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

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.

What You'll Do:

• Serve clients across the "Office of the CFO" at private equity portfolio companies specializing in manufacturing and distribution by evaluating current practices and providing recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the accounting, finance, and operations functions.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to private equity-owned portfolio companies on inventory management strategies, operational efficiency, and financial performance.
• Help companies develop and operationalize US-GAAP compliant inventory accounting policies including appropriate capitalization thresholds, reserve methodology, and best-in-class month-end close procedures.
• Work with your project team to design, implement, and optimize standard costing systems to help management teams better understand product level profitability.
• Develop and implement frameworks for budgeting, cost control, and performance evaluation by comparing actual costs to standard costs, identifying variances, and advising on corrective actions to enhance efficiency and profitability.
• Develop and maintain relationships with portfolio company representatives and Private Equity sponsors, collaborating with CrossCountry team members to scope, clarify, and deliver excellent client service
• 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.
• Actively participate in business development opportunities and market a full range of services to prospective clients including using existing relationships to generate new opportunities
• Mentor team members by coaching colleagues, providing regular ongoing feedback and annual performance reviews, and helping project teams resolve multi-faceted issues

What You'll Bring:

• The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in both inventory operations and accounting, with a deep understanding of plant controllership responsibilities. This role requires a strategic thinker with the ability to drive improvements and optimize performance across manufacturing and distribution operations.
• Strong background in cost accounting, including standard costing, activity-based costing, and variance analysis.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems commonly used in manufacturing, such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics is a plus, but not required.
• 9+ years’ experience in FP&A preferably in a Private Equity backed company
• Manufacturing / distribution industry experience
• Consistent success in building and developing strong client relationships
• Experience conversing with Controller group and accounting team, including fluent knowledge of the main elements and drivers of income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flow
• Advanced expertise of Microsoft Excel (e.g., macros, pivot tables, etc.) and PowerPoint
• Knowledge of data analytics and related tools (e.g., Tableau, Alteryx, SQL) a plus, but not required
• 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 junior team members and helping project teams resolve multi-faceted issues
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
• Willingness to travel up to 30%; travel varies based on client preferences