Director, Chief Administrative Officer

Description

About Alvarez & Marsal

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global consulting firm with entrepreneurial, action and results-oriented professionals. We take a hands-on approach to solving our clients' problems and assisting them in reaching their potential. Our culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are why our people love working at A&M.

Summary / Objective:

The Director / Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) reports to the Federal Practice Leader and holds a dual mandate that pairs client delivery leadership with practice-wide operational leadership. It is a Director-level, client-facing, billable role based in Washington, DC.

The Director's primary responsibility is to serve as the dedicated Project Manager and PMO Lead for a major client engagement. This is a full-time, hands-on role requiring sustained day-to-day focus, with the Director owning delivery, financial performance, risk management, and the client relationship from planning through execution.

In addition, the Director serves as the CAO for the Federal Practice, functioning as the central point of contact for the Federal practice and coordinating across practice leadership, engagement teams, and the Public Sector Services (PSS) Operations Team. In this capacity, the Director collaborates on financial management, resource management, recruiting, and related functions, and holds direct oversight of the practice's security and controller resources.

Essential Functions / Key Responsibilities:

The role is organized around two primary areas of accountability: leading a major client engagement as PMO Lead and serving as CAO for the Federal Practice. It also includes responsibilities for team leadership and development.

Client Project Management (PMO Lead):

• Serve as the dedicated PMO Lead for a major client engagement, providing day-to-day delivery leadership and acting as primary operational point of contact for the client
• Lead end-to-end project management activities, including planning, scheduling, budgeting, resourcing, and tracking progress against milestones and deliverables
• Manage engagement economics, including work-in-process (WIP), billing, revenue recognition inputs, and forecasting, working closely with controller support
• Identify, track, and drive resolution of project risks, issues, and dependencies, escalating to practice leadership as needed
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery teams and manage staffing and workload against engagement demands and deadlines
• Produce project reporting and dashboards for both the client and A&M leadership
• Maintain compliance with federal contract requirements applicable to the engagement (for example, FAR/DFARS, contract type, and deliverable acceptance)

Chief Administrative Officer (Federal Practice):

Serve as the central point of contact for the Federal Practice, coordinating closely with the PSS Operations Team, including the Chief Operations Officer (COO), Chief People Officer (CPO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Lead, Contracts and Risk Management Director, and Career Development Lead. The Director / CAO holds direct oversight of the practice's security and controller resources.

• Operational Oversight:
  • Serve as the day-to-day operational lead for the Federal Practice, connecting practice leadership and engagement teams with PSS Operations and corporate functions
  • Provide leadership and direction for practice operations, including project management, dashboarding, and administrative activities
  • Support business operations initiatives at the direction of Federal Practice leadership, coordinating with the PSS Operations Team and corporate functions to drive resource management, talent acquisition, security, pricing, and related needs
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency across the practice, developing and codifying policies, procedures, and process maps to streamline workflows and drive continuous improvement
• Financial Management:
  • Provide direct oversight of the practice's controller and billing specialist resources
  • Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis for the practice and its strategic engagements, providing strategic financial insight to leadership
  • Monitor engagement backlog and sales pipeline, following up with Managing Directors and leadership on actions to be taken and progress against targets
  • Liaise with the PSS CFO, PSS FP&A Lead, and A&M corporate finance to obtain data and analysis on a timely, efficient basis
  • Prepare weekly and monthly KPI reporting (WIP, aging AR/AP, indirect spend, project profitability), analyzing results and highlighting potential risk areas
  • Develop and maintain financial models to monitor P&L activity and provide variance analysis relative to plan
  • Oversee compliant cost-accounting practices, including indirect and wrap-rate structures, compliant timekeeping, and support for incurred-cost submissions, and coordinate audit readiness with corporate finance
  • Recommend and implement new processes and tools to improve financial effectiveness and efficiency
• Resource and Talent Management:
  • Partner with the PSS CPO, talent acquisition, and Career Development Lead on recruiting, staffing, and resource management across the practice
  • Oversee the onboarding of team members to client engagements, coordinating with the Facility Security Officer (FSO) to confirm appropriate security and clearance levels are in place
  • Manage internal operations staffing levels and workload distribution to ensure optimal utilization of operations and support staff
  • Monitor assignments and staffing needs to meet operational and project deadlines
• Security and Facility Clearance:
  • Provide direct oversight of the practice's external security advisory team
  • Coordinate with the FSO on cleared-personnel management, clearance tracking, and NISPOM/DCSA requirements
  • Support Facility Clearance (FCL) considerations and secure-work logistics as engagement needs require
• Risk and Compliance:
  • Identify and mitigate operational, project, and compliance risks, with specific attention to federal contract compliance and audit exposure (FAR/DFARS, DCAA), coordinating with the PSS Operations Team and the Contracts and Risk Management Director
  • Develop risk management strategies and contingency plans to minimize potential impacts on practice operations
• Knowledge Management:
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive knowledge management strategy aligned with Federal Practice goals and objectives, collaborating with the PSS Operations Team
  • Identify key knowledge priorities, objectives, and target outcomes, and develop supporting procedures
  • Collaborate with project teams to implement the knowledge management strategy and technology solutions
  • Monitor adoption and lead related change management initiatives

Leadership and Development:

• Lead and mentor project and operations teams, providing guidance, coaching, feedback, and professional development
• Foster an inclusive and collaborative team culture, promoting knowledge sharing, teamwork, and service delivery excellence

Competencies (Refer to Competency Framework):

• Competency Framework TBD

Work Environment:

• Fast-paced consulting environment with tight deadlines, multiple priorities, and shifting and competing demands
• Sustained day-to-day focus on a major client engagement is expected
• Flexible working hours required to meet practice needs and project demands and deadlines
• Strong customer and client service orientation

Travel Required:

• Limited travel to client sites and A&M office locations

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field; Master's degree preferred
• US citizenship and eligibility to obtain and hold a security clearance
• Proven experience in project management and operations management within the management consulting industry, including leading a client-facing PMO or managing a major engagement end to end; PMP certification preferred
• Demonstrated federal government contracting experience, including working knowledge of FAR/DFARS, federal contract types, and DCAA-compliant cost accounting
• Demonstrated financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, and P&L oversight
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to manage teams and collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement, change management, and organizational development initiatives
• Proficiency in project management tools and software, such as Microsoft Project and Smartsheet
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to analyze data, identify trends, derive actionable insights, and make data-driven decisions
• Results-oriented mindset, with a focus on delivering high-quality outcomes and exceeding internal and external customer expectations
• Fluency in the use of Power BI
• Proficiency in applying AI and generative AI tools to streamline workflows, analysis, and reporting
• Experience adopting and promoting responsible and compliant use of AI tools to improve team effectiveness and client delivery

The above description is intended to outline the general responsibilities and qualifications for the position. Specific duties and requirements may vary based on firm and practice focus areas, and client and internal customer needs.

Full-time Positions and Part-time Positions Over 30 hours

Regular employees working 30 or more hours per week are also entitled to participate in Alvarez & Marsal Holdings’ fringe benefits consisting of healthcare plans, flexible spending and savings accounts, life, AD&D, and disability coverages at rates determined periodically as well as a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Provided the eligibility requirements are met, employees will also receive an annual discretionary contribution to their 401(k) retirement savings plan from Alvarez & Marsal. Additionally, employees are eligible for paid time off including vacation, personal days, seventy-two (72) hours of sick time (prorated for part time employees), ten federal holidays, one floating holiday, and parental leave. The amount of vacation and personal days available varies based on tenure and role type. Click here for more information regarding A&M’s benefits programs.

The salary range is $135,000 - $175,000 annually, dependent on several variables including but not limited to education, experience, skills, and geography. In addition, A&M offers a discretionary bonus program which is based on a number of factors, including individual and firm performance. Please ask your recruiter for details.