Highspring has been engaged with a trusted Private Equity client, and they are in search of an Interim Director of FP&A for one of their portfolio companies in the professional services industry.
Role Overview The Interim Director of FP&A will lead financial planning, forecasting, and performance analysis for a professional services organization with complex operations post a carveout. This role serves as a strategic partner to the CFO, SVP of Finance, and senior operations leaders, providing insight into cost drivers, margins, capital investments, and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate combines strong financial acumen with hands‑on services industry experience and the ability to translate data into actionable business decisions.
Key Responsibilities 1. Post-Carveout Infrastructure & Systems
Establish Standalone FP&A Systems : Lead the migration or implementation of independent budgeting and forecasting software (e.g., Workday Adaptive Planning or Planful) to move away from the former parent company's legacy systems.
Develop New Reporting Frameworks : Create a fresh Chart of Accounts and standalone financial reporting packages that align with the new entity’s specific business drivers rather than the parent company's broad metrics.
Data Integrity & Governance : Cleanse and validate historical data to ensure the "new" entity has a reliable baseline for year‑over‑year performance tracking.
2. Transitional Services Management (TSA)
TSA Oversight & Exit Planning : Monitor TSAs to ensure the former parent is delivering contracted services (e.g., payroll, IT) while aggressively planning for an early exit to eliminate high fees.
Standalone Cost Modeling : Identify and model "stranded costs"—overhead expenses previously covered by the parent—and develop a strategy to absorb or eliminate them to protect margins.
3. Professional Services Business Partnering
Utilization & Rate Optimization : Partner with practice leaders to build dashboards tracking professional services‑specific KPIs, such as
Billable Utilization ,
Realization Rates , and
Revenue per Headcount .
Project Profitability Analysis : Develop models to evaluate the margin of specific client engagements, helping the firm shift away from low‑margin work.
Resource Planning : Build forecasting models for workforce management to ensure the firm has the right talent capacity for future projects without over‑hiring.
4. Strategic Leadership & Financial Planning
First Standalone Budget : Lead the first independent annual budgeting cycle and establish a recurring Rolling Forecast process to manage the increased volatility typical of post‑carveout entities.
Scenario Modeling : Develop "what‑if" scenarios for the board and investors (often Private Equity) focused on cash flow, debt covenants, and inorganic growth opportunities.
Cash Management : In the absence of parent‑level treasury support, oversee detailed
13‑week cash flow forecasts
to ensure liquidity.
5. Team & Culture Building
Build the FP&A Team : Recruit and train a new team of analysts, ensuring they understand the professional services model and the new firm's strategic goals.
Change Management : Foster a culture of accountability and data‑driven decision‑making, helping staff transition from a "corporate subsidiary" mindset to an entrepreneurial, standalone one.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field (MBA or CPA a plus) in a PE backed environment with revenues greater than $100M.
8–12+ years of progressive FP&A experience, with carveout experience highly preferred.
Previous experience building corporate functions from the ground up.
Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills.
Proven ability to partner with PE and executive leadership.
This is an immediate need and candidate must be able to start in 1 week.
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Role Overview The Interim Director of FP&A will lead financial planning, forecasting, and performance analysis for a professional services organization with complex operations post a carveout. This role serves as a strategic partner to the CFO, SVP of Finance, and senior operations leaders, providing insight into cost drivers, margins, capital investments, and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate combines strong financial acumen with hands‑on services industry experience and the ability to translate data into actionable business decisions.
Key Responsibilities 1. Post-Carveout Infrastructure & Systems
Establish Standalone FP&A Systems : Lead the migration or implementation of independent budgeting and forecasting software (e.g., Workday Adaptive Planning or Planful) to move away from the former parent company's legacy systems.
Develop New Reporting Frameworks : Create a fresh Chart of Accounts and standalone financial reporting packages that align with the new entity’s specific business drivers rather than the parent company's broad metrics.
Data Integrity & Governance : Cleanse and validate historical data to ensure the "new" entity has a reliable baseline for year‑over‑year performance tracking.
2. Transitional Services Management (TSA)
TSA Oversight & Exit Planning : Monitor TSAs to ensure the former parent is delivering contracted services (e.g., payroll, IT) while aggressively planning for an early exit to eliminate high fees.
Standalone Cost Modeling : Identify and model "stranded costs"—overhead expenses previously covered by the parent—and develop a strategy to absorb or eliminate them to protect margins.
3. Professional Services Business Partnering
Utilization & Rate Optimization : Partner with practice leaders to build dashboards tracking professional services‑specific KPIs, such as
Billable Utilization ,
Realization Rates , and
Revenue per Headcount .
Project Profitability Analysis : Develop models to evaluate the margin of specific client engagements, helping the firm shift away from low‑margin work.
Resource Planning : Build forecasting models for workforce management to ensure the firm has the right talent capacity for future projects without over‑hiring.
4. Strategic Leadership & Financial Planning
First Standalone Budget : Lead the first independent annual budgeting cycle and establish a recurring Rolling Forecast process to manage the increased volatility typical of post‑carveout entities.
Scenario Modeling : Develop "what‑if" scenarios for the board and investors (often Private Equity) focused on cash flow, debt covenants, and inorganic growth opportunities.
Cash Management : In the absence of parent‑level treasury support, oversee detailed
13‑week cash flow forecasts
to ensure liquidity.
5. Team & Culture Building
Build the FP&A Team : Recruit and train a new team of analysts, ensuring they understand the professional services model and the new firm's strategic goals.
Change Management : Foster a culture of accountability and data‑driven decision‑making, helping staff transition from a "corporate subsidiary" mindset to an entrepreneurial, standalone one.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field (MBA or CPA a plus) in a PE backed environment with revenues greater than $100M.
8–12+ years of progressive FP&A experience, with carveout experience highly preferred.
Previous experience building corporate functions from the ground up.
Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills.
Proven ability to partner with PE and executive leadership.
This is an immediate need and candidate must be able to start in 1 week.
#J-18808-Ljbffr