West Marine Looking for Director, Business Finance at Fort Lauderdale, FL Full Time

We don’t just sell anchors and rigging. We sell a love of the water that lasts for generations.

We don’t just sell life jackets and flares. We sell peace of mind for your most precious cargo.

We don’t just have a passion for boating. We have a lifetime of experience that we can’t wait to share with you.

So when you shop at West Marine, it’s not just for boating gear – it’s for the pure pursuit of more water and less hassle.

If you have a passion for being on the water and are looking to join a world-class organization, then West Marine is the place for you! West Marine is recognized as the premier multi-channel retailer of boating and fishing supplies with more than 230 stores located throughout 37 states and Puerto Rico. When you work at West Marine, you’re part of a family; one that values spending quality time on the water, doing the things you love, and sharing that passion with our customers and community.

Position Summary:

The Director, Business Finance is responsible for building and supporting all financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, and analysis for the Merchandising and Marketing functions at West Marine. The role works closely with the Chief Merchandising and Chief Marketing/ Digital offices, along with the rest of the executive team to collaborate on value-added metrics, reports, and analysis while also offering recommendations based on this data.

This role is critical to the creation and execution of a robust merchandising/ marketing strategy built upon relevant, and measurable key performance indicators and drivers. This person will serve as the subject matter expert for financial and operational analysis and will be relied upon to provide actionable insights and analysis for both financial and operational issues / opportunities. Success in the role will require the ability to learn, utilize, and leverage multiple internal systems and provide structure for large amounts of data.

The Director, Business Finance serves as one of the leaders for the broader Finance team and provides mentoring, career development, and strong business processes to the group, ensuring company analysis needs are met. As a key strategic member of the West Marine team, the Director, Business Finance will collaborate extensively with other functional areas, will exemplify the West Marine values and culture, and will inspire others. The Director, Business Finance is a key member of West Marine’s financial leadership team and reports to the SVP, Finance/ Pricing/ BI.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide financial, analytical and decision support for West Marine’s Merchandising and Marketing functions. Driving Strategic Analytics in support of key business decisions supporting key merchandising/ marketing initiatives. Works to fully understand business and underlying trends
• Develop and share merchandise analysis to inform and lead decision making, around key activities including:

oLine reviews

oAssortment Strategy reviews

oPricing and Promotions

oOpen to buy management

oMarketing ROI and CAC

• Participates in preparation of the annual budget and monthly forecasts. Reviews monthly metrics to ensure goals are met.
• Review and analyze financial and business operating reports conducting variance analysis, with key drivers of performance, and making recommendations to improve results. Able to draw concise and crisp conclusion from complex and detailed data and present/ lead business review conversations
• Automate, refine, and enhance financial reporting and KPIs to ensure clear, consistent and impactful reporting.
• Work with Business Intelligence tools to extract relevant data; work with BI team members to gather data.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of financial concepts and principles of business metrics and analyses, including their application to effective reporting and analysis.
• Stay current on retail industry trends and developments; stay current with the latest analytics trends and developments. Discuss trends with FP&A team members and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Be a cultural ambassador for the West Marine brand, leading, inspiring, developing, and coaching the teams while driving an improved performance culture.
• Work closely with the CFO, SVP of Finance, and VP Controller to provide the senior management team with a full picture of the business and operations across the P&L, Cash Flow and Balance Sheet.

Education, Experience & Skills:

Education & Experience:

• Undergraduate degree required; MBA is preferred
• 7-10 years’ experience in a financial management function with financial planning and analysis experience/understanding

Additional skills/knowledge required include:

• Data driven, goal oriented with very strong quantitative decision-making skills. You measure success both quantitatively and qualitatively, and understand the importance of both
• Must be an analytical, strategic thinker with the ability to effectively collaborate with various business units
• Extraordinary Excel/PowerPoint/financial modeling skills
• Demonstrated ability to leverage large datasets to extract actionable insights and analysis
• Track record of building and leading effective teams
• Able to manage multiple high pressure competing deadlines, while delivering high quality work
• Service oriented approach and mindset
• Consistent record for innovation, execution, and delivering results in a performance-driven culture
• Possess strong interpersonal skills, excellent attention to detail, and strong analytical skills
• Shown ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires quick thinking and effective multitasking
• Strong attention to detail and specifics
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working with a private equity sponsor preferred, but not required