Finance Manager, Strategic Business Partner; FP&A

Job Description

Manager Finance role serves as a strategic finance partner to business and operating unit leadership, providing financial insights, analysis, and decision support to drive profitable growth. The position is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, KPI development, cost allocation, capital expenditure review, and business performance reporting. This leader will work cross‑functionally in a global matrixed environment to support transformation, integration, and long‑range planning efforts.

The ideal candidate brings strong finance and accounting expertise, advanced analytical capabilities, and the ability to influence leadership through clear, data‑driven recommendations.

Location:

This is a full‑time, hybrid (3 days a week on‑site) position located at Northbrook, IL or Chicago, IL office.

• Ability to collaborate at various levels of the enterprise and provide leadership decision support to optimize financial performance.
• Work with leadership to grow the business, formulating plans that accomplish their strategic goals, including supporting the development of robust projection systems, resource allocations, sourcing decisions and business KPIs and indicators.
• Mentor and develop a Financial Analyst through structured coaching, feedback, and hands‑on involvement.
• Delegate and oversee analytical work streams, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and continuous skill development in financial modeling, reporting, and decision support.
• Lead the development of financial metrics to guide strategy implementation.
• Challenge assumptions as appropriate and provide financial analysis and guidance on all activities, plans, targets and business drivers.
• Help identify areas for potential cost savings or improved efficiency/effectiveness.
• Maintain a consistent and transparent cost allocation methodology for allocation costs to the Customer operating units to drive the right enterprise behavior.
• Evaluate the financial impact of business opportunities in a thorough and concise manner, which may include projected return on investment / payback periods for proposed capital expenditures or other investments.
• Compile and prepare reports, graphs and charts of data developed. Lead review and approval of capital expenditures.
• Hands‑on position, while being a key partner in integration and transformation efforts. Present analyses and findings to Business/Operating Unit leadership.
• Support M&A analysis of potential growth opportunities and assist with the integration of acquisitions as needed.
• Responsible for developing annual budgets and forecasts.
• Work across functions and regions on shared objectives to meet profitable growth, incl. efficient resource allocation.
• Work with Corporate Accounting and Internal Controls, and other related financial activities.
• Assist in the development of new or expanded services.
• Read and follow the Underwriters Laboratories Code of Conduct and follow all physical and digital security practices.
• Perform other duties as directed.

• University Degree in Accounting, Finance or equivalent Professional qualification such as CPA, CMA or CA plus generally eight years directly related work experience in a global matrixed organization.
• Superior quantitative and analytical capabilities with Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; strong financial systems capabilities for e.g. Oracle / Essbase.
• Ability to combine quantitative and qualitative analysis; to think critically, listen reflectively, consider many points of view on a topic, recognize connections; disparate actions, to guide leadership's decision making process.
• Demonstrated experience in people development strongly preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills (including ability to recognize best mode(s) for communicating based on the audience and the situation), negotiation and interpersonal skills; distinctive ability to interact with all levels of management, clients and suppliers; communicate effectively with experience in a dynamic international environment and good proficiency in English.
• Strong technical skills in finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control, variance analysis and service /…