Senior Manager, Finance Transformation

Cohen & Co; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cohen & Co is seeking a Senior Manager to lead Finance Transformation initiatives on behalf of clients in the US. The role focuses on building and shaping a practice, leading high-performing teams, and delivering value with limited bureaucracy.

Responsibilities include end-to-end engagements across R2R, O2C, P2P, FP&A, and TAX, plus ERP strategy, data architecture, automation, and AI use cases. Travel up to 20% and no sponsorship required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Business, or related field.
• 8+ years of finance transformation experience in consulting, industry, or both.
• Experience with ERP financial modules and related finance technologies (EPM, close management, reconciliations, automation).
• Proven success improving finance and accounting processes and performance.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, including CFO interaction.
• Ability to travel up to 15-20% and work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end finance transformation engagements across multiple processes.
• Diagnose current-state operating models and design target-state models with a business case.
• Direct process redesign, governance, controls, and performance management.
• Own engagement quality, risk management, and budget-to-actual tracking.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive communications

Change management

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Business, or related field

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP

Workday Financials

Microsoft Dynamics 365

NetSuite

Job description

What You’ll Do

This is a unique opportunity to be on the ground floor of building and shaping our Finance Transformation practice. We are looking for an entrepreneurial, forward-thinking leader who is energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful, make a significant impact, and help define the future of the practice.

Senior Manager — Finance Transformation

What You’ll Do

This is a unique opportunity to be on the ground floor of building and shaping our Finance Transformation practice. We are looking for an entrepreneurial, forward-thinking leader who is energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful, make a significant impact, and help define the future of the practice.

Ideal candidates are motivated by the opportunity to take ownership, develop and lead a high-performing team, shape our service offerings, and drive growth. This role offers the flexibility and autonomy to turn ideas into action, with limited bureaucracy and the freedom to make decisions, innovate, and create lasting value for our clients and the organization.

Finance Transformation Delivery

• Lead end-to-end finance transformation engagements across Record-to-Report, Order-to-Cash, Procure-to-Pay, Acquire-to-Retire, Plan-to-Perform (FP&A), Treasury, and Tax-enabling processes.
• Diagnose current-state finance operating models — organization design, service delivery model (retained / COE / shared services / outsourced / GBS), governance, process, data, technology, and performance management — and design target-state models with a supporting business case.
• Direct process redesign and standardization efforts, including global process ownership models, policy harmonization, controls rationalization, and close acceleration.
• Own engagement quality: deliverable review, risk management, scope and change control, budget-to-actual performance, and timely escalation of issues.

Technology, Systems & AI Enablement

• Advise on ERP and finance application strategy, selection, and implementation oversight across platforms including SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, Workday Financials, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and NetSuite.
• Shape chart of accounts, master data, and reporting architecture decisions; align finance data models to management and statutory reporting requirements.
• Evaluate and deploy the surrounding finance application ecosystem — EPM/CPM (consolidation, planning, close management), reconciliation and account certification tools, AP/AR automation, treasury management, tax engines, spend management, and reporting/analytics platforms.
• Identify, design, and deploy intelligent automation and AI use cases within finance — document and invoice intelligence, anomaly and exception detection, journal entry and reconciliation automation, forecasting and variance narrative generation, and agentic or copilot-assisted workflows — with appropriate governance, data quality, and control considerations.
• Partner with client IT and systems integrators on design authority, integration architecture, testing strategy, cutover, and hypercare.

Change Management & Value Realization

• Lead organizational change management, stakeholder alignment, communications, training, and adoption measurement.
• Define benefits cases and KPI baselines; track and report value realization post-deployment.
• Design finance talent models, role profiles, and capability roadmaps aligned to the future-state operating model.

Practice & Business Development

• Lead proposal development, oral presentations, scoping, pricing, and contracting for new opportunities; maintain an active pipeline of new business.
• Identify and convert expansion opportunities within existing accounts.
• Contribute to methodology, accelerators, tooling, and thought leadership; represent the firm at industry forums and in client-facing points of view.

Client Experience

• Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for client finance leadership — Controller, VP Finance, CAO, and CFO — and build trusted-advisor relationships that extend beyond the current engagement.
• Hold your own in a controller's office debating close mechanics and in a steering committee defending an ERP design decision; translate finance strategy into operating model, process, data, technology, and people changes that deliver measurable results.
• Communicate proactively on engagement status, risks, and key decisions; manage scope and change control with transparency and executive-level clarity.

Team Leadership

• Manage, coach, and develop teams of consultants across multiple concurrent engagements.
• Provide performance feedback, career guidance, and technical mentorship; participate in recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding.
• Foster an inclusive, high-accountability team culture consistent with firm values.

Qualifications

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Business, or related field.
• 8+ years of finance transformation experience in consulting, industry, or both.
• Experience with ERP financial modules and related finance technologies (EPM, close management, reconciliations, automation).
• Proven success improving finance and accounting processes and performance.
• Strong understanding of finance operating models, including processes, technology, controls, governance, talent, and service delivery.
• Knowledge of US GAAP, IFRS, SOX, and internal controls.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, including CFO interaction.
• Ability to travel up to 15-20% and work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA, CMA, CGMA, MBA, or similar credential.
• Experience at a Big Four, national, or boutique consulting firm.
• ERP certifications (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud, Workday, or similar).
• Experience with AI, automation, or machine learning in finance.
• Shared services, GBS, outsourcing, or operating model transformation experience.
• M&A integration, carve-out, or IPO readiness experience.
• Prosci, PMP, SAFe, or other change/program management certification.

Who We Are

Sure, we like numbers. (But we’ll never treat you like one.)

At Cohen & Co Our Foundational Principles Offer Insight Into How We Achieve An Inclusive, Growth-oriented Culture That Fuels The Success Of Our Firm, Our Clients And Our People. In Particular, We Honor Our Foundational Principle Of “great People First” By

• Championing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion by embracing the unique stories, backgrounds, perspectives and ideas that come from our people; and
• Offering a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewardspackage, which allows each employee to use the benefits that best suits their needs. Our offerings go beyond standard options, including time off outside of your standard PTO to give back to the community, annual discretionary merit increases and bonuses, talent development resources to tap into growth opportunities, and so much more!

Learn More About Us!

• Discover our Passion, Purpose & Expertise
• Learn more about our Firm's culture

Estimated Base Range: $140,000-$160,000

• Base compensation offered to candidates are determined based on factors such as candidate's relevant skillset, experience, licensure, and certifications, as well as job responsibilities, geography, market considerations, and organizational needs. At Cohen & Co, we don't stop at setting ourselves apart by offering competitive base compensation. As part of our 'great people first' foundational principle, our firm offers a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that allows each employee to design a package that best suits their needs and goes beyond standard options, including time off outside of your standard PTO to recharge and give back to the community, annual discretionary merit increases and bonuses, talent development resources to tap into growth opportunities.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity of thought and background to build an inclusive and energized culture and better meet the needs of our clients.

Agency recruiters may not submit unsolicited candidate information or resumes to any Cohen & Co employee without a recruiting services contract first being entered into with the Cohen & Co Talent Acquisition Team; see policy here.