Finance Operator - Chief of Staff

Vaco; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Private Equity Firm seeks a highly analytical Chief of Staff/Operator to partner with senior leadership, driving strategic initiatives and improving execution across functions. Based in New York City, the role is five days onsite with travel, offering a salary range of $250,000 to $300,000 plus bonus.

Prior investment banking, consulting, or PE experience is highly valued. The ideal candidate combines strong financial acumen with cross-functional leadership and a track record of delivering

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10-15 years of experience including 5+ years in investment banking, management consulting, or private equity, and 5+ years as an Operator or Finance leader.
• Strong understanding of finance, budgeting, forecasting, and business performance analysis.
• Experience operating in a business, operational, strategic finance, or corporate leadership environment.
• Ability to evaluate complex business situations and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Experience working directly with senior executives and influencing decision-making.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Highly analytical with strong problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with executive leadership to drive strategic initiatives and business priorities.
• Monitor company performance through financial, operational, and KPI reporting, providing actionable insights and recommendations.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, business planning, and performance management processes.
• Develop reporting frameworks, dashboards, and operating metrics that improve visibility into business results.
• Lead cross-functional projects focused on growth, operational improvement, and organizational effectiveness.
• Evaluate business opportunities, investments, and strategic initiatives through financial and operational analysis.
• Identify areas for process improvement and help implement scalable solutions across the organization.
• Coordinate special projects and ensure execution against key business objectives.
• Assist with post-acquisition integration efforts, transformation initiatives, and change management activities when applicable.
• Build relationships across functions and serve as a central point of coordination between leadership teams.
• Support leadership presentations, board materials, and executive communications.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to drive business outcomes and operational improvements.

Skills

Finance leadership

Budgeting & Forecasting

Business performance analysis

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication & presentation

Education

Bachelor's degree required

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Data visualization

Job description

Company:

Private Equity Firm

Role:

Value Creation – Operator / Chief of Staff

Salary:

$250,000 - $300,000 + bonus

Location:

New York City - (5 days onsite, plus travel required)

About the Role:

Our client, a middle market private equity firm, is seeking a highly analytical and versatile Chief of Staff/Operator to serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership. This role is ideal for a business generalist who combines strong financial acumen with operational experience and enjoys working across multiple functions to drive execution, performance, and organizational effectiveness. The Chief of Staff will help lead key business initiatives, support strategic planning efforts, improve operational processes, and provide analytical insights that enable informed decision-making. This position offers broad exposure to company leadership and the opportunity to influence both strategic and day-to-day business priorities.

Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with executive leadership to drive strategic initiatives and business priorities
• Monitor company performance through financial, operational, and KPI reporting, providing actionable insights and recommendations
• Support budgeting, forecasting, business planning, and performance management processes
• Develop reporting frameworks, dashboards, and operating metrics that improve visibility into business results
• Lead cross-functional projects focused on growth, operational improvement, and organizational effectiveness
• Evaluate business opportunities, investments, and strategic initiatives through financial and operational analysis
• Identify areas for process improvement and help implement scalable solutions across the organization
• Coordinate special projects and ensure execution against key business objectives
• Assist with post-acquisition integration efforts, transformation initiatives, and change management activities when applicable
• Build relationships across functions and serve as a central point of coordination between leadership teams
• Support leadership presentations, board materials, and executive communications
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to drive business outcomes and operational improvements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred
• 10-15 years of experience including 5+ years of experience in investment banking, management consulting, or private equity, and 5+ years of experience as an Operator or Finance leader for a growing private company.
• Strong understanding of finance, budgeting, forecasting, and business performance analysis
• Experience operating in a business, operational, strategic finance, or corporate leadership environment
• Ability to evaluate complex business situations and translate findings into actionable recommendations
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Experience working directly with senior executives and influencing decision-making
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Highly analytical with strong problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Business generalist who enjoys working across finance, operations, strategy, and execution
• Combines strong financial analysis skills with practical operational experience
• Comfortable moving between high-level strategy and detailed execution
• Self-starter with a high degree of ownership and accountability
• Collaborative, low-ego, and solutions-oriented
• Thrives in fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and evolving environments