VP of Finance

About the company

Kepner-Tregoe is a global training and consulting company with operations around the world specialized in helping clients develop excellent critical thinking skills in their management and workforces. We are over 65 years old, and our culture is marked by openness, excitement, enthusiasm, and creativity. The consultants and delivery experts who work at KT are brilliant people and this job will be a dream-come-true for a high potential global marketing personality.

KT works with 15 global industries and as such this job is a never-ending journey of exploration and learning. Each industry has its own unique culture, vocabulary, and nuances. Our job is to become part of that industry and feel at home in it. We teach our clients how to develop and polish their critical thinking skills. Of the Fortune 100 companies, 94 utilize KT as their standard in process excellence.

About the role

The VP Finance is the firm’s senior financial executive, responsible for safeguarding assets, enabling profitable growth, and translating strategic goals into financial reality. In a project-based, people-centric consulting environment, the VP Finance balances fiscal stewardship with agile decision-support, ensuring that billable-hour economics, forecasts and IT, HR and Legal reinforce long-term value creation for KT.

A successful VP Finance acts as both strategic architect and hands-on operator—equally comfortable guiding finance discussions in the Boardroom and troubleshooting a project-level margin issue with CRMs and project leads. The ideal candidate combines rigorous financial discipline with a consultative, collaborative approach that empowers client-facing leaders to make sound, data-backed decisions.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Finance & Planning

• Lead annual budgeting and rolling forecasts
• Model scenario impacts of market expansion, pricing, and staffing mix
• Advise the CEO and Board on cash position and future financial outlays

Financial Operations & Reporting

• Oversee monthly close, regional and department level P&Ls, and variance analyses
• Implement and/or monitor KPI dashboards (utilization, bookings, revenue recognition, DSO, operating income)
• Deliver timely, accurate, and insight-rich reporting
• Ensure compliance with GAAP/IFRS and local tax regulations

Treasury & Capital Management

• Manage and optimize cash flow and investments
• Negotiate payment terms on client contracts as needed
• Coordinate banking, leasing, and insurance relationships
• Manage foreign exchange transactions and their impact on financial statements

Risk & Compliance

• Maintain and enhance internal financial controls
• Review legal documentation for contracts
• Oversee audits, tax filings, and client contractual obligations
• Coordinate compliance efforts including data privacy and cybersecurity

Commercial Leadership

• Partner with Sales on pricing models and contract terms
• Evaluate project profitability and resource allocation
• Negotiate vendor and subcontractor agreements

Systems & Process Improvement

• Own and optimize ERP/PSA systems and their integration with CRM/Marketing tools
• Define and implement revenue recognition rules (e.g., ASC 606), delivery tracking, and expense workflows
• Drive predictive analytics for staffing and revenue forecasting
• Champion digital transformation across finance functions

People & Culture

• Recruit, coach, and retain a high-performing, multidisciplinary finance team (FP&A, accounting, invoicing, vendor payables)
• Promote ethical leadership and continuous learning
• Enable skill transfer across financial aspects of the business
• Cultivate a supportive and engaging culture among corporate and field staff

Qualifications & responsibilities

• Education: Bachelor’s in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or relevant Masters a plus
• Certification: CPA  required
• Experience:
  • 8-12 years total finance experience, including 2+ years in a senior leadership role
  • Prior exposure to professional-services or project-based environments (consulting, IT services, engineering, etc.)
  • Demonstrated success improving utilization, margin, and cash conversion cycles in a small to mid-size (≈ $15-$300 M revenue) company
  • Management of financial system implementation
  • Exposure to Franchise or Licensing methodology, including the revenue recognition and procedure formulation
• Technical Tools: Proficiency with modern ERP/PSA suites (e.g., Epicor, Salesforce, Certinia), Microsoft Suite, including pivoting tools, and data-visualization tools

Core competencies

• Strategic thinking & business acumen
• Strong grasp of utilization, realization, and billable-hour economics
• Data-driven decision making and storytelling
• Understanding of basic legal concepts, especially as related to Intellectual Property protection
• Working with foreign currencies, especially in the context of international trade and  finance deploying analytical, technical, and risk management skills.
• Negotiation and stakeholder management (clients, banks, Board)
• Change leadership and process optimization
• Integrity, discretion, and team-based leadership style
• Ability to relate to all levels in the organization as well as all levels at client organizations

Reporting Relationships & KPIs

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board (Audit/Finance Committee)
• Direct reports: Corp Controller, IT Manager
• Liaison to:  HR provider, Outside Legal Counsel
• Primary KPIs: Operating margins, operating cash flow, DSO, utilization %, bookings ratios, forecast accuracy, audit findings, and finance cycle times

Minimum qualifications

• CPA Qualified
• Minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience
• Bachelor’s degree in finance or related field. MBA or other Masters’ degree preferred
• Excellent English language skills – any language(s) in addition to English is/are a big plus

Additional information

Kepner-Tregoe (KT) is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. This position is full-time, commutable distance to our office. The position does require travel from time to time and reports to Kepner-Tregoe’s CEO. We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package, as well as an opportunity to work with an outstanding and dynamic team.

KT is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.