Family Office (ZFO), a division of Chai Trust Company LLC, is seeking a Senior Director of Finance to lead the finance function across its multi-entity family office structure. This newly created leadership role has broad ownership of accounting and reporting, from maintaining accurate and reliable books to delivering high-quality financial reporting to principals. The position calls for an experienced finance professional who can set strategy while remaining close to operational details, and who is comfortable working in a dynamic, relationship-driven, confidential environment.

The Senior Director will oversee approximately two managers and five accountants and partner across the tax, investment, treasury, financial projects, investment operations, and Family Engagement & Learning teams. The role oversees accounting and close across multiple entities, financial reporting and FP&A, and the development of scalable processes, standards, and tools as the organization evolves. It also works with senior leadership to build and professionalize the finance organization and supports the financial well-being of Zell family members and beneficiaries.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including meaningful time in a leadership role managing teams.
• Deep technical accounting knowledge across multiple entity types, including trusts, LLCs, foundations, and operating entities.
• Experience managing accounting across multiple systems or platforms and comfort evaluating and improving technology infrastructure.
• Strong FP&A skills, including the ability to handle close and reporting as well as forward-looking analysis.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to present financial information clearly to principals, family members, and non-financial stakeholders.
• High integrity, discretion, and understanding of the confidentiality obligations inherent in family office work.
• Technology fluency and adaptability, including active use of AI and emerging tools to improve finance operations and awareness of changes in the technology landscape.

Nice To Haves

• CPA or MBA preferred.
• Big 4 or regional public accounting foundation preferred.
• Prior family office, private wealth, or closely held entity experience highly valued.
• Comfort with the pace, discretion, and personal nature of a family office environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Family Engagement & Learning team to produce financial materials and education content accessible to family members and family foundations.
• Serve as the primary accounting liaison to the tax team, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of financial data for tax preparation and planning.
• Partner with the investment team on entity-level tracking, capital account maintenance, and investment-related accounting entries.
• Collaborate with the treasury team on cash management, intercompany funding, and liquidity reporting.
• Lead, develop, and retain a team of two managers and five accountants, fostering accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Set team priorities, manage workloads across the close and reporting calendar, and build scalable processes as the organization evolves.
• Drive adoption of new processes, tools, and reporting standards across a team undergoing significant change, building buy-in while maintaining momentum.
• Define the vision for financial reporting, identify gaps, set standards, and drive adoption across the finance team and leadership.
• Oversee preparation and delivery of financial statements, management reports, and budget-to-actual analyses for principals and family stakeholders.
• Build and maintain forecasts; lead the annual budgeting process in partnership with the MD of Finance; and maintain rolling forecasts and variance analyses throughout the year.
• Partner with Finance team members to ensure accounting outputs flow accurately into management and committee reporting, beneficiary-facing reporting, and family financial summaries.
• Own monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes across multiple legal entities, including family LLCs, trusts, operating companies, and foundations.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of the general ledger, chart of accounts, and intercompany eliminations across a complex, multi-entity structure.
• Maintain and improve accounting policies, internal controls, and procedures to meet the standards expected of a sophisticated family office.
• Evaluate and improve technology infrastructure and leverage AI and emerging tools to improve finance operations and assess whether existing tools remain appropriate.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Collaborative culture
• Opportunity to take on broad ownership of the accounting and reporting function in a well-resourced, values-driven family office
• Meaningful participation in building and professionalizing the finance organization

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed