Vice President Strategic Development Jobs in California

Palm Tree is a modern M&A value creation firm that integrates financial consulting, operational consulting, and investment banking services. Founded in 2010, Palm Tree partners with private equity firms, business operators, and management teams through strategic events including acquisitions, carve-outs, recapitalizations, restructurings, integrations, and performance improvement initiatives.

The Strategic Finance Consulting team works alongside sponsors and executive leadership to strengthen financial visibility, improve forecasting rigor, and drive enterprise value creation within middle-market portfolio companies.

The Vice President is a senior execution and engagement management leader within Palm Tree’s Strategic Finance Consulting practice. Vice Presidents are responsible for managing day-to-day client engagements, overseeing financial workstreams, and ensuring high-quality, actionable deliverables.

This role requires strong technical financial expertise combined with the ability to manage teams, coordinate client communication, and drive engagement outcomes. Vice Presidents serve as the primary point of contact on engagements while maintaining close alignment with Directors and Managing Directors.

Unlike Accounting Advisory, which focuses on technical accounting and historical reporting, Strategic Finance Consulting centers on forward-looking financial planning, liquidity management, budgeting, forecasting, and operational performance improvement within private equity-backed environments.

• Lead day-to-day execution of client engagements
• Manage Associates and Senior Associates across multiple workstreams
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and client communications
• Ensure quality control and consistency of financial outputs
• Serve as primary engagement contact for CFOs and finance leaders

• Oversee development of integrated 3-statement financial models
• Lead construction of 13-week cash flow models and rolling 12-week liquidity forecasts
• Drive AOP, budgeting, and forecasting processes
• Guide scenario analysis and sensitivity modeling
• Conduct performance diagnostics and variance analysis

• Analyze working capital trends and cash flow drivers
• Develop covenant and debt capacity models
• Identify EBITDA enhancement and cost optimization opportunities
• Improve reporting cadence, dashboards, and KPI frameworks

• Facilitate working sessions with executive leadership
• Present financial insights and recommendations to management teams and sponsors
• Translate complex analyses into actionable operational strategies
• Maintain consistent communication with client stakeholders

• Mentor junior team members and provide structured feedback
• Support recruiting and onboarding initiatives
• Foster a culture of accountability and analytical rigor

• Contribute to proposal development and pitch materials
• Identify follow-on engagement opportunities within existing clients
• Support broader firm growth initiatives

• 7+ years of experience in FP&A, corporate finance, investment banking, restructuring, private equity, or related advisory roles
• Demonstrated engagement management experience in client-service environments
• Experience supporting private equity-backed portfolio companies preferred
• Advanced financial modeling expertise, including liquidity forecasting and scenario analysis
• Experience leading budgeting, forecasting, and AOP processes
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent engagements in fast-paced environments

CPA, CFA, or MBA credentials are viewed favorably but not required.

• Base salary range of $150,000–$200,000, plus performance-based incentive bonus.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Competitive 401(k) program with employer matching.
• Hybrid work environment with access to offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO).
• Opportunities for career advancement within a merit-based, entrepreneurial culture.