Full-Time

VP – Financial Planning & Analysis

Posted on 4/16/2024

Autotrader.ca

1,001-5,000 employees

Automotive marketplace and digital marketing solutions

Automotive & Transportation

Senior, Expert

Greater Toronto Area, ON, Canada

Required Skills

Communications

Management

Financial analysis

Data Analysis

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a business-related field; MBA or an equivalent advanced degree an asset.
Significant number of years in a senior-level FP&A role.
Strong analytical and methodical decision-making approach and mindset.
Excellent interpersonal skills, including effective communication, presentation, and influencing capabilities.
Strong financial and business savvy, creative thinking skills, and a desire to add value.
Curious and continuously looking for ways to challenge/improve the status quo.
Self-starter with the ability to rapidly adapt to change and deliver under minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

Participating in and supporting business initiatives with the C-Suite and other senior leaders, by building business cases, providing insights, and making recommendations.
Partnering with leaders across the organization to inform key strategic decisions.
Developing insightful analysis on ongoing business trends to be shared with senior executives and the Board of Directors.
Supporting operational activities and partnerships through sound financial and non-financial analysis.
Benchmarking financial results and operating metrics with key competitors.
Acting as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor by keeping current on industry and competitor trends and best practices.
Acting as the financial ‘analytical engine’ for the marketplace business and company broadly, putting in place systems and processes for financial data governance to ensure the FP&A function is providing value to decision-makers in the organization.
Developing and driving key strategic priorities cross-functionally to conduct analysis and turn data into insights.
Leading the gathering and/or synthesis of key strategic market intelligence, financial data, and operational analytics; playing a key role in monitoring the global economic and competitive environment to identify key trends and strategic business opportunities.
Overseeing and directing analytical work and project management in support of delivery and execution of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.
Developing and maintaining financial models and scenario analysis to support investment decision-making processes related to corporate development activities.
Partnering cross-functionally to provide analytical and modeling support for ongoing M&A.
Acting as a strategic business partner, overseeing the management of operational reporting and analytics to enable informed decision-making, along with identifying opportunities for improved financial and business performance.
Partnering with financial reporting colleagues to ensure seamless delivery of just-in-time financial reporting and variance to budget owners.
Leading a team to provide KPI measurement and tracking as it pertains to commercial performance.
Ensuring that all reporting employees operate congruent with company values, policies, and procedures.
Providing leadership to the financial planning and analysis team, focusing on continual performance improvement, change management, staff development, coaching, and succession planning; communicating clear expectations to direct reports, managing performance, and providing support to team members as required.
Leading and overseeing the implementation of new enterprise-wide business/financial systems; standardizing and streamlining FP&A programs, practices, roles, and responsibilities.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President, FP&A will be a key member of the finance leadership team focused on providing a broad range of ad-hoc financial and business analysis support. This is an opportunity to work on exciting new projects and initiatives, along with the CEO, CFO, and others in the executive team.

TRADER is seeking a dynamic and experienced FP&A executive to join the company’s Corporate Finance team in a key leadership role. The incoming VP, FP&A will take on a mandate to lead financial planning and analysis for the consolidated entity of Trader Corporation (comprising of AutoTrader.ca, AutoSync, and DealerTrack)This leader will be a key contributor to driving the ongoing growth of the organization. The role will proactively analyze business performance and key performance metrics to provide analytical, strategic, and financial support to senior leadership across the company, particularly as it relates to growth opportunities (organic and M&A). The VP, FP&A will be primarily focused on business partnership, but will oversee the preparation of the Trader Corporation Consolidated quarterly forecast, the annual budgeting process, and the long-term planning process. The incoming FP&A leader will also spearhead change and the implementation of new systems in order to ensure the company is accessing the data it needs in a timely manner.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, process-oriented finance leader and team-builder with a strong service orientation and a broad base of experience across the finance function. The incoming VP, FP&A will have demonstrated success in overseeing the annual budget process in a rapidly growing company, prioritizing funding requests based on company goals and objectives. A track record of success building strong working relationships across an organization is a must have – as is success in providing relevant, timely, and meaningful information to the CEO, CFO, and other relevant decision-makers. Experience working within a rapidly growing, complex technology company is preferred, ideally within the context of private equity ownership. The ideal candidate must be able to operate strategically and tactically in a fast-paced, dynamic, and flat organization.

The general scope of responsibilities for the VP FP&A can be summarized as follows:

‒Participating in and supporting business initiatives with the C-Suite and other senior leaders, by building business cases, providing insights, and making recommendations.

‒Partnering with leaders across the organization to inform key strategic decisions.

