Fractional Chief Financial Officer — Credit Funds

About Arootah

Arootah is a talent solutions firm purpose-built for the alternative investment industry. We advise and we execute, covering the full talent spectrum from entry to exit across five services: Talent Acquisition, Fractional Leadership, Talent Development, Retention & Compensation, and Transition.

Most talent firms solve one problem. Because we cover the full spectrum, we can help clients identify and solve the right one. We start with diagnosis, then deliver.

Our team has run alternative investment firms at the highest levels as COOs, CFOs, and CCOs. That operator experience, combined with 15+ years of alternatives-specific recruiting and a network of 700+ vetted advisors across 18 functional disciplines, is what makes the advice credible and the execution reliable. We also draw on a network of 600+ coaches, deploying those with specific experience guiding senior executives in the alternatives industry.

One industry. One talent partner. Entry to exit.

Learn more: https://arootah.com/

Who We’re Looking For

Arootah is seeking experienced Chief Financial Officers with a deep credit background to join our advisor network and support clients across the alternative investment landscape.

As part of the network, you may be engaged with credit-focused hedge funds and alternative managers to provide strategic, project-based leadership across financial operations, reporting, controls, and business planning—often coming in to audit the finance and operations function, improve and scale its processes, reduce manual effort and key-person risk, leverage the existing team, and advise on the tools and talent needed to grow.

Core Areas of Expertise

Building and optimizing finance infrastructure across alternative investment firms, with the ability to scale a credit manager through a growth phase (e.g., from $1B toward $5B in AUM)
Overseeing fund accounting, management company accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash management
Auditing the finance and operations function and improving processes using reasonable tech tools and automation
Reducing manual, spreadsheet-driven work and the associated key-person risk, while preserving the documentation and auditability required for investors and for the SEC
Supporting accelerated and more frequent reporting cycles—for example, a seven-business-day close and weekly investor reporting driven by large institutional allocations
Improving data integrity from the order management system into the fund administrator
Enhancing financial reporting, internal controls, and operational transparency
Managing audits, tax coordination, and external service provider relationships, including fund administrators
Supporting institutional readiness, investor reporting, and financial governance initiatives
Advising on systems, automation, and vendor selection with a pragmatic, appropriately skeptical view of AI—where it genuinely helps versus where it introduces risk, with governance, guardrails, and data security front of mind
Partnering with founders, COOs, CIOs, and senior leadership on strategic planning and growth initiatives

Credit-Specific Requirements

Must-Have

Deep credit background—a must-have—including restructurings, corporate actions, and special situations / distressed

Intimate, hands-on knowledge of Bloomberg AIM as the order management system and book of record—often the single most critical technical requirement

Understanding of the operational complexity when a security ticker or CUSIP attached to a bond goes into restructuring and turns into something else through a corporate action

Very hands-on knowledge of derivative instruments, including swaps, forwards, cleared products, and credit derivatives (e.g., credit default swaps / CDX); derivatives are a primary source of operational pain

Experience building and scaling finance and operations platforms through the kind of growth these firms are targeting

Experience working with fund administrators on a complex, multi-asset credit strategy, and improving the firm-to-administrator data pipeline and reconciliation process

Strongly Preferred

Emerging markets experience (e.g., hard-currency EM debt) and comfort with a multi-asset, multi-strategy book

Familiarity with bank loans within a credit portfolio

Familiarity with portfolio reporting / reconciliation automation tools (e.g., Lightkeeper) and realistic expectations for implementation effort and benefit

Practical experience using AI tools with appropriate caution

What You Bring

Prior experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Head of Finance, Controller, or equivalent senior finance leadership role within a credit-focused hedge fund, private equity firm, or family office
Deep understanding of fund structures, investment operations, and financial infrastructure
Proven track record of building scalable finance functions and improving operational processes
A senior, hands-on operator able to roll up sleeves at the spreadsheet and data level as well as advise on structure and strategy, and to have an intelligent, practical conversation about a firm’s specific situation from day one
Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the judgment and humility not to oversell AI or any single tool as a magic fix
Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on in dynamic environments