Associate Director - FP&A Industrial: Manufacturing & Distribution - Private Equity Advisory

From the beginning, our goal was to establish an advisory firm that stands apart from the rest – one that is grounded in our Core Values and dedicated to creating a positive experience not just for our clients, but for our people too. We firmly believe in the strength of collaboration, enthusiasm, generosity, and perseverance as the driving forces behind our success. With advisory solutions spanning accounting and risk, technology-enabled transformation, and transactions, we partner with our clients to solve today’s challenges and deliver present and future value.Our commitment to our people has earned us numerous awards including Inc5000's Fastest Growing Companies and Glassdoor's Best Places to Work. Explore what our employees have to say about our unique culture by clicking here.By joining our rapidly growing Private Equity practice you will serve as a trusted partner to our clients. You’ll bring your first-hand experience, unique perspectives, and functional knowledge to deliver tailored integrated solutions that help our clients solve today's challenges and set the foundation for future success. As an Associate Director at CrossCountry Consulting you will be responsible for a mix of client delivery, leading teams and developing junior team members, and participating in business development activities.
 
In today’s competitive deal market, Private Equity is increasingly turning to operational enhancements as a driver for value creation in their investment portfolio. It is essential for Private Equity funds to have a portfolio support team, either internally or externally, to guide CFOs as they build a scalable accounting and finance function that supports the investment thesis. We are experienced operators, who serve as an extension of leading Private Equity sponsors to drive meaningful and sustainable operational changes across their portfolios.
9+ years in FP&A and/or restructuring/turnaround, preferably in PE-backed industrial/manufacturing environments (discrete, process, or contract manufacturing). Proven track record partnering with CFOs, COOs, and plant leaders.
Deep command of income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow; expert at bridging shop-floor metrics to P&L/cash.
Modeling & analytics: Advanced Excel (including complex models, scenario/sensitivity analysis, and automation with macros); strong dashboarding and data-wrangling skills (Power BI/Tableau; SQL/Alteryx) and EPM tools (Adaptive, Anaplan, OneStream) a plus.
Manufacturing cost expertise: Standard costing, variance analysis (rate/volume/mix), absorption, PPV/commodity tracking (e.g., steel, resin, energy), and working-capital optimization
Comfort driving MBR/QBR cycles, plant walks, and S&OP tie-outs; ability to synthesize into executive-ready materials and value-creation tracking.
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.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, coach talent, and resolve multi-faceted issues in fast-paced, change-heavy environments.

Stand up and mature the FP&A function at portfolio companies—aligning monthly/quarterly cadences to production and S&OP cycles; connect plant KPIs to board-level value drivers.
Build multi-year operating and cash flow models incorporating SKU/margin waterfalls, standard costing, labor/overhead absorption, capex and maintenance capital plans, and footprint scenarios (greenfield/brownfield, consolidation, make-vs-buy). Convert strategy into annual and monthly budgets and rolling forecasts (12–18 months).
Design executive dashboards and plant scorecards that tie OEE, yield, scrap, throughput, changeover time, schedule adherence, and on-time delivery to revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, and cash. Compare actuals and YTD vs. plan, forecast, and prior year; drive variance narratives and corrective actions.
Stand up or refine standard costing, BOM/routings integrity, PPV/MPV tracking, labor efficiency, overhead rates, cost-to-serve, and SKU/customer/channel profitability.
Lead 13-week cash flow forecasting that reflects supply-chain timing, inventory turns, WIP aging, and capex drawdowns; support covenant modeling, borrowing-base dynamics, and liquidity scenarios under volume/mix and commodity volatility.
Integrate demand plans, constrained supply, and capacity plans into financial forecasts; size working-capital opportunities in inventory (safety stock, MOQ, slow-moving/obsolete) and receivables/payables levers.
Build business cases for automation, debottlenecking, and energy efficiency; implement gated capex governance and post-implementation reviews.
Assess current state and evolve analytical tools (Excel, Power BI/Tableau/Looker; SQL/Alteryx a plus). Partner across ERP (e.g., SAP/Oracle/Infor), MES, and data pipelines to ensure plant-to-P&L traceability.
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 compliant opportunities to enhance client solutions and internal processes.
Develop relationships with portfolio leadership, plant GMs/operations, and PE sponsors; scope and deliver engagements; contribute to proposals and practice growth. Mentor and develop junior team members.

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
CPA or CA certification preferred
Willingness to travel up to 40%; travel varies based on client preferences