Director of Finance / Controller – Interim / Contract-to-Hire

? Chicago, IL – Downtown

? Hybrid: 4 Days Onsite / 1 Day Remote

? $80–$90/hour

Our client, a prestigious and well-known professional services organization in downtown Chicago seeking an experienced Director of Finance / Controller to provide senior-level financial leadership through a critical transition and year-end close. This individual will serve as the senior leader of the Finance & Accounting function, partnering closely with executive leadership while overseeing a small accounting team. The immediate priority will be ensuring a successful transition, maintaining day-to-day financial operations, and driving the organization through year-end close, tax coordination, K-1s, and partner/shareholder distributions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the organization's accounting and finance function, including general ledger, AR, AP, cash flow, billing, payroll, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Own month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close, ensuring timely and accurate financial statements and supporting analyses.
• Coordinate year-end activities with external auditors and tax professionals, including K-1 preparation, income tax projections, and partner/shareholder distributions.
• Manage and develop a small Finance & Accounting team while optimizing responsibilities, workflows, and operational processes.
• Partner closely with executive leadership to evaluate financial performance, identify trends, and provide actionable financial insights.
• Strengthen internal controls, accounting policies, procedures, and workflow documentation.
• Oversee cash flow, banking relationships, payroll administration, and other key financial activities.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, KPI development, and variance analysis.
• Evaluate existing accounting processes and systems and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reporting, and utilization of technology.
• Provide financial guidance to operational leaders and help strengthen financial accountability throughout the organization.

Ideal Background

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline required; CPA and/or MBA preferred.
• Significant progressive accounting and finance leadership experience at the Controller, Director of Finance, or similar level required.
• Strong preference for experience within a professional services environment, particularly architecture, engineering, design, law, accounting, consulting, or another project/service-based organization.
• Strong understanding of billing and project-based financial operations.
• Extensive knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, month-end/year-end close, internal controls, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Experience overseeing payroll and partnering with external audit and tax providers.
• Prior experience with partner/shareholder distributions, K-1s, and related year-end activities strongly preferred.
• Experience with Deltek/Vantagepoint is highly desirable.
• Experience with ADP and advanced Microsoft Excel skills preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, improve processes, strengthen controls, and operate effectively in a hands-on environment.
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to partner confidently with senior leadership and operational stakeholders.

Important Year-End Availability

Because this individual will play a critical role in year-end close and transition activities, candidates must be able to commit through the holiday/year-end period, including availability on December 24 and December 31 via remote access.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to step into a highly visible financial leadership position, stabilize and enhance an established Finance & Accounting function, and partner directly with executive leadership. For the right candidate, the position offers contract-to-hire potential and a longer-term path toward CFO-level leadership.