Senior Manager, CX Controller & Commercial Operations

IFS•Itasca, IL

2d•$133,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

IFS Copperleaf's software helps some of the world's largest firms make better strategic decisions. We have a track record of delivering award-winning, industry-changing solutions that enable our clients to build more resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The Senior Manager, CX Controller & Commercial Operations owns the financial and commercial integrity of the CX engagement portfolio, while running the broader operational rhythm for the Client Experience organization. This role goes deep into the numbers — SOWs, milestones, billing, revenue recognition, and project margins — and is the person in the room who can defend or challenge a project's financials line by line. The Senior Manager partners closely with the SVP, Client Experience, CX Delivery leadership, and Finance/FP&A to ensure every engagement is commercially sound at signature and financially disciplined through delivery.

Requirements

8+ years in professional services finance, project controllership, or consulting operations, ideally within enterprise software or SaaS
Strong working knowledge of revenue recognition standards (ASC 606/IFRS 15) as applied to services engagements
Demonstrated ability to read and assess SOWs and commercial contract terms — this is a hands-on requirement, not a delegated one
Track record owning project-level P&L, milestone billing, and margin analysis at the engagement level
Comfortable defending numbers to Finance, FP&A, and SLT
Advanced proficiency with Excel (complex models, pivot tables, financial analysis), CRM systems, BI/analytics platforms, and AI-driven analysis tools
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business required

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, or MBA a plus

Responsibilities

Review Statements of Work (SOWs) prior to execution for commercial soundness — fee structure, milestone definitions, payment terms, T&M caps, change order provisions, and termination clauses
Own project-level financial governance across the CX Services portfolio: milestone billing schedules, unbilled AR/WIP tracking, and reconciliation of actuals against contracted scope
Partner with Finance/FP&A/Revenue Accounting on revenue recognition treatment for consulting engagements (percentage-of-completion vs. milestone-based), flagging judgment calls early
Conduct project-level P&L reviews — margin variance by engagement, utilization and realization rates, and root-cause analysis on underperforming projects
Maintain the monthly financial close process for Consulting Delivery, ensuring numbers are audit-ready and defensible
Act as the commercial reviewer for non-standard SOW terms, escalating material risk (uncapped exposure, ambiguous scope, unfavorable payment terms) before signature
Track change orders and scope amendments against original contract baselines
Provide commercial input into pricing and deal structuring for complex or at-risk engagements
Support pipeline-to-future-revenue forecasting, tracking, and management in close partnership with CX and Sales regional leadership
Own the CX contribution to GRR/NRR performance: renewal risk forecasting with a two-quarter outlook and red-account governance
Run relevant elements of the CX operating rhythm (monthly/quarterly business reviews) with a commercial and financial lens
Maintain CRM and Customer Success data integrity in partnership with Sales and RevOps
Support AI tool rollout across delivery and Support functions where it drives measurable cost-to-serve reduction
Maintain health scoring and playbook adherence as leading indicators of renewal and expansion risk
Contribute to the QBR and escalation framework with a financial/commercial lens