Sales Finance Manager

Location: Remote with requirement to travel for business needs

The Sales Finance Manager, plays a pivotal role in driving financial success within the sales organization. This position is responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of assigned Sales Teams, serving as a strategic partner to VP/Field Sales, Customer Business Planning, Order-To-Cash, Sales Operations, and other key sales support functions. The role involves managing customer P&Ls, optimizing gross-to-net management, analyzing trade spend, and controlling team selling expenses. Reporting directly to the Sales Finance Director, this role acts as a co-pilot with the Sales Team to ensure achievement of gross/net sales targets and other key customer P&L objectives. The Sales Finance Manager will deliver critical insights through robust reporting and analysis, identify variances, and collaborate on actionable strategies to drive profitable growth.

Serve as a strategic financial partner to the sales team by:

• →Analyzing and interpreting monthly variances against estimates, plans, and prior years for sales and trade spending, providing actionable insights.
• →Leading the Sales Finance transformation by developing and managing customer-level Cost-to-Serve analyses and P&Ls to enhance margins and drive profitability.
• →Delivering comprehensive and insightful reporting on volume, sales, and trade spending, ensuring timely distribution to field sales teams and internal stakeholders.
• →Demonstrating a deep understanding of key business drivers, including volume, gross sales, trade spending, and net sales, to support informed decision-making.
• →Collaborating with customer business planning teams to conduct post-promotional analyses, evaluating ROI, and incremental lift from trade spending events.
• →Assisting in the preparation of detailed plan models for selling expenses, ensuring accurate forecasting and budgeting.
• →Supporting the development and analysis of customer business plans, assessing their impact on the Corporate P&L, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• →Developing management reports utilizing expertise in Business Objects, Essbase, and APO trade systems to provide real-time insights.
• →Preparing ad-hoc reports and contributing to special projects and teams focused on evaluating and capitalizing on key business opportunities.
• →Contributing to the development of monthly estimates and quarterly forecasts with forward-looking, actionable commentary, highlighting risks and opportunities (R&O).
• →Actively participating in customer business reviews, providing financial leadership and contributing to strategic discussions.
• →Leading the development of the annual operating plan and customer planning, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• →Providing training on financial concepts and systems, empowering the sales team with the knowledge to drive better financial outcomes.

• Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive experience in financial analysis, with a strong preference for experience in the consumer packaged goods industry.
• Preferred:
• Experience with IRI, Nielsen, and/or SPINS.
• Proficiency in JD Edwards, Hyperion Essbase, Business Objects, and Prism

• In-depth understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and their application in a business setting.
• Expertise in analyzing and synthesizing complex data to formulate strategic financial recommendations.
• Agility in navigating ambiguity and change within a dynamic business environment.
• Proactive and driven, with a demonstrated history of intellectual curiosity and continuous learning.
• Proven ability to build and nurture strong cross-functional relationships.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information clearly and concisely.
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on financial acumen.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a strong aptitude for financial software systems.

Scope:

Financial/Budgetary Responsibility: Supports customer team that is responsible for $300 -  $700 million in business

Team Size: None

• Travel Requirements: Up to 10% travel required as necessary.
• Physical Conditions:
• Work Environment: Predominantly remote, with some flexibility for office presence when needed.