Director of Client Development & Operations with a High-Growth CRE Advisory Firm
A fast-growing, boutique advisory firm in the commercial real estate and tax-advantaged investment space is seeking a Director of Client Development & Operations to partner directly with firm leadership.
This individual will serve as the execution backbone of the business, owning client deliverables, managing active engagements, and ensuring seamless coordination across complex, multi-party transactions.
Day one responsibilities include preparing client-facing materials, managing timelines across concurrent deals, and driving follow-through on critical workstreams. Over time, this role evolves into leading client conversations, managing partner relationships, and taking ownership of deal execution.
Key requirements:
7+ years in commercial real estate, financial advisory, or related transaction environments
Strong understanding of real estate transactions, leases, and underwriting concepts
Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders
Exceptional attention to detail and process orientation
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
This is a rare opportunity to join a high-performance, founder-led firm where your work directly impacts growth, client outcomes, and firm trajectory.
I’m partnering exclusively with my client to fill a newly-created Global FP&A leadership position. This person will report directly to the CFO who is a genuinely kind and understanding person. The CFO is looking for a business partner who will lead the Global FP&A function. This global organization manufacturers highly recognizable products that are used in the CPG industry.
SkyWater Search Partners is exclusively retained by Heggies Pizza, a fast-growing, privately held Midwest food manufacturer, on a Senior Finance Manager search.
This isn’t just another finance leadership role. It’s an opportunity to join a company that has built an incredibly loyal customer following, is expanding across major retail channels, and is investing heavily in its systems, processes, and financial infrastructure to support its next phase of growth.
The Senior Finance Manager will serve as a key business partner across accounting, FP&A, and operations, leading month-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, KPI development, pricing analysis, and operational decision support. This role will have the opportunity to influence how the business scales over the coming years.
We’re looking for someone with 8+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience within manufacturing. Food manufacturing or CPG experience is highly preferred, along with a hands-on leadership style and a passion for partnering with operations to drive better business decisions.
SkyWater Search Partners is thrilled to be partnering with one of our longest-standing Minnesota-based clients on this exciting newly created leadership opportunity. Our client is a global, publicly traded manufacturer with a strong financial foundation, a history of consistent growth, and an outstanding reputation for operational excellence and innovation. As the business continues to expand, they are making meaningful investments in their finance organization to better support future growth.
This is not a traditional finance leadership role. It is an opportunity to build a capability that does not exist today. The Director of Operations & Supply Chain Finance will play a critical role in transforming how the organization forecasts demand, manages inventory, allocates working capital, and partners with operations to drive smarter, faster business decisions. The mission is to move the business from reacting to issues after they occur to anticipating them through predictive analytics, strategic planning, and proactive financial leadership.
Leading a team of approximately 12 to 15 finance professionals, this individual will serve as the trusted finance partner to Operations leadership, providing insight, challenging assumptions, and influencing key business decisions. Responsibilities span forecasting, long-range planning, scenario modeling, inventory optimization, KPI development, productivity initiatives, and working capital management, all with the goal of improving operational performance and creating long-term enterprise value.
This role offers exceptional visibility across the organization and the rare opportunity to build a best-in-class Operations & Supply Chain Finance function from the ground up. While the vision for the role is ambitious, the path to success is still being defined, making it an ideal opportunity for a strategic, hands-on finance leader who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building new capabilities, and wants to leave a lasting impact on a growing global organization.
SkyWater is thrilled to be partnering with one of our longest-standing clients on an exciting Assistant Controller opportunity. This is not a traditional backfill role or one focused on maintaining the status quo. Instead, it is a newly elevated leadership position created to help transform the finance organization into a more strategic, globally integrated function. As the CFO’s right-hand accounting leader, this individual will oversee global accounting while driving enterprise-wide initiatives including an Oracle Fusion implementation, global chart of accounts standardization, shared services development, and acquisition integration. This is a highly visible role offering direct executive exposure, broad organizational influence, and the opportunity to build capabilities that do not exist today within a growing global manufacturing organization.
SkyWater Search Partners is partnering with a large, privately held, family-owned organization in southwest Minnesota on a senior accounting leadership opportunity with long-term executive growth potential.
This is far more than a traditional Controller role. The organization is seeking a hands-on, low-ego accounting leader who genuinely enjoys building relationships, developing teams, and becoming deeply embedded in the business. Success in this role will require curiosity, humility, and a willingness to spend time in operations, whether that’s walking facilities, understanding field activity, or building credibility with leaders across the organization.
Reporting directly to the CFO, the Corporate Controller will oversee accounting and financial reporting while serving as a visible business partner across a complex, operationally driven environment. The role also includes exposure to treasury, family office dynamics, long-term strategic planning, and succession-oriented leadership development.
The ideal candidate will bring:
10–15+ years of progressive accounting and leadership experience
Strong controllership foundation (GAAP, reporting, audit, internal controls)
Experience within manufacturing, agriculture, food production, distribution, or other operationally intensive environments
Proven ability to lead and develop teams
Strong business partnering and communication skills
A collaborative, grounded leadership style
This opportunity is based in southwest Minnesota, approximately two hours from the Twin Cities, and requires a consistent on-site presence.
If you are looking for a meaningful leadership opportunity within a values-driven, relationship-oriented organization where you can make a long-term impact, I would love to connect!
We are partnering with a growing manufacturing company to hire an Accounting Manager to help build and scale the accounting function.
This is a hands-on, high-impact role focused on owning core accounting processes today while helping establish the structure, reporting discipline, and controls needed for a rapidly growing, multi-entity organization.
SkyWater Search Partners is excited to partner with a highly respected boutique investment bank in Edina, Minnesota, to identify an Investment Banking Associate to join their growing team. This firm stands out for its strong commitment to work-life balance, offering a sustainable environment with minimal weekend work – an uncommon advantage in the investment banking space.
As an Investment Banking Associate, you will play a key role in executing live M&A and capital raising mandates, supporting clients through every stage of the deal lifecycle. This role offers a unique blend of analytical rigor, client exposure, and hands-on deal execution.
This firm is known for delivering high-impact advisory services across mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, restructuring, and strategic consulting. Their client base spans public and private companies, private equity firms, lenders, and growth-stage businesses across a range of industries.
This is an excellent opportunity to join an entrepreneurial, high-performing team where you will work directly with senior bankers and gain meaningful exposure to live transactions, particularly within the renewable fuels and agribusiness sectors.
Are you a data-driven problem solver who loves turning complex operational challenges into clear, actionable insights? We’re looking for a Senior Financial Analyst to drive workforce strategy and operational analytics across customer service and operational teams.
In this role, you’ll connect finance, operations, and workforce planning to help leaders answer questions like: Where are the bottlenecks? Are staffing, process, or productivity issues slowing us down? How can we optimize resources to improve service and revenue?
Only candidates located in Minnesota will be considered.
I’m partnering with my PE-backed SaaS client to fill a critical Senior Accountant role. This high growth organization is growing organically (thanks to 100% client retention) and through acquisition. This individual will report to the Controller and will have direct interaction with the C-Suite and PE group. There is abundant opportunity to learn, take on more responsibilities, and be promoted.
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