Manager, Finance Business Partner (Strategic Finance)

Job Summary:

The Finance Business Partner will serve as a strategic advisor to senior commercial and operational leaders, driving decision-making through rigorous financial analysis, capital allocation discipline, and forward-looking insights.

This role is intentionally designed to go beyond traditional FP&A. The ideal candidate will challenge assumptions, influence key decisions, and act as a catalyst for value creation, ensuring that growth initiatives translate into profitable and cash-efficient outcomes.

This individual will operate with a high degree of autonomy and intellectual curiosity, bringing a strong point of view and the confidence to challenge the status quo.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Business Partnering (Core of the Role)

• Act as the primary finance partner to key functions (Commercial, Marketing, and/or Operations)
• Provide real-time decision support on:
• Pricing and promotional strategies
• Channel expansion (Grocery, Mass, E-commerce, DTC)
• Customer and product profitability
• Influence decision-making by challenging assumptions and framing trade-offs clearly

Capital Allocation & Investment Discipline

• Evaluate and challenge investment decisions across the business, including:
• Marketing spend (CAC, LTV, ROAS)
• Trade and promotional investments
• New product launches and innovation pipelines
• Build and maintain robust ROI frameworks
• Ensure resources are deployed toward highest-return opportunities under capital constraints

Performance Analysis & Insight Generation

• Translate financial and operational data into clear, actionable insights
• Identify drivers of performance across channels, customers, and products
• Proactively surface risks and opportunities, not just report outcomes
• Partner with FP&A to inform forecast assumptions and outlook

Omnichannel Economics & Profitability

• Develop deep expertise in omnichannel CPG dynamics, including:
• Grocery, Mass, and Specialty Retail
• E-commerce (Amazon, Chewy, DTC)
• Analyze channel and customer profitability, including:
• Trade spend effectiveness
• Pricing and margin structure
• Fulfillment and logistics costs
• Recommend actions to optimize mix and improve profitability

Cross-Functional Influence & Leadership

• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders and earn a seat at the table
• Act as a constructive challenger, bringing an independent and fact-based perspective
• Drive accountability across the organization for financial outcomes
• Support a culture of data-driven decision-making

Requirements

Success Profile

What We're Looking For

• A strategic thinker, not just an analyst
• Someone who is:
• Intellectually curious and constantly asking "why"
• Comfortable challenging senior stakeholders with confidence and data
• Able to balance analytical rigor with commercial pragmatism
• A person who thrives in high-performance, fast-paced environments

Core Competencies

• Strong financial modeling and analytical skills
• Deep understanding of unit economics and ROI frameworks
• Ability to distill complexity into clear recommendations
• Excellent communication and influencing skills

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Data Science, Economics, Statistics, or a related field
• 6+ years in FP&A, strategic finance, consulting, or investment banking

Experience & Background

• Experience in omnichannel CPG or consumer businesses
• Strong exposure to:
• Channel economics (Retail, E-commerce, DTC)
• Marketing and trade spend analytics
• Experience in PE-backed or high-growth environments is a plus

Role Positioning

• Works closely with:
• Commercial, Marketing, and Operations leaders
• Supply Chain Finance (cost inputs and margin drivers)
• Controller (actuals and financial alignment)

This role is the "voice of financial discipline in the business", ensuring:

• Growth is profitable and cash-efficient
• Investments are rigorously evaluated and prioritized
• Decisions are made with full visibility of financial trade-offs

What "Great" Looks Like in This Role

• Brings a point of view, not just analysis
• Influences decisions that materially improve growth, margin, or cash flow
• Is trusted by business leaders as a thought partner, not a gatekeeper
• Challenges the organization to allocate capital more effectively
• Elevates the overall financial IQ of the business