Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer — Private Equity-Backed Corporate Carve-Out

Location: Charlotte, NC Metro Area (on-site/hybrid, with regular presence at company headquarters) Reports to: Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors Type: Full-Time, Executive Leadership

The Opportunity

Our client, a private equity-backed company headquartered in the Charlotte metro area, was recently carved out of a large corporate parent and is now operating as a standalone business for the first time. The company is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead its separation into full independence and to build the financial foundation for its next chapter of growth.

For years, the business relied on its former parent for accounting, treasury, tax, IT, payroll, and other back-office support — services currently provided under a transition services agreement (TSA) that must be exited on schedule. The incoming CFO will lead the stand-up of a fully independent finance organization, replace parent-provided systems and processes, establish the company's first standalone reporting and lender relationships, and partner with the CEO and sponsor to accelerate growth as an independent company. This is a distinctive opportunity for an executive who thrives on complexity and wants to lead a proven business through the defining transition of its history.

Key Responsibilities

Carve-Out Separation & TSA Exit

• Own the separation roadmap and lead the timely exit of all transition services agreements with the former parent
• Stand up standalone accounting, treasury, tax, payroll, and financial systems to replace parent-provided functions
• Select and implement the company's independent ERP and financial technology stack, migrating data and processes off parent platforms
• Untangle intercompany arrangements, shared contracts, and allocated costs, and establish the company's true standalone cost structure

Standalone Finance Foundation

• Build the company's first independent finance and accounting organization, recruiting key leaders and staff across Controllership, FP&A, Treasury, and Tax
• Establish the company's first standalone monthly close, audited financial statements, and internal control environment
• Develop standalone budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning processes reflecting the business's new capital structure and priorities
• Replace parent-era corporate allocations with clean, decision-useful management reporting and KPI dashboards

Treasury, Capital Structure & Lender Relations

• Establish independent banking, cash management, and treasury operations for the first time
• Manage the company's new debt facilities, including covenant compliance, lender reporting, and relationships with the credit group
• Implement cash flow forecasting and working capital disciplines suited to a leveraged, sponsor-owned business
• Oversee insurance, risk management, and tax structuring for the standalone entity

Strategic & Sponsor Partnership

• Serve as the primary financial interface with the private equity sponsor, lenders, and the Board
• Partner with the CEO to define and execute the standalone growth strategy, including pricing, capital investment, and market expansion decisions
• Evaluate and support future add-on acquisitions as the platform scales
• Instill an ownership culture across the organization as it transitions from a division mindset to an independent company mindset

The Ideal Candidate

Required Experience

• 12+ years of progressive finance leadership, including CFO, VP of Finance, or senior divisional finance experience in a complex, multi-entity environment
• Direct experience with a corporate carve-out, divestiture, or separation — ideally including TSA management and exit
• Demonstrated success standing up standalone finance functions, systems, and processes previously provided by a parent or shared-services organization
• ERP selection, implementation, or migration leadership in a deadline-driven environment
• Experience in a leveraged, private equity-backed setting, including lender reporting and covenant management
• Strong command of U.S. GAAP, standalone audit preparation, and management reporting design
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field

Preferred

• CPA and/or MBA
• Experience on either side of a carve-out — divesting parent or acquired business
• Prior work with private equity sponsors, boards, and credit groups
• Background in a division of a large public company transitioning to independence

Personal Attributes

• Structured program leader who can run a complex separation against hard deadlines without dropping the day-to-day
• Comfortable with ambiguity — able to make sound decisions where playbooks, systems, and history don't yet exist
• Hands-on and resourceful, willing to operate lean while the standalone organization is built
• Confident communicator who builds trust with the sponsor, lenders, the former parent, and employees navigating change

Compensation

• Competitive base salary of $350,000 – $450,000, commensurate with experience
• Annual performance bonus with a target of 40%–60% of base salary
• Meaningful equity participation in the platform, aligned with value created through the separation and beyond
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage and retirement plan with company match