Portfolio Controller - Private Equity Advisory

By joining our rapidly growing Private Equity practice, you will serve as a trusted partner to our Private Equity clients and their portfolio companies. You'll bring your first-hand experience, unique perspectives, and functional knowledge to deliver tailored, integrated solutions that solve today's challenges and build for the future. With support from experienced leaders and a dedicated coach, you will join a collaborative community that invites you to contribute beyond the scope of client delivery.

What you'll do:

You will lead and deliver a range of Controllership-related engagements, including interim leadership roles, defined projects, accounting function assessments, and implementation of improvement plans. Across every engagement, you can expect to encounter ambiguous problems where you will need to quickly assess the situation, determine what needs to be done, drive "hands-on-keyboard" execution of solutions, align stakeholders, and communicate risks and recommendations clearly — transitioning best-in-class processes and sustainable solutions to the client. You should expect to move between advising, leading, and hands-on execution based on what the engagement requires. Client environments are often fast-moving and imperfect — with limited transition, incomplete information, or competing priorities — and you will be expected to move the work forward with appropriate independence.

General Accounting Close Support

• Serve as an extension of the client's accounting organization by providing execution support when resources are limited (understaffed, in transition, or undergoing significant change), while helping establish the processes, roles, and capabilities required for long-term sustainability.
• Aid clients in developing a streamlined monthly close process.
• Assist with cash-to-accrual conversions and the creation of supporting schedules.
• Improve and manage existing close processes by preparing, reviewing, or creating journal entries, reconciliations, and financial statements.
• Strengthen accounting policies, internal controls, compliance, and external audit readiness.
• Support the implementation of finance and accounting systems.

Financial Reporting Support

• Collaborate on financial planning and analysis, including budgeting, forecasting, and data analysis.
• Review monthly internal financial reporting packs.
• Review monthly regulatory reports.

Operations Support

• Evaluate the controllership operating model, including team capabilities and systems, to identify root causes, risks, and improvement opportunities, and translate findings into a prioritized roadmap.
• Assess organizational needs and help clients build scalable accounting functions through role definition, organizational design, hiring support, onboarding, and knowledge transfer.
• Lead targeted initiatives such as inventory accounting optimization, intercompany redesign, revenue recognition operationalization, policy development, and internal control enhancements.
• Identify needs beyond the immediate engagement and connect clients with the appropriate subject matter expertise.
• Contribute to developing and implementing firm-approved, AI-enabled solutions for clients, in accordance with company policies on data protection, intellectual property, and professional standards.
• Stay informed about emerging AI tools and techniques and collaborate with firm leadership to identify opportunities to enhance client solutions and internal processes.

What You'll Bring

• 5+ years of prior controllership experience advising Private Equity-backed portfolio companies, preferably within software/SaaS, manufacturing, or healthcare industries, and/or broad experience in the B2B space.
• Consulting mindset: ability to assess unfamiliar and often unstructured environments, structure complex challenges, and establish priorities with appropriate independence. Comfortable flexing between advising, leading, and executing hands-on based on client needs. Able to develop actionable recommendations and communicate progress, risks, and key decisions through client presentations and status updates for PE sponsors, executives, finance leaders, and accounting teams.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a builder mindset: ability to apply prior experience and judgment to unfamiliar industries, business models, and accounting challenges. Comfortable stepping into new situations, learning quickly, and executing critical work while building scalable processes, teams, and capabilities.
• Prior experience with accounting and/or finance systems, preferably NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, or other ERP systems.
• Experience supporting buy-and-build strategies, roll-ups, or acquisitions is a plus.
• Commitment to continuous learning, including responsible adoption of firm-approved AI, automation, and emerging technologies to enhance productivity and innovation.
• Comfort with AI: Demonstrated ability to responsibly explore and adopt firm-approved AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation.
• Continuous Learning Mindset: Openness to learning and applying emerging technologies including AI and automation in alignment with firm policies and client standards.
• Experience mentoring and developing team members.
• Travel is inherent in some of our projects. Our approach to travel is thoughtful and meaningful, and we do our best to avoid scheduling back-to-back extended travel where possible. Even so, travel will vary by project based on client preferences and may sometimes come in "bursts."

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• CPA or CA certification preferred