Financial Planning And Analysis Manager

THE POSITION

The Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis will be responsible for providing financially driven decision support to the business. The Manager will be a source of financial expertise, and act as a trusted advisor to the Senior Leadership Team and ensure that long term, profitable growth is delivered in line with the company's strategic priorities and goals.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited, to the following:

Financial / Management Reporting

· Own all aspects of financial reporting for Line of Business; including the design, creation and management of monthly reporting package, board reporting and other ad hoc requirements.

o Prepare a monthly reporting package that includes key financial information, comprehensive KPI reporting, analysis of key performance drivers and business trends, actual versus budget variances, and comprehensive executive level explanations of differences.

o Prepare analysis, commentary, and presentation material for the monthly and quarterly financial review meetings.

· Analyze, understand, and communicate the current financial performance of the business. Oversee the production of monthly/quarterly variance analysis of actual vs budget and forecast, including root cause analysis, and recommendations to improve profitability and deliver planned targets. Make recommendations for proactive operational changes to drive for improved financial management and profitability. Work collaboratively with business unit leadership to influence required changes

· Ensure required monthly management reports, revenue, cost, profitability and headcount bridges, and key metric reports for Line of Business are produced on time, and are consistent in methodology and approach, with other divisions.

· Support month-end close and quarterly external reporting requirements, as required.

Annual Budgeting Process / Quarterly Forecasting Process

· Lead the annual budget process, working collaboratively with a multi-functional team. Challenge key assumptions based on actual trends, knowledge of the business model, and the need to continuously improve overall profitability. Ensure an accurate forecast is built with buy in from all key leadership team members.

o Establish budget tools, set timelines and act as project manager for the company, ensuring all budgets are accurate, comprehensive, and completed on time.

o Manage budgeting & forecasting process on a monthly and annual basis.

o Establish budget calendar and communicate expectations for the budget process to organizational leaders.

o Ensure that budget/forecast make sense, are accurate and include the operational priorities of the company.

Operational Support

· Be a key partner to senior leadership to drive improved results in a sustainable manner. Influence cultural change by ensuring financial data is disseminated, reviewed, and linked to decisions in a way that drives for overall margin growth. Ability to take initiative and constructively challenge the status quo to continuously improve processes and methodologies. Strive to become more efficient and provide better value-add support to business partners and leaders.

· Provide financial support for business cases. Ensure effective, but profitable growth commitments are made and agreed to by the leadership team before securing incremental company resources. Track actual performance vs estimated in the business cases to capture learnings and report back to management

· Influence cultural change by ensuring financial data is disseminated, reviewed, and linked to decisions in a way that drives for overall margin growth. Be a key partner to senior leadership to drive improved results in a sustainable manner

Leadership

· Lead two senior analysts and one analyst to perform at peak effectiveness in support of business goals. Responsible for all performance management activities including goal setting, ongoing performance communication, employee engagement, development, review, and mentoring.

YEAR ONE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Have established personal credibility at the Executive, Peer and Staff level.

• Have enhanced the quality, accuracy, and timely delivery of all financial reports

• Have grasped the intricacies of Freight Forwarding industry – in modes of transport and underlying methods of driving revenue

• Have established understanding of data flows within the multiple operating systems within the Line of Business (existing systems: Gateway/Freight-link/Jazz/Great Plains)

• Have established understanding of data flows within the multiple operating systems within the Line of Business (new systems, Cargowise/D365)

• Documented and codified the data movement from operating system to Company reporting systems

• Have solidified BI tools requirements for successful scaling of reporting and operations requirements and engaged internal or external parties as part of business case preparation

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree, with a business, finance, or accounting focus

• Professional accounting designation or MBA considered an asset

• 5+ years of work experience in a similar role

• Previous experience in financial analysis and planning with strong link to business and operations a must

• Experience forecasting/budgeting with a high degree of accuracy

• Previous people management experience is required

• Excellent communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of management

• Strong analytical skills with a proven ability to interpret data, analyze information, and an ability to write formal recommendations and proposals. Ability to gather and analyze large amounts of data at a macro and micro level.

• Experience working under pressure, meeting tight deadlines, and prioritizing various deliverables

• Advanced knowledge in MS Excel; Hyperion and SQL experience strongly preferred; Qlik experience a plus

• An ability to use a variety of technology tools to access information is required.

• Must be available to work evenings, weekends and/or statutory holidays to meet specified deadlines.

EDUCATION

• University Degree.

• CPA, CA designation.