M&A Finance Program Lead

Role & Responsibilities
Coordinates financial diligence across ~15 CFO-org finance teams and serves as finance point of contact for ~15 cross-functional M&A teams (HR, Legal, etc.)
Partners with outside advisors (e.g., Big 4) on financial diligence
Leads finance diligence activities including analysis of historical and projected financial performance, operating metrics, cash flow, working capital, and key transaction assumptions
Reviews transaction materials and agreements to provide finance input on deal structure, financial risks, and key provisions
Owns legal and ancillary agreement review for financial terms, seller's funds flow/waterfall (cap table → equity payouts in Excel), and closing funding coordination
Synthesizes diligence findings, financial risks, and integration considerations into decision-ready materials for leadership
Analyzes and negotiates key transaction and closing considerations: minimum cash, net working capital, funds flow, purchase price adjustments, escrows, holdbacks, and closing mechanics
Coordinates pre-close planning across R2R, O2C, P2P, FP&A, Treasury, Payroll, Tax for Day 1 readiness
Develops and executes finance integration plans including governance, milestone tracking, executive updates, risk management, and issue resolution
Partners with acquired company finance teams to transition processes, systems, controls, vendors, bank accounts, and reporting into the acquirer's operating model
Operates as both program leader and individual contributor — both, not one or the other
Role Context
Team: M&A Finance; contractor reports directly to the Hiring Manager (director-level, ~10 years at company, 7 on this team)
Team structure: 2 FTEs plus several contractors; headcount flexes with deal flow; deals are fluid and often stack
Full deal lifecycle: pulled in just before term sheet/LOI through diligence, sign, close, and integration handoff
Contractor would likely support acquisition in irange ($1.5B to $3.5B); deal assignments shift too fast
Engagement type: W2 Contract
Remote; West coast hours preferred
Required Skills & Qualifications
Must-Haves:
Has done this job before — must ramp fast and operate independently with limited HM bandwidth
Pre-sign/pre-close diligence experience — top priority, weighted above all other qualifications
Strong communication, collaboration, and influence across many stakeholders (coordinating ~15 CFO-org teams and ~15 cross-functional teams)
Agility in a fast-paced, high-volume deal environment
Demonstrated experience supporting transactions through financial diligence, close, and post-close integration
Strong understanding of end-to-end finance processes (R2R, O2C, P2P, FP&A, Treasury, Payroll, Tax)
Strong program and project management skills: planning, milestone tracking, risk management, issue resolution
Excellent written and verbal communication; experience preparing materials for senior/executive stakeholders
10+ years of relevant experience in M&A finance, transaction advisory, strategic finance, corporate finance, FP&A, and/or finance integration
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field
Preferred:
Integration experience
Big 4 transaction advisory background
MBA, CPA, or other advanced finance/accounting credentials
Experience in technology or SaaS industry
Familiarity with valuation concepts and transaction metrics including synergy analysis, cash flow assessment, and key deal performance indicators
Continuous improvement mindset with experience enhancing finance processes, governance, and operating models
Not Required:
Investment banking background — no modeling work involved
Systems expertise — generalist role; SMEs exist in the CFO org
Disqualifiers:
Integration-only profiles because the pace doesn't translate.

Work arrangement
Yes