Chief Financial Officer
Crucial Hire · Chicago, IL · 2 wk ago
On-siteFinanceFull-time
About the role
The CFO will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team and the primary financial advisor to the CEO. This is a highly engaged leadership position requiring someone who is equally comfortable discussing long-term strategy with the Board as they are diving into financial models, forecasting, operational challenges, and process improvements.
Responsibilities
Executive Financial Leadership
- Partner directly with the CEO and executive leadership team on strategic planning and business growth
- Evaluate investments, pricing strategies, profitability, capital allocation, and business expansion opportunities
- Provide financial insights that influence executive decision-making
- Help leadership understand operational performance through meaningful financial analysis
Financial Planning & Performance
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, and financial modeling
- Oversee liquidity planning, cash flow forecasting, and capital management
- Develop executive dashboards and KPI frameworks that improve organizational visibility
- Analyze financial performance and recommend practical actions to improve profitability
- Support enterprise risk management and internal control initiatives
Operational Finance Leadership
- Take an active role in the day-to-day financial management of the business
- Improve financial processes, reporting, and operational workflows
- Partner closely with department leaders to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and profitability
- Build scalable financial infrastructure that supports continued growth
- Lead with accountability, urgency, and a hands-on leadership style
Financial Governance & Regulatory Oversight
- Maintain strong financial controls, governance, and reporting processes
- Oversee banking relationships, audit activities, tax coordination, and capital planning
- Ensure financial operations remain compliant within a highly regulated environment
- Support executive leadership on regulatory reporting and financial risk management
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field required
- 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience
- 7+ years within financial services, capital markets, brokerage, fintech, banking, or similar regulated environments
- Strong expertise in budgeting, forecasting, FP&A, financial modeling, and executive reporting
- Proven ability to influence executive leadership through financial insights and strategic analysis
- Experience building KPI frameworks and performance dashboards
- Strong business acumen with the ability to connect financial performance to operational execution
- CPA, MBA, CFA, or similar credential preferred
- Experience supporting regulated financial organizations is highly preferred