Senior Associate, Strategic Finance

Gilder Search Group; Stamford (CT); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

401(k) match

Job summary

Gilder Search Group in Stamford, CT, is recruiting a Senior Associate for Strategic Finance at an investment firm. This on-site role sits at the fund level with high portfolio involvement and reports to the Director of Strategic Finance.

This is ideal for someone coming straight from PE or investment banking who wants operator experience while staying in a high finance environment with a more balanced schedule.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive PE or investment banking experience.
• Strong Excel and financial modeling ability.
• Genuine interest in applying AI and automation to finance.
• Confidence presenting to senior leadership.
• Experience with multi-entity or multinational structures is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Run budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis for defined entities; build 3-statement models behind it.
• Build scenario and sensitivity models for the firm's 3-year strategic plan and present to senior leadership.
• Manage planning and reporting through CPM platform (OneStream or similar).
• Support month-end close, GAAP-compliant outputs, and GL integrity.
• Own the process end to end, from raw data to a narrative leadership can act on.

Skills

PE/IB experience

Financial modeling

Excel

AI in finance

Presentation skills

Team collaboration

Tools

OneStream

Job description

Senior Associate, Strategic Finance | Investment Firm | Stamford, CT, three days a week on site

We're recruiting for one of our most dynamic clients, a high-growth, multi-strategy investment firm that builds and scales businesses across oil and gas, industrials, technology, healthcare, AI, and data centers. They're looking for a Senior Associate to join their Strategic Finance team, sitting at the fund level with high operational involvement in the portfolio companies and reporting to the Director of Strategic Finance.

This is a great opportunity for someone coming straight out of PE or investment banking who wants to get operator experience but simultaneously stay in a high finance environment, without the hours of PE or IB.

What you'll own:

• Run the budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis cycle for a defined group of entities, including building and maintaining the 3-statement models behind it


• Build scenario and sensitivity models for the firm's 3-year strategic plan, and develop ad hoc business cases you'll present directly to senior leadership


• Manage planning and reporting through the team's CPM platform (OneStream or similar), and push for ways AI and automation can speed up and sharpen the work


• Support month-end close, protect GL integrity, and keep every reporting and analytical output GAAP compliant


• Full ownership of the process end to end, from raw data through to a narrative senior leadership can act on

What they need from you:

• 5-7 years of progressive PE or investment banking experience, ideally including exposure to complex, multi-entity, or multinational structures


• Strong Excel and financial modeling ability, able to build a 3-statement model solo and stand behind every line of it


• A genuine interest in applying AI and automation to how a finance team operates, not just something you talk about


• Confidence presenting to senior leadership and holding your own in the room


• A plus if you've been through a system implementation or finance transformation and have the scars to prove it

Base compensation of $150,000-$180,000 + 15-20% bonus target, but they are flexible for the right candidate. Strong medical coverage, & a 401(k) match.