What are the responsibilities and job description for the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Director position at CST Industries, Inc.?
Position Summary
The Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is responsible for leading the company's financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, business analysis, and strategic decision support processes. This role serves as a trusted business partner to executive leadership, providing actionable financial insights that drive profitable growth, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation.
The ideal candidate combines strong financial expertise with business acumen, analytical rigor, and the ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization. Experience in manufacturing and multi-site operations is highly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Planning
- Lead the annual budgeting process and long-range strategic planning.
- Develop monthly and quarterly financial forecasts, identifying risks and opportunities.
- Partner with executive leadership to evaluate strategic initiatives, capital investments, and business growth opportunities.
- Support mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic financial analyses when required.
Financial Analysis & Business Partnership
- Provide financial analysis and recommendations to support operational and commercial decision-making.
- Analyze revenue, margins, manufacturing costs, SG&A expenses, working capital, and cash flow performance.
- Develop financial models to evaluate pricing strategies, product profitability, customer profitability, and investment opportunities.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to Operations, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Human Resources.
Performance Management
- Develop and monitor key financial and operational KPIs.
- Prepare executive dashboards and monthly business reviews for senior leadership.
- Analyze financial variances and identify root causes, trends, and corrective actions.
- Recommend initiatives to improve profitability and operational performance.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Coordinate the company's budgeting calendar and planning process.
- Ensure forecasts accurately reflect current business conditions.
- Improve forecasting accuracy through data analysis and collaboration with business leaders.
- Support scenario planning and sensitivity analysis.
Financial Modeling
- Build sophisticated financial models to support strategic initiatives and executive decision-making.
- Evaluate capital expenditures, ROI, productivity initiatives, and cost reduction opportunities.
- Perform scenario analyses to assess business risks and opportunities.
Leadership & Process Improvement
- Lead, coach, and develop the FP&A team.
- Drive continuous improvement of planning, forecasting, and reporting processes.
- Improve financial systems, reporting tools, and business intelligence capabilities.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration required.
- MBA, CPA, CFA, or CMA strongly preferred.
Experience
- 10 years of progressive finance experience, including 5 years in Financial Planning & Analysis.
- Experience leading FP&A teams in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
- Multi-site and international business experience strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting executive leadership and Board-level reporting.
Knowledge, Skills & Competencies
- Strong financial modeling and forecasting skills.
- Deep understanding of financial statements, cost accounting, and operational finance.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leadership.
- Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, D365, or equivalent).
- Experience with financial planning and business intelligence tools (Power BI, Hyperion, OneStream, Anaplan, Adaptive Planning, etc.) is highly desirable.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Forecast accuracy
- Budget adherence
- EBITDA improvement initiatives
- Working capital performance
- Cash flow forecasting accuracy
- SG&A management
- Return on investment (ROI) analyses
- Financial reporting timeliness and accuracy
- Executive satisfaction with decision support