Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

About the Role

Our client, a private mid-market manufacturer of consumer products located in the Greater Toronto Area, is looking for a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Manager. This leadership role reports directly to the Head of Finance and supervises a team of two Senior Financial Analysts specializing in Sales and Operations. The primary responsibilities include managing budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting, with focus on explaining margin drivers such as product mix, purchase prices, and plant costs. The finance department is undergoing modernization, implementing continuous rolling forecasts aligned with supply chain demand and integrating advanced reporting tools including AI technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the annual budgeting process by organizing inputs from stakeholders, consolidating data, modeling sales growth and SG&A drivers, and defending financial plans with senior executives.
• Design and manage a rolling forecast system that incorporates volume, labor, and material forecasts, comparing results to budgets and actuals.
• Create forecasts for cash flow, balance sheet, expenses, and develop scenarios for pricing, promotions, and product launches.
• Assess manufacturing efficiency by analyzing plant performance metrics, production, absorption, and BOM costing.
• Standardize monthly margin reports excluding one-time items and investigate margin fluctuations related to sales mix, purchase pricing, and costs.
• Evaluate capital expenditures, business cases, SKU rationalization, inventory management, and trade spending; present findings to the COO, CEO, and leadership team.
• Manage monthly reporting cycles, including performance, variance explanations, KPI dashboards, flash reports, and board presentations.
• Lead and mentor two Senior Financial Analysts, enforce deadlines, and ensure accountability within the team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain to foster alignment and break down silos.
• Enhance and automate reporting processes leveraging sophisticated Excel skills and Power BI, minimizing manual effort and expediting insights.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum 8 years of advancing experience in FP&A within manufacturing settings, including previous senior financial analyst roles.
• Strong practical understanding of manufacturing finance, especially in production and operational metrics, absorption costing, BOM costing, and plant performance.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities managing and coaching analysts, with an emphasis on accountability.
• Expertise in advanced Excel functions, including driver-based forecasting and scenario planning, capable of analyzing complex datasets.
• Effective communication skills for presenting financial insights to senior management and influencing multiple stakeholders.
• Self-driven professional with the ability to independently identify information needs and follow through without close supervision.
• Possession of CPA certification or equivalent qualification.

Desirable Attributes

• Experience in product costing or cost analysis reviews.
• Familiarity with high-volume SKU environments such as consumer packaged goods or food manufacturing, including analysis of trade spending and retailer RFP processes.
• Working knowledge of NetSuite ERP and Power BI reporting tools.
• Exposure to multi-entity and multi-currency financial consolidations.

Additional Information

The organization values inclusivity and accessibility in its recruitment process, offering accommodations where needed. AI-assisted note-taking is utilized during candidate screenings.