CFO

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – PE-backed International Services Group

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our client is a private-equity-backed, international B2B services group headquartered in the Cologne/Bonn region. It is hiring its first group CFO to lead finance through the next phase of buy-and-build and towards a successful exit.

The group has grown through a series of add-on acquisitions. It now operates from several sites in Germany and abroad, with a double-digit € million turnover.

The next phase is about integrating these businesses into one platform, professionalising group finance and building the reporting, systems and controls that support further acquisitions and an eventual exit.

THE ROLE

The CFO is a newly created group role and a member of the management team. They report to the CEO and work closely with the private equity shareholder.

- Title: Chief Financial Officer (Group)
- Reports to: CEO, with regular interaction with the investor and supervisory bodies
- Leads: the group finance and controlling team, plus finance leads at the operating subsidiaries
- Scope: all group entities in Germany and abroad, including recently acquired businesses

This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to build the finance function, not simply run it. The CFO will be the CEO's key sparring partner on strategy, M&A and value creation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The CFO owns all finance matters across the group and leads its integration into one scalable platform.

- Reporting and consolidation: build group consolidation (HGB) and timely monthly management and investor reporting, with clear KPIs across business lines and sites.
- Planning and performance: lead budgeting, forecasting and medium-term planning, and drive EBITDA improvement with the operating teams.
- Cash and working capital: manage liquidity, cash flow and working capital, including inventory and receivables across a multi-site group.
- Financing and lenders: own bank and lender relationships, covenant compliance and financing for acquisitions and growth.
- M&A and integration: support target screening, valuation and due diligence, and lead the financial integration of add-on acquisitions.
- Systems and processes: harmonise ERP, accounting and controlling processes across entities, and build a finance data and BI landscape.
- Controlling: establish profitability and costing transparency by business line, site and customer.
- Governance: oversee tax, insurance, internal controls and risk management, working with external advisors and auditors.
- Exit readiness: prepare the business and data for a future sale, including vendor due diligence.
- Team: lead and develop the group finance team and local finance leads, and strengthen capabilities where needed.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial, hands-on finance leader with private equity experience who is ready to own the CFO seat in a growing group.

Experience
- 10+ years in finance, including several years as CFO, Finance Director or Head of Finance in a mid-sized company or PE portfolio company
- Track record in a private equity environment: investor reporting, lender covenants, value-creation plans
- Hands-on experience with buy-and-build, including due diligence and post-merger integration of add-on acquisitions
- Group consolidation and reporting across multiple legal entities, ideally with international subsidiaries
- ERP, process and reporting projects in growing organisations
- Background in industrial, technical services or other asset-intensive B2B businesses is a plus

Skills and qualifications
- Degree in business administration, economics or a related field; Big 4, transaction services or PE operating-team experience is welcome
- Fluent German and English
- Strong analytical and commercial judgement, with a pragmatic, hands-on working style
- Credible sparring partner for the CEO and investor, and a natural leader who develops teams
- Comfortable with a fast-paced, multi-site environment and regular travel