Kearney Finance Business Partner 2026

About Kearney

A global partnership in more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We’re individuals with different passions and strengths who take as much joy in the work we do as from those we work with. 

Together, we know our people are our difference — for our clients, our colleagues, and our communities. That’s why we take pride in being individual and inclusive and create a place where everyone can bring their full self to work. 

Role Purpose

We are seeking a Finance Business Partner (FBP) to serve as a senior finance leader and strategic business partner to the Activate D&A leadership team (LT) and Business Leads (BL) as we scale a global, high-growth technology consulting business with deep expertise in data, AI, and digital transformation.

The FBP will bring a consulting-native mindset - combining financial rigor, delivery excellence, and commercial insight - to help improve margin performance, professionalize operations, enable sustainable growth and influence major commercial and investment decisions across Activate D&A businesses, priority client portfolios and other Kearney Activate businesses. Operating as a trusted peer to Activate D&A LT and BLs, the FBP balances strategic insight with rigorous financial governance in a complex and global environment.

Key Responsibilities

Executive & Strategic Partnership

- Act as a primary finance advisor to Activate D&A LT and BLs on financial performance, risk, and long-term value creation

- Challenge leadership thinking and influence strategic decisions related to growth, portfolio mix, pricing, and long-term investments with fact-based insights, scenario analysis, and clear recommendations

- Support enterprise initiatives such as market expansion, new offerings, strategic partnerships and structural changes

Financial Operations & Governance

- Own financial performance for assigned businesses across geographical units, with accountability for revenue growth, margin, and cost discipline

- Establish best-in-class financial controls, policies, and reporting appropriate for a global, high-growth technology consulting business

- Lead multi-year financial planning, annual budgeting, and rolling forecasts with a strong bias toward actionable insights

- Identify structural performance issues and lead corrective actions in partnership with the business

- Ensure strong financial governance, compliance, and risk management across the business

Consulting Economics & Delivery Excellence

- Bring a strong point of view on professional services economics, including:

• Utilization, realization, and margin optimization
• Pricing and discount governance
• Engagement and portfolio profitability analysis
• Managed services vs. project-based delivery economics
• Strategic partnerships and alliances
• Partner with Business and Delivery Leaders to improve delivery discipline, margin predictability, and scalability
• Drive continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making around staffing models, global delivery mix, and capacity planning

Insight, Analytics & Decision Support

- Translate complex financial and operational data into concise, executive-ready insights

- Develop and oversee KPI frameworks and dashboards that enable proactive management and scaling of data & AI offerings

- Anticipate risks and opportunities through forward-looking analysis and scenario planning

Leadership & Talent Development

- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Finance Business Partners and analysts

- Set the standard for business partnering excellence, commercial mindset, and professional judgment

Key Stakeholders

- Activate D&A leadership team (LT) and Business Leads (BL)

- Global Finance Leadership

- HR, Operations, other Shared Services

Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience

- 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience within global consulting or professional services firms

- Leadership experience operating as a trusted advisor to senior executives at firms such as Accenture, Deloitte, Slalom, Cognizant, Capgemini, EY, or similar

- Proven experience scaling a tech consulting business in the 500-2,000 employee range

- Direct exposure to data, analytics, AI, or technology-led consulting environments

Capabilities & Mindset

- Deep understanding of technology and consulting delivery models and economics

- Strong operator with a clear, confident point of view on how finance should enable delivery excellence

- Strong commercial judgment and ability to influence outcomes in a partnership-driven culture

- Comfortable in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment that values clarity, speed, and accountability

- Ability to balance strategic insight with financial rigor and control

Leadership Style

- Executive presence with the ability to influence at C-suite levels

- Collaborative partner to Business, Sales, and Delivery leaders

- Hands-on where needed, but focused on building scalable systems and teams