HIRE TALENT  /  LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE  /  CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Construction Executive Search

Hire a CFO

Retained CFO search for GC, CM, owner, and developer firms — audit-committee fluency, capital-markets composure, cash-flow certification integrity, and construction-industry judgment. Big 4 origin common but not required. Board-referenced.

Hire a CFO → How it works
Photo of a Vetted CFO CandidateExample profile
Gregory A.
Vetted Specialist
Leadership & Executive
Chief Financial Officer
Big 4 · CPA · WIP
Sector coverage
8 mission-critical sectors
Data center · Healthcare · Life sciences · more
Engagement type
Retained executive search
Confidential outreach, board-referenced
Geography
US + EMEA
Active CFO network in both markets
Placement warranty
Replacement guarantee
Every C-suite placement
How It Works

Hire a CFO in 3 steps

A structured retained-search process for the C-suite finance seat — where getting the CFO wrong doesn’t just cost the audit, it costs the board’s confidence in every capital allocation decision.

Step 01

CEO / audit committee kickoff

60–90 minute session with CEO and audit committee. Align on succession context, finance-team situation, capital-markets exposure, and confidentiality.

Step 02

Retained-search shortlist

Discreet outreach across a targeted candidate universe. Shortlist of 3–5 CFO candidates with board memos, references, and independent 360 diligence.

Step 03

Board slate & placement

Final board / audit-committee slate with succession-plan integration. Replacement guarantee protects the placement through the transition window.

Why iRecruit.co for CFO Hires

What makes our CFO shortlist different

Construction-industry CFOs are a specific type — % complete accounting fluency, retention and mobilization discipline, WIP schedule integrity, and capital-markets composure. Sector-anchored construction cost accounting, audit-committee fluency, and CEO-partnership discipline separate a CFO who compounds capital allocation from one who becomes an audit-committee time sink.

01

Construction cost-accounting fluency

Every CFO candidate has verified % complete accounting, WIP schedule integrity, retention and mobilization discipline, and construction-industry audit history. Not generic B2B CFOs.

02

Audit-committee & board fluency

Verified audit-committee-briefing discipline, board reporting rhythm, and capital-markets composure. Referenced from prior audit chairs and PE sponsors.

03

CEO-partnership judgment

Reference-verified CEO / CFO partnership dynamics from prior CEOs. Not just internal finance role.

Meet Vetted CFO Candidates

The caliber of CFO you’ll interview

Every candidate is board-referenced, audit-committee-vetted, and matched to your firm context. Anonymized examples below reflect real retained-search profiles.

Vetted SpecialistFemale CFO - national GCExample profile

Valeria C.

National GC CFO
  • CFO of $2.4B national GC, 10 years enterprise finance
  • Big 4 origin, construction-industry audit history
  • Board-referenced across 3 audit cycles
Big 4CPAWIP
Vetted SpecialistMale CFO - developer platformExample profile

Andre B.

Developer Platform CFO
  • CFO of $4B AUM industrial developer platform
  • Capital-markets + institutional-investor relationships
  • Big 4 origin, real-estate audit history
Big 4CPACapital Markets
Vetted SpecialistMale CFO - construction managementExample profile

Hiroshi Y.

CM Firm CFO
  • CFO of $1.2B CM firm, 8 years CM-firm finance
  • Owner-relationship durability + WIP integrity
  • Board-referenced across 2 PE cycles
CPAWIPPE Sponsor
CFO Specializations

Match the CFO specialty to your firm

“CFO” means different things across firm types and ownership structures. Below are the retained-search specializations we handle:

GC CFO
General contractor CFO
Hire for this specialty
CM Firm CFO
Construction management CFO
Hire for this specialty
Owner-Side CFO
Health system, higher ed, capital-programs CFO
Hire for this specialty
Developer Platform CFO
Development platform CFO
Hire for this specialty
PE-Sponsored CFO
PE portfolio company CFO
Hire for this specialty
Founder-Succession CFO
Founder-to-professional CFO transition
Hire for this specialty
Controller
SVP-level finance leader below CFO
Hire for this specialty
Treasurer
Treasury / cash-management leader
Hire for this specialty
VP of Finance
Finance-department VP
Hire for this specialty
CEO (peer role)
C-suite CEO placements
Hire for this specialty
COO (peer role)
C-suite ops leader
Hire for this specialty
Confidential CFO Search
Retained, board-referenced
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which CFO specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the mandate on the CEO / audit committee kickoff — succession context, finance-team situation, and comp architecture.

Hire a CFO →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every CFO candidate

CFO hires live and die on construction cost-accounting fluency, audit-committee judgment, and CEO partnership. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:

Construction cost-accounting fluency

Reference-verified % complete accounting, WIP integrity, retention and mobilization discipline, construction-industry audit history.

Audit-committee & board fluency

Verified audit-committee reporting from prior audit chairs, external auditors, and PE sponsors.

CEO-partnership judgment

Reference-verified CEO / CFO dynamics from prior CEOs.

Credentials verified

CPA, Big 4 origin common, MBA where applicable, construction-industry audit history.

Capital-markets composure

Verified capital-markets and lender relationship discipline where applicable.

Compensation & architecture fit

Base + variable + LTI + equity architecture aligned with board and CEO expectations before finalist interviews.

FAQ

Hiring a CFO: frequently asked questions

How long does a CFO retained search take?

Time to CEO / audit-committee shortlist is typically 4–6 weeks. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 60–120 days depending on succession complexity and confidentiality.

What does a CFO retained search cost?

All C-suite searches are retained. Fee is typically 30–35% of first-year cash comp. Retention flexibility available for confidential incumbent replacement.

Do you handle confidential incumbent-replacement CFO searches?

Yes. Retained-search discretion, discreet outreach, and market-signal management are standard.

Do you require Big 4 origin?

Common but not required. Construction-industry audit history and % complete accounting fluency are the required criteria. Big 4 origin is nice-to-have.

Do you also place Controllers and Treasurers?

Yes. Controller, Treasurer, and VP Finance placements are core coverage below the CFO tier.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

Yes. Every CFO placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in the retained-search agreement.

Can you build the full finance leadership team?

Yes. Team builds (CFO + Controller + Treasurer + VP Finance) route through executive search plus embedded recruiting.

How is iRecruit.co different from a generalist executive-search firm?

Generalist ES firms lack sector delivery fluency at the CFO level. iRecruit.co CFO recruiters verify construction cost-accounting fluency and audit-committee composure — every candidate is matched to your firm.

Ready to hire

Talk to a construction CFO search partner

60–90 minute CEO / audit committee kickoff. We’ll align on succession context, finance-team situation, capital-markets exposure, and confidentiality — then start the retained-search process.

Hire a CFO →
Related: CEO hiring  ·  COO hiring
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