Senior Director, Finance Data Strategy

Realty Income aims to be a globally recognized leader in the S&P 100, committed to creating long‑term value for all stakeholders. These stakeholders include our dedicated team members, who embody our purpose: building enduring relationships and brighter financial futures. This guiding principle serves as a beacon for our team, influencing every action we take.

Our employees consistently invest their time, commitment, and dedication into the company, and in turn, they receive investment returns in the form of purpose, belonging, and opportunities for advancement.

We are committed to best‑in‑class corporate responsibility practices through environmental initiatives, governance programs, and community outreach projects. From the boardroom to the breakroom, our team members make a difference every day.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Director of Finance Data Strategy who will be responsible for defining and executing the finance data strategy and multi‑year roadmap, serving as the business owner for finance data, analytics, and governance. This highly strategic role leads the design and adoption of governed finance data products and scalable data foundations that support accurate public‑company reporting, audit and SOX controls, automated dashboards, and advanced analytics/AI readiness. This position will partner closely with Finance, Internal Audit, and Technology to translate business requirements into trusted data solutions, manage a prioritized portfolio of initiatives, and drive change management to ensure consistent delivery and organization‑wide adoption.

Finance Data Strategy & Leadership

• Define, execute, and continuously evolve the Finance Data Strategy in alignment with Finance objectives, SOX requirements, and enterprise priorities.
• Serve as the senior Finance leader accountable for Finance data architecture, data governance, and data product outcomes.
• Partner with the SVP, Finance Operations to develop and maintain a multi‑year Finance data and analytics roadmap.
• Act as a strategic advisor to Finance leadership on data, analytics, automation, and AI enablement.
• Own the Finance data initiative portfolio, including intake, prioritization, sequencing, and alignment to Finance priorities.

Finance Data Lakehouse & Data Products

• Lead the business design, governance, and adoption of governed Finance Data Products (GL, Close, AR/AP, Cash, Property, Tenant, Tax, Consolidation).
• Serve as a key liaison with Corporate Finance and RIIM to enable Investor Relations dashboards and analytics, including the development and management of historical and real‑time KPI dashboards such as WACC metrics, Budget‑vs‑Actual (BvA) variance analysis, and fund‑level and portfolio‑level performance analytics used in executive and investor reporting.
• Define Finance data models, canonical definitions, hierarchies, and certification standards.
• Translate Finance and Accounting requirements into clear data and reporting specifications.
• Ensure Finance data assets support both management and external reporting needs.
• Own the full lifecycle of Finance Data Products, including design, delivery, adoption, and ongoing improvement.

Data Governance, Quality & Controls

• Partner with Technology on Finance data governance frameworks including ownership, stewardship, quality, lineage, and access controls.
• Design and implement Data Quality Indicators (DQIs) as operational controls.
• Ensure Finance data meets audit, regulatory, and public‑company compliance requirements.
• Partner with Internal Audit and Accounting to ensure control effectiveness.
• Proactively identify and assess Finance data risks, including data quality, access, and reporting risks.

Analytics, Reporting & AI Enablement

• Define and track KPIs related to Finance analytics adoption, automation benefits, and reporting efficiency.
• Drive the transition to automated reporting and dashboards.
• Champion AI‑ready data foundations for future analytics and automation use cases.

Cross Functional Collaboration & Change Management

• Serve as the primary Finance liaison to Technology and Data Engineering teams.
• Partner across Finance to ensure data solutions meet business needs.
• Lead comprehensive change adoption strategies for new Finance data platforms, standards, and reporting solutions.
• Serve as escalation point for cross‑functional alignment challenges related to Finance data initiatives.
• Mentor and develop Finance team members engaged in data initiatives.

