Engaged search · contingent · staffing·17 years of placement expertise·Backed by ProHireHQ AI ↗
Engaged Headhunters/Search by Role/CFO Search
CFO Search · Engaged Search

CFO Search.

Strategic finance leadership across venture-backed, PE-backed, and self-funded operators. CFOs who can run capital allocation and partner with the CEO.

Start a CFO search →How engaged search works
The thesis

What this search actually requires.

A CFO is the most leveraged finance hire a company makes. The role touches the books, the audit, the cap table, the board conversation, and (eventually) the sale process. Senior CFO candidates are mostly passive — running someone else's company — and the search has to find them.

Engaged search is the standard model for senior CFO engagements. The deposit funds passive-talent advertising and dedicated specialist time; the balance is owed only on placement. The recruiter assigned to your search has placed CFOs across stage and industry.

Compensation

CFO comp ranges in 2026.

Typical 2026 ranges for the CFO role. Specific comp is benchmarked per engagement against peer companies and the candidate's track record.

  • ✓Early-stage / smaller-revenue CFO base: $250,000–$400,000
  • ✓Venture-backed Series B–D CFO base: $300,000–$550,000
  • ✓PE-backed portfolio company CFO base: $400,000–$750,000
  • ✓Total compensation typically 1.5–2.5× base for venture-backed and PE-backed CFOs
How the search runs

Five steps, end-to-end.

From kickoff to closed offer, run by the senior specialist you meet on the first call.

  1. Scoping with the CEO and audit committee chair, comp philosophy alignment

  2. Market mapping across the CFO candidate pool in your stage and industry

  3. Calibrated shortlist with full diligence, comp validation, and CEO-CFO chemistry

  4. Working sessions on the company's actual financial model (not hypotheticals)

  5. Reference checks (backchannel + on-list), offer construction, and close

Industries we run this in

Where the CFO search lives.

The industries where this role profile shows up most often on our desk.

Industry

Finance

See practice →
Industry

Healthcare

See practice →
Industry

Technology

See practice →
Industry

Manufacturing

See practice →
FAQ

CFO search,
specifically.

The questions hiring leaders ask in the first scoping call.

How long does a CFO search take?
Engaged CFO searches typically run 90–150 days from engagement to closed offer. The fastest engaged searches close inside 60 days when the candidate pool is well-mapped; the longest run 180 days when comp requires re-leveling or the search is post-incident.
What is the difference between a CFO and a Senior Controller?
A Controller owns the accounting close, GAAP compliance, audit, payroll, AP/AR, and the integrity of the financial statements. A CFO owns capital allocation, fundraising, M&A, treasury, FP&A, board reporting, and the long-range plan. Most senior Controllers are not CFOs; the move is a real promotion.
How much does an engaged CFO search cost?
Engaged search fees run 25–35 percent of first-year compensation, with a deposit up front and the balance owed on placement. Replacement guarantee is scoped per engagement.
Should I hire a fractional CFO or a full-time CFO?
Fractional CFO is the right model when the company needs CFO judgment for fewer than three days a week and is not raising capital, integrating an acquisition, or preparing for an audit-grade close. Full-time is the right hire when any of those activities are imminent.
Related reading
Blog

How to Hire a CFO in 2026

Founder/board guide with comp ranges, scoping, and process.

Read →
●Running a CFO search?

Tell us the role, the niche, the urgency.

We come back inside one business day with a scoping call, a fee quote, and a candidate market read.

Start a CFO search →