We are seeking a Managing Director of Portfolio CFO Operations, responsible for driving financial performance, operational rigor, and value creation across our portfolio of private-equity-backed companies. This individual will act as the functional leader for portfolio-company CFOs, providing strategic oversight, best practices, and hands-on support across all phases of the investment lifecycle.
All portfolio-company CFOs will have a dotted-line reporting relationship to this role, with accountability for financial strategy, reporting excellence, cash management, and execution of value-creation initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio Financial Leadership
- Serve as the senior-most finance leader across the PE portfolio, overseeing and guiding CFOs at each portfolio company
- Establish consistent financial standards, KPIs, and reporting frameworks across portfolio companies
- Act as a strategic advisor to portfolio CFOs on capital structure, liquidity management, and financial planning
Value Creation & Portfolio Optimization
- Partner with deal teams and operating partners to execute value creation plans, including margin improvement, working capital optimization, and cost transformation
- Lead financial diligence and integration efforts for add-on acquisitions, including synergies, systems alignment, and post-close reporting
- Identify cross-portfolio opportunities for shared services, systems optimization, and scalability
Investment Lifecycle Support
- Support deal teams during pre-acquisition diligence, including quality of earnings, forecasting, and risk assessment
- Drive 100-day plans post-acquisition with a focus on financial discipline and governance
- Prepare portfolio companies for exit readiness, including audit preparedness, financial story development, and buyer-facing materials
Governance, Controls & Risk Management
- Ensure strong financial controls, compliance, and governance across portfolio companies
- Standardize audit, tax, treasury, and financial policies aligned with PE best practices
- Oversee relationships with external auditors, lenders, and advisors where appropriate
Talent Leadership & Development
- Coach, mentor, and evaluate portfolio-company CFOs; assist with CFO hiring and succession planning
- Elevate finance team capabilities across the portfolio through best practices, training, and leadership development
Qualifications
- 12+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including CFO or Group CFO roles
- Significant experience within private equity-owned environments, portfolio operations, or as an Operating Partner
- Proven track record of value creation, exit preparation, and cross-company financial leadership
- Deep expertise in:
- Financial strategy and FP&A
- M&A integration and add-ons
- Working capital optimization
- Debt structures and lender management
- Ability to operate at both board-level strategy and hands-on execution
- Superior communication skills with investors, boards, executives, and deal teams
Ideal Background
- Former CFO of a PE-backed company (or multiple exits)
- Prior experience in PE portfolio operations, consulting, or transaction advisory preferred
- MBA, CPA, or equivalent credentials strongly preferred