‒Developing insightful analysis on ongoing business trends to be shared with senior executives and the Board of Directors.

‒Supporting operational activities and partnerships through sound financial and non-financial analysis.

‒Benchmarking financial results and operating metrics with key competitors.

‒Acting as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor by keeping current on industry and competitor trends and best practices.

Additional responsibilities include the following:

‒Acting as the financial ‘analytical engine’ for the marketplace business and company broadly, putting in place systems and processes for financial data governance to ensure the FP&A function is providing value to decision-makers in the organization.

‒Developing and driving key strategic priorities cross-functionally to conduct analysis and turn data into insights.

‒Leading the gathering and/or synthesis of key strategic market intelligence, financial data, and operational analytics; playing a key role in monitoring the global economic and competitive environment to identify key trends and strategic business opportunities.

‒Overseeing and directing analytical work and project management in support of delivery and execution of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.

‒Developing and maintaining financial models and scenario analysis to support investment decision-making processes related to corporate development activities.

‒Partnering cross-functionally to provide analytical and modeling support for ongoing M&A.

‒Acting as a strategic business partner, overseeing the management of operational reporting and analytics to enable informed decision-making, along with identifying opportunities for improved financial and business performance.

‒Partnering with financial reporting colleagues to ensure seamless delivery of just-in-time financial reporting and variance to budget owners.

‒Leading a team to provide KPI measurement and tracking as it pertains to commercial performance.

‒Ensuring that all reporting employees operate congruent with company values, policies, and procedures.

‒Providing leadership to the financial planning and analysis team, focusing on continual performance improvement, change management, staff development, coaching, and succession planning; communicating clear expectations to direct reports, managing performance, and providing support to team members as required.

‒Leading and overseeing the implementation of new enterprise-wide business/financial systems; standardizing and streamlining FP&A programs, practices, roles, and responsibilities.

First-year success:

‒Develop an understanding and appreciation for the industry, culture, organizational dynamics, current situation, and strategic objectives of TRADER.

‒Build and maintain strong relationships internally and externally; be an approachable, valuable, credible, and knowledgeable business partner who brings innovative solutions to complex business problems. Establish strong relationships with the executive team, the senior leadership team, and with cross-functional leaders beyond the finance function.

‒Demonstrate flexibility by providing strategic and sound guidance to the executive team and the company broadly, while providing hands-on support with day-to-day responsibilities.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

‒Undergraduate degree in a business-related field; MBA or an equivalent advanced degree an asset.

‒Significant number of years in a senior-level FP&A role.

‒Proven ability to be a strong internal business partner with a collaborative business focus.

‒Strong analytical and methodical decision-making approach and mindset.

‒Excellent interpersonal skills, including effective communication, presentation, and influencing capabilities.

‒Strong financial and business savvy, creative thinking skills, and a desire to add value.

‒Curious and continuously looking for ways to challenge/improve the status quo.

‒Self-starter with the ability to rapidly adapt to change and deliver under minimal supervision.

Leadership Competencies:

‒Evaluator: Makes timely decisions and applies sound judgment to assess risks, evaluate alternatives, and select the best course of action; uses a combination of analytical thinking, intuition, mental agility, and seasoned experience to address complex or ambiguous issues

‒Achiever: Gets things done by setting clear expectations, promoting high levels of accountability, monitoring performance, and getting directly involved when needed to achieve desired business results; uses business and financial acumen to create value and drive profitability

‒Strategist: Critical thinker who can deal with ambiguity; someone who has a perpetual view of the impacts that financing and competitors have on the company and can drive deals and financial structuring that will ensure the company is constantly growing

Personal Characteristics:

‒Holds the company and team’s best interests at heart while building a world-class organization.

‒Inspire others to aspire to excellence.

‒High EQ leader who makes decisions that are situationally appropriate, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

‒Relationship builder who brings diverse teams together to collaborate.

‒Proven ability to offer mentorship to the finance team in best practices and a history of developing high-performing talent.

‒Fosters an open work environment and generates excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment.

‒Defines and drives key metrics for ensuring corporate success.

‒Highest standards of personal and professional integrity and ethics.

Autotrader.ca

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AutoTrader.ca is renowned for its comprehensive automotive marketplace and integrated digital solutions, including dealership websites and inventory management. This company excels in delivering a seamless digital retail experience that connects consumers with a broad spectrum of new and used car options, while also providing dealers with top-tier advertising services and valuable data insights. With a focus on enriching the buyer and seller experience through technology, this is a premier destination for professionals seeking to innovate in the automotive industry.

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Toronto, Canada

Founded

1975

Growth & Insights

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 0%

1 year growth

↑ 11%

2 year growth

↑ 25%