Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Director

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is responsible for leading the company's financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, business analysis, and strategic decision support processes. This role serves as a trusted business partner to executive leadership, providing actionable financial insights that drive profitable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation.

The ideal candidate combines strong financial expertise with business acumen, analytical rigor, and the ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization. Experience in manufacturing and multi-site operations is highly preferred.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Planning

• Lead the annual budgeting process and long-range strategic planning.
• Develop monthly and quarterly financial forecasts, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Partner with executive leadership to evaluate strategic initiatives, capital investments, and business growth opportunities.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic financial analyses when required.

 

Financial Analysis & Business Partnership

• Provide financial analysis and recommendations to support operational and commercial decision-making.
• Analyze revenue, margins, manufacturing costs, SG&A expenses, working capital, and cash flow performance.
• Develop financial models to evaluate pricing strategies, product profitability, customer profitability, and investment opportunities.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to Operations, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Human Resources.

 

Performance Management

• Develop and monitor key financial and operational KPIs.
• Prepare executive dashboards and monthly business reviews for senior leadership.
• Analyze financial variances and identify root causes, trends, and corrective actions.
• Recommend initiatives to improve profitability and operational performance.

 

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Coordinate the company's budgeting calendar and planning process.
• Ensure forecasts accurately reflect current business conditions.
• Improve forecasting accuracy through data analysis and collaboration with business leaders.
• Support scenario planning and sensitivity analysis.

 

Financial Modeling

• Build sophisticated financial models to support strategic initiatives and executive decision-making.
• Evaluate capital expenditures, ROI, productivity initiatives, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Perform scenario analyses to assess business risks and opportunities.

 

Leadership & Process Improvement

• Lead, coach, and develop the FP&A team.
• Drive continuous improvement of planning, forecasting, and reporting processes.
• Improve financial systems, reporting tools, and business intelligence capabilities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

 

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration required.
• MBA, CPA, CFA, or CMA strongly preferred.

 

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive finance experience, including 5+ years in Financial Planning & Analysis.
• Experience leading FP&A teams in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Multi-site and international business experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting executive leadership and Board-level reporting.

 

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Strong financial modeling and forecasting skills.
• Deep understanding of financial statements, cost accounting, and operational finance.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leadership.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, D365, or equivalent).
• Experience with financial planning and business intelligence tools (Power BI, Hyperion, OneStream, Anaplan, Adaptive Planning, etc.) is highly desirable.

 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Forecast accuracy
• Budget adherence
• EBITDA improvement initiatives
• Working capital performance
• Cash flow forecasting accuracy
• SG&A management
• Return on investment (ROI) analyses
• Financial reporting timeliness and accuracy
• Executive satisfaction with decision support