Role search
Get a Liquidity management lead who can own author complex 13-week cash flow.
Direct headhunting, shaped around the work. We clarify the assignment, research relevant people and explain the judgment behind each recommendation.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: The primary task is forcing visibility into cash flows that have become opaque or unreliable. An executive in this function replaces vague financial updates with a granular, bottoms-up 13-week forecast derived from transaction-level data.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
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- No upfront fee
- Assignment-led headhunting
- Relevant experience and current capacity
- You make the final decision
- Liquidity management lead
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
The primary task is forcing visibility into cash flows that have become opaque or unreliable. An executive in this function replaces vague financial updates with a granular, bottoms-up 13-week forecast derived from transaction-level data. They act as the owner of the cash account, ensuring that funds are directed toward mission-critical operations while holding back non-essential disbursements to maintain liquidity. Their work is the primary indicator of whether the entity can survive the next quarter.
Judgment manifests as the ability to make difficult trade-offs between vendor relationships and bank covenant compliance. This hire must identify exactly which payments can be delayed without halting production or triggering a breach. They communicate shifts in liquidity to senior leadership and lenders with brutal clarity. Success is measured by the reduction of payment cycles, the accuracy of forecasting variances, and the maintenance of sufficient cash on hand to satisfy aggressive reporting mandates. They take ownership of these volatile decisions daily.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify the candidate has authored complex 13-week cash flow models using raw ERP data exports rather than standard finance department templates. They must explain how they map daily cash inflows against actual credit terms to build a forecast that identifies a liquidity gap before it occurs. We insist on reviewing files they built independently.
- We examine their history of managing accounts payable and receivable during insolvency or severe capital constraint. They must provide specific examples of how they categorized creditors into tiers and the exact negotiation tactics they employed to buy extra days of payment runway while ensuring key operations remained active.
- We evaluate their experience in producing lender reporting packages under strict scrutiny from credit committees. They must detail their method for explaining negative cash variances and the steps taken to ensure that reported figures reconcile perfectly with bank statements to prevent allegations of reporting inaccuracy or missing data.
- We confirm they can function as an individual contributor who creates, updates, and reviews their own data. We screen for the operational grit required to work directly with controllers, treasury teams, and warehouse managers to collect inputs, refusing to accept estimates or incomplete figures from these sources.
Sourcing
Where we find them
Our search concentrates on financial leaders who operate within distressed industrial or manufacturing firms where working capital management is the primary challenge. These individuals have experience in environments where supply chain volatility dictates cash reality. They are professionals who have spent time in the field working with inventory, procurement, and production leaders to ensure the accounting ledger matches the shop floor activity. They thrive in environments where spreadsheets must represent physical inventory movement.
These candidates are often attracted to the immediate, tangible output of a liquidity management role. They prefer the singular focus of saving a business or clearing a cash trap over generalist finance management. They move into these assignments because they want to work directly with ownership or the board, avoiding the layers of internal politics that characterize more stable organizations. They value speed, accuracy, and clear decision authority above all else.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring a traditional controller who is accustomed to month-end reporting rather than daily cash management. These candidates often fail to grasp the urgency of daily liquidity, relying on outdated bank balances rather than real-time projections.
- Focusing on resume tenure in large, healthy corporations. An executive who has only ever managed capital in a company with a strong balance sheet will lack the survival instinct required to manage cash in a failing enterprise.
- Allowing the hire to rely on support staff to build the model. If the lead cannot handle the underlying database themselves, they will lose track of small but critical data errors that lead to inaccurate forecasts.
The search
How the Liquidity management lead search runs
- We start by validating the candidate's actual ability to build a 13-week model from scratch. We require a technical demonstration or a walk-through of a complex model they developed in a previous turnaround to ensure they understand how to link accounts payable aging, production schedules, and debt servicing without errors.
- Next, we screen for their experience with lender interactions. We target individuals who have handled information requests from private equity sponsors or bank workout groups, ensuring they know how to present bad news without causing panic or losing credibility during critical periods.
- Finally, we assess their operational comfort. We look for individuals who have walked warehouse floors or distribution centers to understand how cash is consumed. We prioritize those who verify their own numbers, ensuring the data provided to the board reflects the reality of the business.
Questions
How does this role differ from a corporate treasurer?
A treasurer focuses on long-term capital structure and market risk. A liquidity management lead focuses entirely on short-term survival and daily cash availability.
Is this a temporary assignment?
This role is typically brought in for high-intensity, time-bound restructuring phases. Once the cash position stabilizes, the requirements for the role often shift toward standard recurring management.
Can this lead sit remotely?
They must have full access to internal systems and real-time communication with operations. Physical proximity is often preferred to ensure they are getting accurate, non-filtered information from the front lines.
What is the fee structure?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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.