Finance role
Senior Vice President (SVP) Finance Search Firm
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: When your financial oversight lacks the ability to defend numbers to the board.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
This role sits between the CFO and the tactical finance heads. The SVP Finance owns the monthly close, internal financial modeling, and the direct relationship with banking partners. They do not just oversee the work. They verify the accuracy of the statements and defend those numbers to the board.
You need someone who knows how to scrub the general ledger. They must define the budget versus actual variance reporting structure. Can they explain exactly why our burn rate changed or where our gross margin erosion started? If they cannot trace a line item to a specific operational cost center, they are not ready for this seat.
We ask how they navigated a bank covenant breach during a downturn. When they migrated reports to a new ERP, which specific module broke first? We ask for an example of pushing back against a board member request that was mathematically impossible.
To evaluate if they belong here, ask if they prefer building a model in Excel or analyzing an existing dashboard in Power BI. A strong candidate provides the rationale for their specific modeling choice. We also test their grasp on working capital management. Ask them how they manage payables when liquidity is constrained. If they cannot explain the impact on vendor relationships, do not move forward.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify their track record against these requirements:
We audit their history to confirm they actually led a full monthly close cycle from start to finish.
We check for specific software experience, focusing on migrations in systems like NetSuite or Sage Intacct.
We confirm they have personally presented financial results to a board or an institutional lender.
We look for evidence that they have managed accounting and FP&A teams of at least five direct reports.
We verify their experience with technical accounting memos, specifically regarding revenue recognition or lease accounting standards.
We review their history to see if they managed working capital requirements during periods of rapid growth or tightening liquidity.
We compare their results against the growth phases of past employers to see how they changed their approach as scale increased.
03
Where do we find them?
We source candidates from senior roles in mid-sized organizations with complex, multi-entity structures. We look for individuals currently in VP Finance roles who have reached the ceiling of their current company and need a new challenge. We also look at former public company controllers who want to get closer to the business drivers in a private environment. They typically move because their current firm lacks a clear path to CFO or because they are seeking greater operational autonomy.
We avoid candidates who only managed outsourced finance functions. We need people who understand the internal pressure of keeping a staff motivated through a difficult audit. We prioritize those who have operated in environments where capital was tight and every expense required a business case. They understand the difference between theoretical accounting and the practical reality of maintaining cash flow.
We seek candidates in growth settings who want a firm that rewards internal technical work. We prioritize those who describe solving system issues rather than moving to a new title with similar work.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
These are the common traps that delay hiring or result in a mismatch:
- 01Hiring a candidate who only understands high-level strategy but has no interest in manual data validation or ledger cleanup.
- 02Selecting someone who has only worked in large, bureaucratic firms and cannot handle the lack of resources found in smaller, faster operations.
- 03Ignoring the need for specific ERP implementation experience, which leads to months of wasted time during system transitions.
- 04Overlooking candidates because of narrow industry focus when their accounting principles transfer directly to your operational model.
05
The search in three steps
Our process prioritizes your time and verification of the candidate's actual work output.
- 01We conduct a direct screening to verify their technical history and financial oversight scope.
- 02We hold interviews focused on their specific operational choices and conflict resolution with stakeholders.
- 03We present the final candidates with verified notes and reference checks for your final evaluation.
How your SVP Finance search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Is money due to find an executive who defends financial numbers to the board?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you distinguish this role from a CFO?
The SVP Finance focuses on operational execution and the accuracy of the financial machinery. The CFO role involves primary responsibility for capital markets, investor relations, and overall corporate strategy.
Do you provide a replacement option?
We provide a replacement if the candidate leaves within the period specified in our written agreement.
What if we need someone for a temporary contract period?
We can source for defined contract or interim roles on request. We will agree on the specific scope and terms for that engagement before we begin the search.
How do you verify if they are a strong fit for our specific industry?
We screen for experience with the financial metrics and reporting cycles common to your sector. We do not use generic screening methods but rather focus on the actual accounting tasks you currently face.
What is the fee for a SVP Finance search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a SVP Finance shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a SVP Finance hire?
We ask every SVP Finance candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What don't you do?
We do not post your SVP Finance job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.
What does the published pay data show?
$166,570 national annual median. SOC 11-3031: Financial Managers.
BLS reports SVP Finance within a broader occupation. It does not publish separate wages for this exact title, credentials, seniority or industry. Compare the listed SOC duties with your actual role before using this range.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide