Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis; Business Controller

Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis

Department:
Finance,

Reports to:

CFO, Supervisory Position:
Yes, FLSA Status:
Exempt,

Employment Type:

Full Time,

Location:

Lawrence, MA (Boston Area), with some remote flexibility, 3 days in office.

The Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis plays a critical leadership role in strengthening the company’s financial infrastructure, ensuring the integrity of all financial data, and building a best‑in‑class business controlling function that is forward‑looking and focused on accurate and timely financial results and KPI development that guide the business.

• Planning & Forecasting.
  • Deliver accurate, timely, and transparent financial performance management data across all brands.
  • Lead the annual budgeting process and forecasts.
  • Consolidate business plans with the financial controller and challenge assumptions.
  • Align financial forecasts with strategic goals and executive leadership.
  • Build bottom‑up budgets from center assumptions.
  • Run rolling forecasts based on enrollment trends, staffing changes, and consolidate into a corporate view for lenders / PE / board.
• Performance Management.
  • Analyze financial results and KPIs (margin, cost, profitability, productivity).
  • Identify performance gaps and track impacts of corrective actions deployed vs. targets.
  • Support monthly business reviews and quarterly performance (shareholders & bank reports).
  • Build center‑level models for enrollment ramp/attrition, waitlist conversion, tuition pricing changes, and capacity utilization by classroom/age group.
  • Partner with ops on underperforming centers.
• Labor & Ratio Management.
  • Model teacher‑to‑child ratios and forecast labor using staffing grids, wage inflation, and retention pressure.
  • Identify overtime leakage and under/over staffing by center.
• Center‑Level P&L Ownership.
  • Own monthly P&Ls at site level for 20–100+ locations.
  • Drive visibility into contribution margin, fixed vs variable cost structure, and flag centers below breakeven or margin compression trends.
• Cash, Treasury & Liquidity.
  • Own cash flow forecasting, liquidity planning, and treasury partnerships.
  • Optimize cash management, banking relationships, and capital structure in collaboration with the CFO.
• Systems, Processes & Automation.
  • Strengthen integration and utilization of Microsoft D365, Procare, payroll platforms, and reporting tools.
  • Identify automation opportunities and reduce manual accounting work.
  • Ensure documentation of policies, procedures, and internal controls (SOPs).
• Management Reporting.
  • Develop or fine‑tune KPIs and dashboards to track business performance.
  • Drive standardization and harmonization of management reporting dashboards across the organization.
  • Translate financial results into actionable insights for executives and track impacts versus expected targets.
  • Present performance updates to the COMEX.
• Business Partnering.
  • Collaborate with business units and regional controllers.
  • Provide guidance on cost control, growth initiatives, and operational efficiency.
  • Link strategic goals with financial performance metrics.
• Leadership & Team Development.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop team members.
  • Hold authority and significant influence in employment‑related decisions (hiring, performance evaluation, disciplinary action, team restructuring, promotions, succession planning).
  • Build succession plans, training programs, and coaching frameworks.
  • Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, continuous improvement, and service to Operations.
• Continuous Improvement Tracking.
  • Enhance forecasting accuracy, profitability analysis, and decision tools.
  • Develop and maintain BI system and planning processes.

• BS/BA in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or CPA/CFA a plus.
• 8–10+ years of progressive FP&A experience, ideally in a multi‑site or service‑based business and prior team leadership or supervisory experience (2–4+ years).
• Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
• Experience with MS Dynamics 365, SQL, BI tools, or similar systems preferred.
• Proven ability to partner with senior leaders and influence decision‑making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized,…