📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Chief Growth Officer
🔹 Company: Schneider Downs
🔹 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, On-site
🔹 Category: Accounting
🔹 Date Posted: May 12, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive growth roadmap
- Optimizing sales processes and enabling technology
- Driving growth initiatives and aligning diverse stakeholders
- Collaborating with leadership on M&A opportunities
- Overseeing marketing efforts to maximize brand impact and lead generation
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic thinker with a proven track record in professional services sales and growth strategy, comfortable navigating a shareholder-led environment.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Articulate and champion a compelling growth vision aligned with the 2030 Vision
✅ Finalize and implement a Growth Team organizational structure
✅ Evaluate and prioritize high-potential growth channels
✅ Formulate and implement strategies to drive growth and expansion
✅ Strengthen annual planning with data-driven rigor and introduce predictive models
✅ Own the growth plan, supporting practice leaders in holding teams accountable to targets and KPIs
✅ Develop and oversee the firm’s sales process and enablement methods
✅ Establish a Business Development Center of Excellence and sales methodology and training
✅ Partner with IT and operational teams to enhance Dynamics CRM adoption and capabilities
✅ Build and roll out an Account Management capability for strategic accounts
✅ Oversee the Marketing team, ensuring alignment between marketing strategies and sales goals
✅ Participate in identifying and evaluating strategic M&A opportunities
✅ Collaborate with leadership and external advisors to conduct due diligence and develop integration plans
✅ Drive post-M&A execution to ensure seamless alignment with the firm’s growth strategy and operational framework
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a hands-on leader who can inspire change, align diverse stakeholders, and establish a culture of accountability and results while respecting the firm’s shareholder-led model and team-oriented ethos.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field. An MBA or advanced degree is preferred.
Experience: 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in sales, business development, or growth strategy, with a strong preference for experience in the professional services industry (e.g., accounting, consulting, or legal services). Demonstrated success working within a model where equity-holding shareholders manage practices and contribute to sales efforts with varying levels of skill and capacity. Proven track record of designing and executing growth strategies that deliver measurable revenue increases in complex, partner-driven environments. Hands-on experience with CRM systems (Microsoft Dynamics preferred) and sales process optimization.
Required Skills:
- Strategic thinking and vision development
- Sales and marketing strategy and methods
- Growth strategy and execution
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Data-driven decision-making and forecasting
- CRM optimization and sales process improvement
- Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities
- Change management and team alignment
- Budget management and resource allocation
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in the accounting industry
- Familiarity with the firm’s 2030 Vision and strategic growth channels
- Proven ability to navigate a shareholder-led environment
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should have a strong understanding of professional services dynamics, including the nuances of partner equity, practice autonomy, and collective accountability for growth.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $200,000 - $300,000 per year (AI estimate based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location)
Benefits:
- Competitive compensation package
- Supportive culture
- Chance to drive meaningful change
Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location. Actual compensation may vary based on the firm's internal compensation structure and the candidate's qualifications and experience.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Accounting
Company Size: 501-1,000 employees
Founded: 1956
Company Description:
- Schneider Downs is one of the 60 largest public accounting firms in the United States
- Offers more than 80 services from five business units
- Serves clients in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Maryland, and around the world
Company Specialties:
- Audit
- Tax
- Corporate finance
- Business advisors
- Construction
- Nonprofit
- Manufacturing
- Public companies
- Energy
- Estate planning
- SEC
- Due diligence
- Valuation
- International Businesses
- SSAE 18
- SOC
- Cybersecurity
- Retail
- ERISA
- PCI Compliance
- Retirement Solutions
- Accounting
- SOX
- Digital consulting
- Dealerships
- R&D tax
- and CMMC
Company Website: https://www.linktr.ee/schneiderdowns
ASSUMPTION: Schneider Downs is a well-established firm with a broad range of services, offering opportunities for growth and expansion in the accounting industry.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Executive
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the CEO and is a key member of the leadership team and Operating Committee
Work Arrangement: Full-time, on-site
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to shape the firm’s growth strategy and drive its execution
- Chance to work closely with the CEO and leadership team
- Opportunity to develop and mentor a high-performing growth team
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the firm's future.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Corporate office
Office Location(s): One PPG Place, Suite 1700, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, US
Geographic Context:
- Pittsburgh, PA, is the second-largest city in the Ohio Valley region
- Offers a diverse economy with strengths in industries such as healthcare, education, technology, and finance
- Home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and a vibrant cultural scene
Work Schedule: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility for remote work not specified
ASSUMPTION: The work environment is likely to be dynamic and fast-paced, reflecting the firm's growth initiatives and transformation.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screening
