Role search
Get a ASC 842 consultant who can own lease portfolio transition accounting.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters: Your lease inventory is incomplete, so the balance sheet cannot be trusted yet.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- ASC 842 consultant
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
Success in this role hinges on a candidate's ability to transition complex lease portfolios into ASC 842 compliant balance sheets without constant oversight. You need a practitioner who treats technical memos as the final word for audit partners. They must be able to translate vague facility or equipment contracts into strict financial outcomes that follow the standard to the letter.
A bad fit often results from hiring individuals who can recite the standard but cannot apply it to your specific transaction cycles. We look for those who understand how embedded leases in service contracts shift the bottom line. This hire is about technical accuracy that prevents auditor adjustments during the year-end process.
What should the brief settle before we search?
Your lease inventory is incomplete, so the balance sheet cannot be trusted yet. Ask the consultant how they find embedded leases in service agreements and reconcile the inventory to payments and contracts. A lease system implementation is not the same as an accounting assessment. Establish who determines terms, options and policy elections, and who will maintain changes afterward. Testing should include modifications and terminated contracts, not only new leases. The deliverable needs a repeatable process as well as the opening accounting.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We review anonymized samples of technical memos authored by the candidate to confirm their logic holds up to audit scrutiny. This includes checking for precise citations of accounting codification and the clarity of their reasoning when auditors challenge a recorded position on right-of-use assets. We look for a clear, narrative-driven defense that preemptively addresses common auditor inquiries regarding discount rates or lease term assumptions.
- We conduct technical scenarios focusing on how they handle lease modifications, impairments, and terminations in your specific industry. We test their ability to identify hidden lease components in service agreements that could lead to balance sheet errors if left uncorrected.
- We vet their direct experience with transition accounting, looking for evidence of specific problems they have solved during retrospective adoption or ongoing compliance cycles. We look for examples where they had to change an existing policy due to audit feedback or shifts in corporate structure.
- We confirm they have worked in high-growth environments where speed did not sacrifice accuracy. We cross-reference their past project work against the reporting hurdles you currently face, ensuring they have solved your specific technical problems before arriving. This involves testing their familiarity with the specific software modules or spreadsheet logic required to maintain compliance beyond the initial implementation phase.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We source from pools of passive, highly specialized practitioners currently embedded in complex finance departments. We specifically target those who have guided companies through significant lease reporting transformations. These experts are often fully occupied with their current firm’s audit cycles, which is why they possess the latest knowledge of enforcement trends.
A person would choose to take this interim assignment because it presents a sensitive technical challenge they find professionally stimulating. Unlike permanent roles, these interim placements offer the opportunity to tackle a specific lease-related project without the baggage of long-term departmental politics. These professionals value the focus on pure technical output and the immediate impact they can make on your audit readiness.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring generalist controllers who treat ASC 842 as a checklist exercise rather than a deep technical reporting requirement. They often overlook lease components embedded in non-lease contracts, leading to significant reporting gaps. This approach inevitably fails during the formal audit phase when a partner requests support for the underlying assumptions.
- Focusing on tenure at large companies rather than specific, hands-on experience with lease accounting software implementation and manual calculation spreadsheets. You need someone who can build the workbook from scratch, not just someone who manages a system. Without deep knowledge of the underlying formulaic logic, an interim consultant will be unable to troubleshoot discrepancies when the system output disagrees with the contract terms.
- Ignoring the need for cross-functional communication. A consultant who only hides in the spreadsheet fails because lease accounting requires gathering data from procurement, legal, and operational stakeholders across your organization. Effective execution requires a professional who can conduct interviews with operational leads to extract necessary lease terms that may not exist in a central database.
The search
How the ASC 842 consultant search runs
- We define the scope by identifying if your challenge is a first-time adoption, a portfolio re-measurement, or ongoing compliance monitoring. We map these specific needs to practitioners who have executed that exact stage of the lease accounting lifecycle.
- We interview candidates on their specific methodology for audit defense. We ask how they reconcile lease data with the general ledger and how they handle complex scenarios like variable lease payments or index-based adjustments that change after the commencement date.
- We present candidates who have successfully defended their technical memos against the specific audit firm you employ. We focus on the quality of their documentation and their ability to explain complex technical judgments to non-accounting stakeholders. By vetting their communication style, we ensure they can act as the primary contact point for auditors, alleviating the administrative burden on your existing permanent team.
Questions
How do you verify the consultant's technical expertise?
We evaluate their prior documentation and technical memos to ensure they cite the codification accurately. We test their logic against real-world scenarios specific to your lease portfolio complexity.
Can this consultant work with my existing accounting software?
Yes. We prioritize candidates who have successfully configured and managed lease accounting modules within your specific ERP or specialized software environment.
What should we discuss before requesting ASC 842 consultant candidates?
Ask the consultant how they find embedded leases in service agreements and reconcile the inventory to payments and contracts. A lease system implementation is not the same as an accounting assessment.
What is the fee structure?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How does an interim executive differ from a temporary staff member?
Our consultants act as technical leads who own the reporting project and defend it to auditors. They provide expertise rather than just extra hands for manual data entry.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
ASC 842 consultant by industry and related roles
Need the team under this role?
All industries
- Private Equity & Portfolio Companies
- Construction & Engineering
- Real Estate & Development
- Healthcare Services & Providers
- Life Sciences
- Manufacturing & Industrial
- Distribution, Logistics & Supply Chain
- Technology, SaaS & Software
- Consumer, Retail & E-commerce
- Financial Services & Fintech
- Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure
- Professional & Business Services
- Government Contractors
- Nonprofit, Foundations & Associations
- Education
- Family-Owned & Owner-Led Businesses
- Venture-Backed & High-Growth Companies
More Finance & Accounting roles
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.