Finance Manager/Business Partner

Smart Wires is currently looking for a Finance Manager to bolster financial insight to overall company performance. Through partnership with critical functions, including the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology teams, this role will identify and drive opportunities to improve the company's financial position.

The Position
The Finance Manager will lead FPA functions within Smart Wires. The Finance Manager will act as a key partner to organization leadership from both a tactical and strategic perspective; promoting high performance, driving accountability, and designing processes and metrics that create visibility into business performance and enable the organization to meet its objectives.

This role will report to the VP, Finance and will design implement and manage the budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes across the organization. Special focus will be on supporting the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology teams by designing mechanisms to track and report project level performance. Additionally, the Finance Manager will integrate business planning processes into investor models as needed.

This role is for someone who can problem solve in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, communicate complex ideas to non-technical colleagues effectively, and who is motivated by building and developing processes. A structured, process-oriented style and proactive approach to establishing metrics, forecasting performance, and providing overall business analysis are key components of this role.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and manage planning processes including monthly forecast, annual budget, mid-year forecast and strategic plans
• Identify and implement key business/financial metrics that align with execution of the corporate business plan. This includes partnering with business partners to prepare and determine project goals, strategies, and tactical action plans aligned to enterprise performance objective.
• Lead value-added business analysis as well as defining and reporting meaningful financial and operational metrics that support business decision-making; analysis may include new product cost modeling, network cost optimization, value-improvement project returns, analysis of constraints, impact of manufacturing method changes, make vs. buy analysis, inventory optimization, etc.
• Aid in development of a cost model that aligns positive cash flow and margin expansion.
• Oversee period closing including monthly management reports related to inventory, cost of goods sold, manufacturing variances and various department budgets
• Support all financial aspects of new product development via the product life cycle management toll-gate process
• Find opportunities to drive process improvements while representing Finance on cross-functional project teams

Requirements

• 5-8 years of financial planning and analysis experience; prior experience supporting manufacturing is a plus
• BA or BS degree. MBA a plus.
• Results oriented, “can do” attitude, intellectual curiosity, excellent communication, and strong relationship building skills. Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team
• Experience designing FP&A processes and managing change during implementation
• Excellent analytical and modeling skills, solid knowledge of GAAP
• System savvy and expert knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and reporting applications
• Highly motivated, and committed to driving change and improving processes
• Comfortable working in an organization operating in a state of change / transformation
• Ability to thrive and succeed in an entrepreneurial environment and not be hindered by ambiguity or multiple competing priorities
• Oracle Netsuite or similar ERP experience; System implementation experience a plus

Location

• Our company headquarters is located in Durham, North Carolina. This opportunity may require travel up to 20%. this opportunity is a hybrid position that requires 2-3 days per week in the office.

Benefits

At Smart Wires, we strive to foster an inclusive and supportive environment that focuses on our employee’s total wellbeing, and our benefit offerings reflect that commitment to our people.

We offer:

• Unlimited annual leave (Yes, we encourage employees to make full use of this benefit)
• Paid volunteer time off to give back to your community
• Paid parental leave to support you and your family

**Benefits/perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the country where you work.

The Company

Smart Wires is a global power technology company advancing the delivery of affordable, clean electricity worldwide. With our innovative technology and advanced analytics, we maximize the grid’s capacity. This means more renewables, at a lower cost and with less disruption to communities and the environment. Smart Wires is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with a global workforce spread across four continents. Our team collaborates with our customers to achieve their strategic objectives and help them face an uncertain energy future with flexible, high-impact solutions.

The Culture

We are passionate about creating a culture that empowers our team to create positive change for everyone., and achieve their full potential, based on our core values:

• Making an impact - We are passionate and ambitious about a better future for everyone. We are laser-focused on creating a meaningful, positive impact with real change for our customers, our industry, electricity consumers, and the planet.
• Collaboration to drive success - We collaborate with each other, and our stakeholders, because we know even better outcomes come from great teamwork. We have humility which allows us to listen, learn and improve. We value diverse perspectives and seek high impact results.
• Accountability - We take responsibility for our actions and behaviors, and for the outcomes we deliver. Acting with integrity and authenticity – and maintaining clear, open communication – ensures we are always improving, and delivering safe, high-quality solutions. We do what we say we will do.
• Tenacious courage - We are clear on our path. We have always pioneered new ideas that challenge the status quo, even when it’s not popular. We have tenacity, grit and determination. We push the boundaries of what’s thought to be possible – so we can leave the world a better place than we found it.