What are the responsibilities and job description for the Finance Director - Decatur or Downers Grove, IL position at Archer Daniels Midland?
Finance Director, Joint Venture
Location: Decatur or Downers Grove, IL
The Finance Director will be a key member of the executive leadership team and serve as the senior financial leader for a not-yet-announced joint venture between ADM and another party. The Finance Director is responsible for the overall financial health, performance, and governance of the organization, ensuring strong financial controls, effective risk management, and sustainable value creation.
This role provides strategic financial leadership across all aspects of the business, including financial planning, reporting, treasury, tax, credit, capital investment, compliance, and performance management. The Finance Director will partner closely with the JV CEO, commercial and operational leaders, and the Board of Directors, while serving as the primary financial liaison with the joint venture parent companies. The position requires a strong understanding of commodity-driven manufacturing economics, operational finance, and joint venture governance.
This role provides strategic financial leadership across all aspects of the business, including financial planning, reporting, treasury, tax, credit, capital investment, compliance, and performance management. The Finance Director will partner closely with the JV CEO, commercial and operational leaders, and the Board of Directors, while serving as the primary financial liaison with the joint venture parent companies. The position requires a strong understanding of commodity-driven manufacturing economics, operational finance, and joint venture governance.
Responsibilities
- Ensure accurate, timely, and insightful monthly and quarterly financial reporting.
- Coordinate financial reporting and performance updates for executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
- Oversee internal controls and ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, regulatory requirements, and JV governance policies.
- Lead the development and execution of financial strategies that support the JV’s growth, profitability, and long-term value creation.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on financial, operational, and strategic matters.
- Drive a performance-oriented culture focused on continuous improvement, cost discipline, and capital efficiency.
- Oversee the annual strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes, including operating, capital, and financial plans.
- Monitor performance against plan, analyze variances, and recommend corrective actions.
- Perform scenario, sensitivity, and benchmarking analyses to support decision-making in a volatile commodity environment.
- Coordinate annual external audits and tax preparation processes, ensuring clean audit outcomes.
- Oversee treasury and cash management activities, including liquidity planning and working capital optimization.
- Partner with commercial and procurement teams to assess and manage commodity and financial risks.
- Lead capital planning and investment evaluation, including financial analysis, post‑investment reviews, and return optimization.
- Support funding, capital allocation, and long-term investment decisions in alignment with JV partner expectations.
- Partner with commercial, operational, and functional leaders to analyze business performance, identify cost and efficiency opportunities, and improve margins.
- Provide financial insight into manufacturing operations, supply chain dynamics, and commercial strategies.
- Support major capital and commercial projects with rigorous financial analysis and tracking.
- Act as the primary financial interface with the JV partners’ finance organizations.
- Communicate financial performance, risks, and strategic initiatives to JV partners, executive leadership, and governance bodies.
- Prepare and present financial materials for Board and senior leadership meetings.
- Lead, develop, and mentor the JV finance team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
- Promote strong financial discipline, ethical standards, and professional development within the finance organization.
- Partner with parent-company finance teams to enhance reporting relevance.
- Reports to the JV CEO.
- Serves as a senior leader with significant influence across the organization and joint‑venture partners.
- Strategic and forward-thinking financial leadership
- Strong business and operational acumen
- Analytical and problem-solving excellence
- Effective communication and stakeholder influence
- Change leadership and continuous improvement mindFinanset
- High integrity, professionalism, and accountability
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration
- MBA preferred
- Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive finance experience, including senior leadership roles
- Experience in manufacturing, agribusiness, commodities, or capital-intensive industries strongly preferred
- Proven experience in joint ventures, matrixed organizations, or multinational environments
- Strong background in financial planning, reporting, capital investment, and risk management
- Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and financial modeling skills
- Strong leadership and communication capabilities across diverse stakeholder groups
- Ability to manage complexity, competing priorities, and change
- Hands-on, results-driven approach with a continuous improvement mindset
- Proficiency in financial systems and ERP platforms
- Travel flexibility as required
- English fluency required
- Ability to work effectively across cultures and organizational boundaries