- In-person or virtual interviews with hiring managers and/or team members
- Final round interviews with senior leadership
- Background check and reference check
- Job offer and onboarding
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and vision development
- Sales and marketing strategy and methods
- Growth strategy and execution
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Data-driven decision-making and forecasting
- CRM optimization and sales process improvement
- Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities
- Change management and team alignment
- Budget management and resource allocation
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills and experiences for this role
- Be prepared to discuss your growth strategy and execution experience in detail
- Research the firm's 2030 Vision and strategic growth channels
- Prepare questions to ask during the interview to demonstrate your interest in the role and the firm
ATS Keywords: Chief Growth Officer, Strategic Thinking, Sales Strategy, Business Development, Growth Strategy, Leadership, CRM Optimization, Market Analysis, Account Management, Collaboration, Change Management, Data-Driven Decision Making, Mergers and Acquisitions, Team Alignment, Budget Management, Predictive Analytics, Marketing Strategy
ASSUMPTION: The interview process will likely focus on assessing the candidate's strategic thinking, sales and marketing expertise, and leadership skills, as well as their ability to navigate a shareholder-led environment.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM
- Salesforce or other CRM platforms (if applicable)
- Data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
- Marketing automation tools (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
ASSUMPTION: The required tools and technologies may vary based on the firm's specific technology stack and the candidate's expertise.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Big Thinking
- Personal Focus
- Integrity
- Expertise
- Collaboration
Work Style:
- Results-oriented
- Strategic vision and tactical execution
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving clarity
- Passionate about fostering a growth mindset and building a collaborative, high-performing team culture
- Respectful of shareholder autonomy in a shareholder-led model
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you align with Schneider Downs' values, particularly 'Big Thinking' and 'Personal Focus'?
- How do you approach navigating ambiguity and driving clarity in a fast-paced, shareholder-led environment?
- How do you foster a growth mindset and build a collaborative, high-performing team culture while respecting shareholder autonomy?
ASSUMPTION: Schneider Downs values candidates who embody their core values and can thrive in their unique work environment.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Navigating a shareholder-led environment with varying levels of skill and capacity among shareholders
- Balancing individual and collective accountability for growth
- Managing resistance to change during a transformational effort
- Ensuring seamless alignment with the firm’s growth strategy and operational framework during M&A integrations
- Keeping up with the fast-paced nature of the role and the firm's growth initiatives
ASSUMPTION: The right candidate will be comfortable navigating these challenges and driving results in a dynamic environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Chief Growth Officer vs. Chief Revenue Officer: Both roles focus on driving revenue growth, but the CGO has a broader scope, including strategic vision, sales enablement, and M&A involvement, while the CRO may have a more narrow focus on revenue generation and pricing strategies.
- Industry-specific context: The accounting industry is characterized by a high degree of competition, a focus on regulatory compliance, and a trend towards consolidation and specialization. Growth opportunities may arise from emerging technologies, changing regulations, and expanding service offerings.
- Career path comparison: The CGO role can serve as a stepping stone to senior leadership positions, such as CEO or COO, or as a pathway to specialized roles in growth strategy or business development within the firm or other organizations.
ASSUMPTION: Understanding the nuances of similar roles and industry trends can help candidates tailor their application and interview responses to better fit this specific opportunity.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive growth roadmap for a professional services firm
- Optimizing sales processes and CRM utilization to improve pipeline management and forecasting accuracy
- Conducting market analysis and customer segmentation to inform targeted growth strategies
- Leading a team through a successful M&A integration, ensuring seamless alignment with the firm’s growth strategy and operational framework
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic thinking, leadership, and execution skills required for success in the Chief Growth Officer role.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does the firm's 2030 Vision translate into specific growth initiatives and priorities for this role?
- What are the key challenges facing the firm's growth efforts, and how can this role address them?
- How does the firm support the professional development and growth of its employees, particularly in the area of sales and marketing?
- What is the firm's approach to change management, and how does this role fit into that strategy?
- How does the firm measure and track the success of its growth initiatives, and what metrics will this role be responsible for influencing?
ASSUMPTION: Asking thoughtful, informed questions demonstrates the candidate's interest in the role and the firm, and provides valuable insights into the firm's culture and growth prospects.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and experiences for this role
- Prepare for interview questions focused on your strategic thinking, sales and marketing expertise, and leadership skills
- Research the firm's 2030 Vision and strategic growth channels
- Prepare questions to ask during the interview to demonstrate your interest in the role and the firm
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application, if you have not heard back
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
