Lead Analyst, Sales Finance

Lead Analyst, Away From Home Sales Finance

Become the financial expert and partner for our internal Away From Home Sales Organization to help drive sales and profit objectives, and accurate analysis to drive business decisions. Leverage your leadership and consultative skills to provide customer/channel planning, forecasting, trade and margin management, and financial trends of our customers. Location: Orrville, OH Work Arrangements: Hybrid, 45% in office expectation

Responsibilities

Actuals, Planning, and Forecasting

• Lead forecast discussions with sales team to ensure understanding of financial results & outlook, as well as any risks and opportunities.
• Lead financial aspects of Annual Planning for assigned channels/customers (ensure current strategies and contracts are reflected)
• Maintain understanding of the company plan, forecast and close process, and how brand, channel/customer, and corporate planning cycles interact.
• Identify and articulate key drivers of results and forecasts; provide visibility and guidance on trends to improve accuracy.
• Create financial outlook for the channel/customer and SBA for given P&L lines.
• Partner with Sales to ensure accuracy of budgets, accruals, and forecast inclusive of reconciliation process.
• Partner with RGM to develop and utilize robust understanding of our TELUS trade system to ensure financial integrity.
• Partner with RGM and Sales to interpret how changes in brand or channel/customer pricing/promotion structure will impact channel/customer and brand profitability.
• Partner with Sales to interpret how launches of new items or SKU optimization(s) will impact the channel/customer's profit; assess the need for supporting funds.

Financial Analysis and Insights

• Provide Sales and other cross functional teams with insights to channel/customer financial performance to inform business decisions.
• Review of actual and forward-looking results/insights with Sales.
• Analyze investment decisions at a channel/customer level related to product mix, trade (ROI), new item entry.
• Analyze investment decisions at a channel/customer level related to equipment placement and throughput evaluations.
• Support contract negotiations and ensure agreements are properly reflected in our trade system and the financial forecasts.
• Maintain a working understanding of brand strategy to ensure Sales executes within guidelines.
• Proactively identify Channel/Customer financial opportunities inclusive of top-line, investment (trade & other) and cost opportunities.

What We Are Looking For

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance
• 4+ years financial analysis experience
• Financial planning and forecasting ownership
• Accuracy and attention to details
• Experience leveraging financial and trade systems
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication/relationship building skills
• Ability to organize information and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Ability to articulate the financial story, identify opportunities, drive change

Additional skills and experiences that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• MBA, CPA, or CMA
• Experience using Oracle GL / Oracle Cloud forecasting applications, Spotfire, and/or Trade Management system(s)
• Experience in sales finance, trade management and/or revenue growth management