A recruiter reached out to me about this role and conducted an initial screening call. During that conversation, the recruiter said, “You’re exactly what they’re looking for.” I did have some reservations, as the position had already been open for two months. At this seniority and compensation range, that suggested potential internal ambiguity. That said, I was genuinely interested in returning to government contracting, and building finance functions from the ground up is where I do my best work. I then had a screening call with the Chief of Staff, which went very well. She made several affirming comments, including “You’re saying all the right things,” “Your resume is great. You’re great,” and “I’d love for you to meet with [names].” She also said the team was “dying to get someone.” The following day, the recruiter reached out to schedule the next interview. Later that same day, I was informed the company was pausing. After follow-up, the recruiter said Torch had decided to continue the search and that he did not think they were fully aligned on what they wanted, oscillating between an up-and-coming Head of Finance and a more established CFO profile. I agree with that assessment. While I obviously don’t know what happened internally, this felt less like a candidate fit issue and more like poor executive alignment. If the scope and seniority of a leadership role are still being debated, it would be better to resolve that internally before recruiting external candidates. It is also notable that the CEO’s LinkedIn headline refers to himself as a “Ringmaster.” Is your company a circus? Based on this experience, and what appears repeatedly in other reviews here, candidates considering senior leadership roles would be well served to ask direct questions early about role clarity, authority, and executive alignment before investing significant time.