FP&A Business Partner

Fpa Business Partner

The FP&A Business Partner serves as a senior-level individual contributor and strategic finance leader supporting Area Operations within an asset-intensive, route-based Solid Waste and Recycling organization. This role functions as the primary finance advisor to Area Vice Presidents and senior field leadership, with direct accountability for financial planning, forecasting, capital analysis, and performance management across multi-site operating businesses.

Operating with significant autonomy and judgment, the FP&A Business Partner translates complex operational drivers into financial insights that inform executive decision-making, capital allocation, and long-term strategic planning. The role partners cross-functionally with operations, commercial, maintenance, sustainability, accounting, and corporate finance teams to drive profitability, capital efficiency, and disciplined financial execution in a private equitybacked, performance-driven environment.

Reports to: Director Financial Planning & Analysis

Essential Job Duties:

• Serve as the lead and most senior finance partner to Area Operations leadership, including Area Vice Presidents and functional leaders, providing forward-looking financial guidance and decision support.
• Act as a trusted advisor on operational performance, margin management, pricing, capital deployment, and resource optimization.
• Influence executive decision-making through rigorous financial analysis, clear communication, and data-driven challenge of assumptions.
• Own end-to-end development and management of annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and long-range financial plans for assigned business areas by Line of Business.
• Integrate operational KPIs (routes, volumes, labor, equipment utilization, landfill metrics) into financial planning and performance analysis.
• Lead deep-dive variance analysis and performance diagnostics, identifying risks, opportunities, and actionable improvement initiatives.
• Design, build, and maintain complex, driver-based financial models supporting scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, and executive-level decision-making.
• Lead financial evaluation of capital investments and strategic initiatives, including ROI, NPV, IRR, payback analysis, and post-investment performance tracking.
• Provide financial modeling and analytical support for M&A activity, operational optimization programs, pricing strategies, and sustainability initiatives.
• Provide analytical oversight for complex accounting areas, including asset-based accounting, landfill accounting, depreciation methodologies, and management estimates, in close partnership with Accounting and Corporate FP&A.
• Ensure financial assumptions, forecasts, and analyses are aligned with GAAP and internal management reporting standards.
• Lead preparation of executive-level and board-ready financial reporting packages, including performance summaries, forecasts, and strategic analyses.
• Support monthly close and management reporting by reviewing results, validating assumptions, and ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Present financial insights to senior leadership, including executive management, lenders, and investors as required.
• Design and continuously improve management reporting, dashboards, and performance metrics using ERP systems, FP&A platforms, and business intelligence tools.
• Mentor and provide financial leadership to cross-functional partners without direct people-management responsibility.

Scope of Responsibility:

Recognized as a senior subject matter expert within FP&A and Area Operations. Responsible for delivering strategic financial analysis, planning, and decision support across assigned business areas. This role influences operational and executive decision-making by connecting financial outcomes with business performance, ensuring alignment between corporate strategy and field execution. While not a people leader, the position provides financial guidance and partnership across departments and drives process improvement and reporting efficiency within the FP&A function.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• Expert-level financial modeling and analytical skills, including budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, scenario modeling, and capital investment analysis.
• Excellent communication skills, including preparation of materials for the operations vice-president (business partner), senior leadership, board-level, and external stakeholder audiences.
• Deep understanding of profit and loss drivers, cost structures, and operational performance metrics in capital-intensive businesses.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and financial planning tools (e.g., Sage, Adaptive, or equivalent) and business intelligence platforms (e.g., Power BI).
• Experience turning large and complex datasets into clear, concise, and decision-ready insights for senior leadership.
• Ability to influence decision-making and challenge assumptions through data-driven analysis without formal people-management authority.
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-impact insights under tight timelines. Track record of driving continuous improvement through process optimization, automation, and standardization of financial planning and reporting activities.
• Demonstrated attention to detail ensuring all deliverables provided are tied out to source detail.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related quantitative discipline required; MBA, CPA, CFA, or equivalent advanced credential preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, accounting, investment banking, or related analytical finance roles.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a finance business partner supporting operational and executive stakeholders.
• Experience in asset-intensive, route-based, or operationally complex industries (e.g., waste management, recycling, logistics, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure) strongly preferred.
• Experience in private equitybacked or highly performance-driven environments preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, financial statements, and management reporting frameworks.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Regularly required to talk and hear, both in person and by phone or web meetings.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to read and interpret data on a computer screen or printed documents.
• Work is performed in a typical office environment with moderate noise levels, in a climate-controlled environment with heating and air conditioning.
• Potential for remote work or hybrid work arrangement.
• May be required to lift up to 30 pounds.

Travel Required:

• Primarily based in the Field Support Office in Rosemont, IL but expected to be field facing, with regular and on-site collaboration with operations (10-30%)
• This job description is designed to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications required for the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties or qualifications.