Advisory and M&A Engagement Manager

Winding River Consulting, LLC; Chagrin Falls (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Winding River Consulting, LLC is seeking an experienced Advisory & M&A Engagement Manager to serve as the operational backbone of client engagements. The role combines project management, financial modeling support, engagement administration, and advisory operations expertise.

The ideal candidate has led within CPA/advisory firms, understands partner-led firm economics, and can support engagements from kickoff through delivery while coordinating with partners and clients to ensure on-time,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in a CPA firm, advisory firm, consulting firm, or professional services organization.
• Prior experience as a Controller, Finance Director, Firm Administrator, or similar role.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple advisory, transaction, and M&A engagements simultaneously.
• Develop project plans, timelines, workstreams, deliverables, and resource schedules.
• Coordinate activities across partners, managers, analysts, and external stakeholders.
• Monitor project status, identify risks, and drive issue resolution.
• Facilitate weekly engagement meetings and maintain action-item tracking.
• Support financial due diligence, quality of earnings, integration planning, and strategic advisory engagements.

Skills

Project management

Financial modeling

Advisory operations

M&A experience

Advanced Excel

CPA/CPA Firm experience

Communication skills

Client service mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Winding River Consulting (WRC) is seeking an experienced Advisory & M&A Engagement Manager to serve as the operational backbone of our client engagements. This role combines project management, financial modeling support, engagement administration, and advisory operations expertise.

The ideal candidate has previously served as a Controller, Director of Finance, Firm Administrator, Finance Manager, or similar leadership role within a CPA firm, advisory firm, investment banking practice, or professional services organization. They understand how partner-led firms operate, possess strong knowledge of firm financials, profitability drivers, partner compensation structures, and deferred compensation arrangements, and can effectively support advisory and transaction engagements from kickoff through delivery.

This position will work closely with partners, engagement leaders, and clients to ensure projects remain on schedule, financially disciplined, and operationally effective.

Key Responsibilities

Winding River Consulting (WRC) is seeking an experienced Advisory & M&A Engagement Manager to serve as the operational backbone of our client engagements. This role combines project management, financial modeling support, engagement administration, and advisory operations expertise.

The ideal candidate has previously served as a Controller, Director of Finance, Firm Administrator, Finance Manager, or similar leadership role within a CPA firm, advisory firm, investment banking practice, or professional services organization. They understand how partner-led firms operate, possess strong knowledge of firm financials, profitability drivers, partner compensation structures, and deferred compensation arrangements, and can effectively support advisory and transaction engagements from kickoff through delivery.

This position will work closely with partners, engagement leaders, and clients to ensure projects remain on schedule, financially disciplined, and operationally effective.

Key Responsibilities

Winding River Consulting (WRC) is seeking an experienced Advisory & M&A Engagement Manager to serve as the operational backbone of our client engagements. This role combines project management, financial modeling support, engagement administration, and advisory operations expertise.

The ideal candidate has previously served as a Controller, Director of Finance, Firm Administrator, Finance Manager, or similar leadership role within a CPA firm, advisory firm, investment banking practice, or professional services organization. They understand how partner-led firms operate, possess strong knowledge of firm financials, profitability drivers, partner compensation structures, and deferred compensation arrangements, and can effectively support advisory and transaction engagements from kickoff through delivery.

This position will work closely with partners, engagement leaders, and clients to ensure projects remain on schedule, financially disciplined, and operationally effective.

Engagement & Project Management

• Manage multiple advisory, transaction, and M&A engagements simultaneously.
• Develop project plans, timelines, workstreams, deliverables, and resource schedules.
• Coordinate activities across partners, managers, analysts, and external stakeholders.
• Monitor project status, identify risks, and proactively drive issue resolution.
• Facilitate weekly engagement meetings and maintain action-item tracking.
• Ensure client deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Implement and refine project management best practices across the firm.
• Support financial due diligence, quality of earnings, integration planning, and strategic advisory engagements.
• Coordinate diligence requests, data room management, and information gathering.
• Manage engagement budgets and assist with engagement economics.
• Provide operational support throughout buy-side and sell-side transactions.
• Assist in developing client-facing reports, presentations, and analyses.
• Build and maintain engagement models and analytical templates.
• Set up and organize three-statement financial models.
• Assist with forecasting, cash flow, working capital, and profitability analysis.
• Support partner compensation, deferred compensation, and firm economics modeling.
• Validate assumptions, organize source data, and perform quality control reviews.
• Develop repeatable modeling tools and reporting frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in a CPA firm, advisory firm, consulting firm, or professional services organization.
• Prior experience as a Controller, Finance Director, Firm Administrator, Practice Operations Leader, or similar.
• Strong understanding of professional services firm economics.
• Experience supporting partner compensation and deferred compensation programs.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Demonstrated project management experience involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• CPA, CMA, MBA, PMP, or comparable professional credential.
• Experience with M&A advisory, quality of earnings, or financial due diligence engagements.
• Familiarity with financial modeling and business valuation concepts.
• Operates with a strong client-service mindset.
• Highly organized and execution-oriented.
• Balances financial rigor with practical business judgment.
• Able to anticipate issues before they become problems.
• Comfortable working directly with partners and senior executives.
• Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and follow-through.
• Thrives in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Serves as the central project manager for advisory and M&A engagements.
• Creates standardized engagement management processes and reporting.
• Improves engagement visibility, scheduling, and delivery consistency.
• Establishes scalable financial modeling templates.
• Becomes a trusted resource for firm economics, compensation modeling, and advisory engagement management.
• Increases operational efficiency and enhances the client experience.

Transaction & Advisory Support

• Support financial due diligence, quality of earnings, integration planning, and strategic advisory engagements.
• Coordinate diligence requests, data room management, and information gathering.
• Manage engagement budgets and assist with engagement economics.
• Provide operational support throughout buy-side and sell-side transactions.
• Assist in developing client-facing reports, presentations, and analyses.

Financial Modeling & Analytics

• Build and maintain engagement models and analytical templates.
• Set up and organize three-statement financial models.
• Assist with forecasting, cash flow, working capital, and profitability analysis.
• Support partner compensation, deferred compensation, and firm economics modeling.
• Validate assumptions, organize source data, and perform quality control reviews.
• Develop repeatable modeling tools and reporting frameworks.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in a CPA firm, advisory firm, consulting firm, or professional services organization.
• Prior experience as a Controller, Finance Director, Firm Administrator, Practice Operations Leader, or similar.
• Strong understanding of professional services firm economics.
• Experience supporting partner compensation and deferred compensation programs.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Demonstrated project management experience involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• CPA, CMA, MBA, PMP, or comparable professional credential.
• Experience with M&A advisory, quality of earnings, or financial due diligence engagements.
• Familiarity with financial modeling and business valuation concepts.

Critical Success Factors

• Operates with a strong client-service mindset.
• Highly organized and execution-oriented.
• Balances financial rigor with practical business judgment.
• Able to anticipate issues before they become problems.
• Comfortable working directly with partners and senior executives.
• Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and follow-through.
• Thrives in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

What Success Looks Like After 12 Months

• Serves as the central project manager for advisory and M&A engagements.
• Creates standardized engagement management processes and reporting.
• Improves engagement visibility, scheduling, and delivery consistency.
• Establishes scalable financial modeling templates.
• Becomes a trusted resource for firm economics, compensation modeling, and advisory engagement management.
• Increases operational efficiency and enhances the client experience.