Sr Director Finance

Senior Finance Director, FP&A

First Student is North America's largest student transportation provider, bringing transportation service to over 5 million students and passengers each day. The Senior Finance Director, FP&A partners directly with the VP of Finance to lead enterprise finance operations, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analysis across the company’s seven regions.

Reports to the VP, Head of Finance, who holds accountability for FP&A, Pricing, Regional Finance, Cap Ex, and Leveraged Cash Flow. Leads a team of six across three functional areas: FP&A, SG&A, and Systems & Planning, each with analysts. Works collaboratively with Senior Regional Finance Directors and the Senior Finance Director, Pricing.

• Enterprise Budgeting, Forecasting & LCF – Lead the enterprise annual budget and rolling forecast, coordinating submissions across all regions and HQ to produce a coherent plan aligned with corporate and EQT objectives; drive forecast accuracy by challenging assumptions and collaborating with regional leaders.
• Leveraged Cash Flow Planning – Lead enterprise LCF planning and forecasting in alignment with EQT’s infrastructure investment framework.
• Forecasting Transformation – Modernize forecasting into a system‑driven, AI‑enabled process, applying a two‑speed approach for stable and renewal portfolios and shifting the team’s output from maintenance to insight generation.
• Variance Analysis & KPI‑Based Driver Reporting – Deliver routine P&L, Cap Ex, and LCF performance reports; transition to a KPI‑driver framework that connects financial outcomes to operational metrics such as retention, renewal rates, ridership, and cost per bus.
• Cap Ex Planning – Lead enterprise Cap Ex planning, budgeting, and monitoring, including EV fleet expansion, consolidating regional submissions and tracking actuals versus plan.
• Regional Consolidation, SG&A, STIP & Pricing – Consolidate regional financial submissions into enterprise views; manage SG&A planning; oversee STIP financial planning; incorporate pricing and renewal assumptions into enterprise financial plans.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or CPA strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive FP&A experience in a corporate or enterprise finance role within multi‑site, service, contract, or transportation industries.
• Proven expertise in enterprise financial consolidation, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis across P&L, Cap Ex, and Cash Flow.
• Experience modernizing FP&A through system‑driven forecasting or advanced analytics (knowledge of Anaplan, Pigment, One Stream, or similar AI‑enabled platforms a strong plus).
• Proficiency in SAP, Oracle, or equivalent ERP;
  Hyperion or comparable CPM platform; advanced Excel and financial modeling required.
• Experience with KPI‑based driver variance frameworks; familiarity with SG&A planning, Cap Ex modeling, LCF modeling, and STIP financial planning.
• Proven executive communication skills – synthesizing complex multi‑region financials into clear narratives for C‑suite, board, and private equity audiences.
• Collaborative, agile people leader with a track record of developing high‑performing finance teams.

• 30 Days – Execute all daily FP&A routines and reporting cadences; build key HQ and regional relationships; gain fluency in First Student’s financial structure, systems, and business model.
• 90 Days – Independently manage all core FP&A deliverables; identify highest‑priority transformation opportunities; establish credibility with the CFO, CEO, and regional partners through accurate reporting and sharp analysis.
• 12 Months – Lead the full enterprise fiscal year budget cycle; deliver measurable progress on the forecasting transformation and KPI‑driver reporting roadmap.

The Senior Finance Director, FP&A is the VP of Finance’s most important operational partner, ensuring an accurate, current, and decision‑ready enterprise financial picture while leading the shift from mechanical reporting to strategic advising and from variance analysis to business‑driver insight.

Compensation ranges from $170,000 – $190,000 depending on experience.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug‑free workplace.