Skills You Will Need To Be Successful

• Proven senior‑level leadership experience driving Finance data, analytics, or transformation initiatives within complex, regulated organizations.
• Strong ability to translate Finance and data strategy into executable roadmaps and outcomes across matrixed Finance, Technology, and Analytics teams.
• Effective executive communicator with the ability to clearly articulate Finance data strategy, risks, and progress to senior Finance leadership and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading change, influencing cross‑functional partners, and driving adoption of new data platforms, standards, and ways of working.
• Finance Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of Finance and Accounting processes, including general ledger, subledgers, financial reporting, and period‑end close within a real estate or public‑company environment.
• Finance Data Strategy & Analytics: Strong understanding of modern Finance data platforms, data governance, analytics, and data‑driven operating models, with the ability to apply them pragmatically to Finance use cases.
• SOX & Controls: Solid experience working within SOX‑regulated environments, including internal controls, audit requirements, and control‑aware data and reporting design.
• Technology & Architecture Literacy: Working knowledge of ERP systems (Yardi preferred), cloud data platforms, data warehousing, ETL/ELT concepts, BI tools (e.g., Power BI), and emerging analytics and AI concepts as applied to Finance.
• Business Acumen: Ability to align Finance data strategy, analytics, and governance with enterprise objectives, risk posture, and reporting requirements.
• Executive Communication & Influence: Ability to communicate complex Finance, data, and analytics topics clearly and credibly to Finance leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Strategic & Critical Thinking: Demonstrated ability to synthesize Finance, operational, and data insights into practical strategies and solutions that improve decision‑making and operational effectiveness.
• Relationship Building & Stakeholder Management: Proven capability to build trusted partnerships across Finance, Technology, Internal Audit, and Operations to enable alignment and execution.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to mentor team members, foster collaboration across functions, and operate effectively in matrixed environments.
• Judgment & Problem Solving: Sound judgment with a practical, risk‑aware mindset when addressing complex, ambiguous, or regulated challenges.
• Ethical Integrity: Strong commitment to ethical standards, confidentiality, and compliance expectations within a public‑company environment.
• Program & Change Leadership: Ability to manage multiple, interrelated initiatives while balancing delivery discipline, governance rigor, and stakeholder engagement.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Comfortable leading through change, managing competing priorities, and operating effectively in evolving environments.
• Microsoft & Productivity Platforms: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 tools, including Excel (advanced modeling), PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint to support analysis, communication, and enablement.
• ERP & Core Finance Systems: Strong working knowledge of ERP systems and Finance source systems (Yardi preferred). Experience partnering with system owners and administrators.
• Analytics, Automation & Data Enablement: Familiarity with analytics and visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI) and an understanding of how automation and data‑driven workflows can improve Finance processes.
• Data Architecture Literacy: Understanding of cloud platforms, data warehousing, ETL/ELT processes, and modern data architecture (including Lakehouse concepts) sufficient to provide business direction and governance oversight.
• Controls & Development Practices: Familiarity with data access controls, auditability, change management, and delivery practices (e.g., Agile), with an emphasis on SOX compliance and data integrity.

Qualified Candidates Are Expected To Have

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, technology or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in finance and technology.
• Public company experience.
• Strong background in finance data, reporting, governance, and controls.
• Available for occasional business travel.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• REIT experience.
• Professional certifications such as CPA, CMA.
• Data and analytics certifications.

This position is based in our San Diego (Del Mar Heights) headquarters. Monday through Friday are in‑office for collaboration.

The pay range for this role is $139,161 - $188,326 - $228,126.

Offers near the high end are uncommon but may be considered for candidates with exceptional experience and skills and are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. You may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and an annual discretionary stock award, to be discussed during the interview process. An annual pay rate and total compensation package is generally determined by the candidate's experience, knowledge, education, skills, performance, and abilities, as well as internal equity, company performance, and alignment with market data.

We offer a best‑in‑class benefits package that includes healthcare, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents. Our 401(k)-retirement plan has a company match of 50% up to 6% of eligible compensation. Realty Income also offers other wellness, financial, and work/lifestyle‑specific benefits, along with a generous PTO accrual; in addition to 12 paid holidays, and paid volunteer time. Realty Income’s purpose is to build enduring relationships and brighter financial futures, and this starts with you!

This role is subject to enhanced compliance and disclosure requirements comparable with those of a regulated financial services organization, including conflict of interest disclosures and personal trading policies.

Realty Income is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you require accessibility support to submit your application or other reasonable accommodations to participate in the recruitment process, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io, or call View phone number on click.appcast.io. An employee will respond to your message to begin the interactive process. Please note that this phone number and email address are only for individuals seeking a disability accommodation when applying for a job.