Senior Associate FP&A (CFO Advisory Services)

Cherry Bekaert LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Medical, dental, and vision care

Disability and life insurance

Generous paid time off

Retirement plans

Paid Care Leave

Job summary

Cherry Bekaert LLP, a leading U.S. advisory firm, seeks a Senior Associate in FP&A Advisory Services to deliver forecasting, modeling, and KPI dashboards for middle-market clients including PE-backed companies.

You will support CFOs with data-driven decision-making, leverage Python/SQL/R and advanced Excel, and contribute to M&A readiness while traveling up to 40% as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics or related field.
• 3+ years in FP&A, corporate finance or consulting (public accounting, PE portfolio, or middle-market).
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, R and data languages.
• Strong knowledge of probability and statistics.
• Solid understanding of financial statements and forecasting principles.
• Advanced Excel skills with dynamic formulas, pivot tables, and scenario modeling.
• Experience with budgeting tools and ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Adaptive Insights).
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to travel up to 40% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop 13-week cash flow forecasts and long-range financial models.
• Design and optimize budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Create KPI dashboards for financial and operational metrics.
• Perform scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis.
• Analyze margin and profitability by product, customer or unit.
• Conduct working capital and liquidity analysis.
• Analyze department spend and revenue trends.
• Interview clients and engage stakeholders to validate assumptions.
• Transform data and visualize using Excel and BI tools.
• Support M&A readiness and integration planning.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field

Tools

Python

SQL

R

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

As a Senior Associate in FP&A Advisory Services, you will play a critical role in delivering financial planning and analysis engagements to middle‑market clients, including private equity‑backed portfolio companies. You will support CFOs and senior finance leaders in building scalable forecasting models, analyzing performance drivers, and enabling strategic decision‑making. This role blends technical finance expertise, data analytics, and business acumen to drive value creation and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Development of 13-week cash flow forecasts and long‑range financial models
• Budgeting and forecasting process design and optimization
• KPI and dashboard development for financial and operational metrics
• Scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis
• Margin and profitability analysis by product, customer, or business unit
• Working capital and liquidity analysis
• Department‑level spend and revenue trend analysis
• Client interviews and stakeholder engagement to validate assumptions
• Data transformation and visualization using Excel and BI tools
• Support for M&A readiness and integration planning

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in FP&A, corporate finance, or consulting within a public accounting firm, private equity‑backed company, or middle‑market environment
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, R, and other data languages
• In‑Depth understanding of probability & statistics
• Strong understanding of financial statements and forecasting principles
• Advanced Excel skills including dynamic formulas, pivot tables, and scenario modeling
• Experience with budgeting tools and ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Adaptive Insights)
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to travel up to 40% as needed

Preferred

• CPA, CFA, or MBA designation
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or similar visualization tools
• Familiarity with private equity operating models and reporting requirements
• Experience with cash flow modeling and liquidity planning
• Ability to troubleshoot and solve reconciliation and variance issues
• Comfortable working in hybrid and deadline‑driven environments

What you can expect from us

• Our shared values that foster inclusion and belonging including uncompromising integrity, collaboration, trust, and mutual respect
• The opportunity to innovate and do work that motivates and engages you
• A collaborative environment focused on enabling you to further your career growth and continuous professional development
• Competitive compensation and a total rewards package that focuses on all aspects of your wellbeing
• Flexibility to do impactful work and the time to enjoy your life outside of work
• Opportunities to connect and learn from professionals from different backgrounds and with different cultures

Benefits Information

Cherry Bekaert cares about our people. We offer competitive compensation packages based on performance that recognize the value our people bring to our clients and our Firm.

The salary range for this position is included below. Individual salaries within this range are determined by a variety of factors including but not limited to the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education, knowledge, skills, and geographic location.

• annual bonus
• medical, dental, and vision care
• disability and life insurance
• generous Paid Time Off
• retirement plans
• Paid Care Leave
• other programs that are dedicated to enhancing your personal and work life and providing you and your family with a measure of financial protection

Pay Range: Pay From: $85,000 to $124,900

About Cherry Bekaert

Cherry Bekaert, ranked among the largest assurance, tax and advisory firms in the U.S., serves clients across industries in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.

For more details, visit https://www.cbh.com/disclosure/

Cherry Bekaert provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

This role is expected to accept applications for at least five calendar days and may continue to be posted until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.

Candidates must demonstrate eligibility to work in the United States.

Cherry Bekaert will not provide work sponsorship for this position.

Cherry Bekaert LLP and Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC are members of Allinial Global, an accountancy and business advisory global association. Visit us at https://careers.cbh.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© 2026 Cherry Bekaert. All Rights Reserved. At Cherry Bekaert, your career is about you. With growing industry expertise, a strong support system, and our team’s shared values, we encourage you to choose your path. Join the Firm that acknowledges and recognizes the power of the individual.