Sr. Vice President, Business Planning & Financial Analysis

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Vice President, Business Planning & Financial Analysis will play a critical and highly involved role as a member of the company’s senior finance and leadership team. This executive will be responsible for promoting strategic direction from a financial framework, including orchestrating business strategy reviews as well as developing annual business plans. He/she will develop and provide the integration of financial analysis and strategies that impact the business metrics and financial direction for select departments, including Merchandising, Store Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, IT, All Channel, Corporate and Forecasting. He/she will provide/develop the appropriate financial information, procedures, and controls in support of the day-to-day business decisions of the operating units. This role will transform the data generated by the business into meaningful, actionable business strategies. The Senior Vice President, Business Planning & Financial Analysis must further anticipate financial ramifications of business actions and provide accurate and timely financial forecasts.

In addition, the Senior Vice President, Business Planning & Financial Analysis will also be responsible for the following:

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partnering with CFO and other executives to drive financial performance around sales growth, gross margin improvement and expense management.
• Leading the company’s long term and annual business/financial planning process.
• Ongoing sales forecasting for labor and inventory management functions.
• Oversight for Merchandise financial planning and analysis function.
• Ongoing business/financial analysis and reporting to ELT and Board.

· Directs the day-to-day business decisions of the assigned departments and works closely with senior operating management to determine the objectives and strategies of the assigned areas, and the financial impact of these strategies.

· Counsels senior operating management in the development of business metrics and performance indicators for the assigned areas and ensures controls are in place to meet department objectives.

· Ensures delivery of timely and accurate financial information that correctly measures financial results and enhances decision making, directs/performs financial analysis on issues and data and provides recommendations based on this analysis.

· Develops and directs the financial planning and analysis activities of assigned departments and ensures departmental efforts produce maximum results. Provides departmental business modeling, stressing the optimal coordination of assets deployed.

· Advises senior operating management of actual and/or anticipated deviations to plans and business unit metrics and assists in the decision-making process by providing recommendations and alternative solutions.

· Provides data, reports, and supporting information to the CFO for analysis of short and long-term financial plans for assigned departments.

· Provides leadership and guidance to financial team in its role supporting the assigned departments, and ensures consistency and accuracy of the team’s analysis and tactical actions.

· Works closely with senior operating management for assigned departments on strategic planning, financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, operating support, and expense management.

· Collaborates with CFO to provide an integrated actionable analysis of strategies and forecasts.

· Serves as assigned departments’ single point of contact for financial information with Company senior and executive management; Communicates both external and internal financial results to key management throughout the Company.

· Participates in assigned departmental meetings, planning sessions and overall day-to-day business decisions to provide maximum financial assistance and leadership as part of the senior financial team.

· Provides analysis and recommendations used in making decisions regarding strategic direction and business growth.

· Assesses key performance indicators and economic measurements and relates those to financial recommendations for the operating unit.

· Helps build pipeline of talent through involvement in the trainee program and by contributing to the mentorship and development of team members.

· Directs the development of the Company’s Financial Plans, ensuring that proper cost-effective accounting standards and controls are included in all plans, systems, and processes.

· Provides for the development of accounting policies and practices of the Company consistent with GAAP.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

· 10 years of experience with financial planning and analysis roles.

· 3 year plus experience in retail.

· Track record of successfully partnering with broader executive team to drive business performance.

· Proven ability to set financial direction and identify growth opportunities for current and future organization.

· Experience leading large/matrixed teams and driving results across an enterprise.

· Demonstrated excellence in expense management, budgeting and forecasting.

· The candidate should have deep experience in a multi-channel distribution (including retail) environment and have demonstrated the ability to drive a business to improved financial performance while the business experiences major structural changes to its marketplace.

EDUCATION

· Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred.