Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

Director, Financial Planning & AnalysisThe Director, Financial Planning & Analysis is a key financial leader responsible for driving the company's financial planning, forecasting, liquidity analysis, management reporting, and business performance management. Reporting directly to the CFO, this role will serve as a trusted business partner to executive leadership, providing financial insights and analysis to support profitability, working capital management, capital allocation, and strategic decision-making.This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership position in a fast-paced, complex, and evolving business environment. The Director will take ownership of critical financial models, forecasting processes, and reporting deliverables while helping build a scalable and effective FP&A function.The ideal candidate brings significant FP&A leadership experience within a multi-entity manufacturing, distribution, or industrial business, with a demonstrated ability to operate across multiple ERP systems, navigate imperfect data, and manage competing priorities. The individual must be equally comfortable developing detailed financial models, analyzing operational performance, and presenting actionable recommendations to executive leadership and private equity stakeholders.Success in this role requires strong technical financial capabilities, sound business judgment, a high degree of ownership, and the ability to deliver results quickly and independently while developing the FP&A team and improving underlying systems and processes.Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesFinancial Planning, Forecasting & LiquidityLead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, and long-range financial planning across the organization.Own and maintain the company's integrated three-statement financial model, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow forecasting.Develop and improve indirect cash flow forecasting, working capital projections, and short-, medium-, and long-term liquidity visibility.Partner with Treasury, Accounting, and external advisors to align financial forecasts with the 13-week direct cash flow forecast and reconcile differences between forecasting methodologies.Develop scenario and sensitivity analyses to evaluate business performance, liquidity requirements, operational initiatives, and financial risks.Analyze key working capital drivers, including inventory, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and capital expenditures.Continuously improve forecasting accuracy, model integrity, and the consistency of financial assumptions across business units.Financial Reporting & Performance ManagementLead monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting for executive leadership, the Board of Directors, private equity sponsor, and lenders.Support lender reporting, financial covenant calculations, and related financial analysis.Consolidate financial results, budgets, and forecasts across multiple legal entities, business units, currencies, and ERP platforms, including operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.Monitor financial performance against budget, forecast, and prior-year results, providing meaningful variance analysis and actionable recommendations.Develop and maintain key financial and operational performance indicators, including revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, working capital, cash flow, and operational productivity.Partner with Accounting to ensure consistency between management reporting, financial statements, and underlying accounting records.Present clear, concise, and decision-oriented financial analysis to executive leadership and other stakeholders.Operational Finance & Strategic Business PartnershipPartner with Operations, Sales, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Purchasing to evaluate financial performance and identify opportunities to improve profitability and cash generation.Analyze revenue, gross margin, and profitability by business unit, branch, customer, product category, and sales channel.Evaluate pricing actions, product costs, freight, inventory valuation, purchasing trends, and other drivers of gross margin performance.Develop financial analysis related to inventory productivity, inventory turns, working capital efficiency, and operational performance.Quantify and track the financial impact of cost savings, integration synergies, pricing initiatives, and operational improvement programs.Support business case development and financial analysis for capital investments, new products, market opportunities, and other strategic initiatives.Provide financial support for acquisitions, integrations, and corporate development activities as needed.Translate complex financial and operational data into actionable insights that support management decisions and accountability.Financial Systems, Data & Process ImprovementLead the development, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of FP&A planning and reporting tools, including Datarails.Establish standardized financial models, reporting templates, forecasting methodologies, and performance metrics across business units and legal entities.Work effectively across multiple ERP systems and data platforms, including Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, Excel, Power BI, and other business intelligence tools.Partner with Accounting, IT, and operational teams to improve financial data integrity, reporting consistency, and accessibility of information.Identify and implement opportunities to automate recurring financial reporting and reduce reliance on manual processes.Develop documentation and controls around financial models, assumptions, reporting methodologies, and recurring FP&A processes.Build scalable reporting and analytical capabilities that support the company's growth and evolving business requirements.Leadership & Team DevelopmentLead, mentor, and develop FP&A team members while remaining actively involved in financial modeling, reporting, and analysis.Establish clear priorities, accountability, and performance expectations within the FP&A function.Foster a culture of analytical rigor, responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement.Partner closely with the CFO, Controller, Treasury, and other finance leaders to coordinate priorities and ensure consistency in financial information.Work effectively with executive leadership, private equity stakeholders, and outside advisors to support critical financial initiatives.Manage multiple high-priority workstreams and deliver accurate, timely results under compressed deadlines.Strengthen the FP&A function through improved processes, documentation, systems, and team capabilities.Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field required.10+ years of progressive FP&A experience, including substantial responsibility for financial forecasting, integrated financial modeling, budgeting, management reporting, and business performance analysis.Prior experience in a Director-level or comparable senior FP&A leadership role with direct ownership of critical financial deliverables.Demonstrated experience building, maintaining, and validating integrated three-statement financial models, including cash flow and working capital forecasting.Experience operating in a complex, multi-entity organization, including financial consolidation across multiple businesses, legal entities, or ERP systems.Strong understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, working capital management, and the relationship between earnings and cash flow.Advanced financial modeling and Excel capabilities, including the ability to independently develop, troubleshoot, reconcile, and improve complex financial models.Experience supporting executive leadership and communicating financial results to senior stakeholders.Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment with evolving processes, imperfect data, and competing priorities.Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with the ability to independently identify issues, prioritize deliverables, and drive work to completion.Prior experience leading, mentoring, or developing FP&A professionals.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex financial information into concise, actionable recommendations.Ability to build strong cross-functional relationships and influence decisions throughout the organization.Preferred QualificationsExperience in a private equity-backed organization, including board reporting, sponsor reporting, lender requirements, and financial performance improvement initiatives.Experience within distribution, manufacturing, industrial products, or other inventory-intensive, multi-location businesses.Strong background in gross margin analysis, inventory management, branch-level profitability, product costing, and working capital optimization.Experience consolidating financial results across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including multi-currency reporting.Experience with Datarails or comparable FP&A planning and reporting platforms.Familiarity with Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, Power BI, Snowflake, or comparable ERP and business intelligence systems.Experience supporting financial transformation, business integrations, process improvements, or reporting standardization initiatives.MBA, CPA, CFA, or other advanced financial certification preferred.M&A, corporate development, or strategic planning experience is beneficial.Key Attributes for SuccessHands-on financial leadership: Demonstrates strong technical FP&A capabilities and a willingness to personally develop models, investigate discrepancies, and deliver financial analysis rather than relying solely on delegation.Ownership and accountability: Takes responsibility for financial deliverables, anticipates issues, and independently drives workstreams