Lead monthly, quarterly and Annual forecasting process, including refreshing revenue and expense forecasts working with all departments to develop P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow forecasts
Lead a rigorous analysis of actual results compared to forecast monthly, with clear reconciliations and explanations of P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash flow variance versus forecast, prior period and budget. Ensure clear reconciliations and variance analysis that get to root causes, working closely with Accounting, Finance, Operations, Sales, Marketing and other departments. Lead the presentation of forecast analysis with stakeholders, ensuring communication with the level of detail appropriate for the audience.
Own and lead the process of developing risks & opportunities monthly. Perform analysis of sales and cost trends to form an independent view of risks and opportunities. Collaborate with function leaders and Finance leaders to vet risks & opportunities. Work as a business partner to understand risks, opportunities and potential biases within the forecast as part of the analysis process to deliver insights and trends to the business.
Lead development and preparation of materials to share results and forecast with CEO, CFO, ELT/SLT and the Board. Develop a robust monthly reporting deck with comprehensive reports that show current performance vs history and budgets, including scorecards and KPIs that are measured on a monthly and quarterly basis. Ensure quality commentary of results (MD&A) with input from key stakeholders.
Work closely with Demand Planning to ensure alignment between S&OP and financial forecasts. Maintain constant communication with Demand planning team to identify emerging issues and risks
Lead forecast and tracking of SG&A, by function, with clear explanations of variances distinguishing between timing and permanent variances.
Work closely with Sales and Marketing teams to ensure accruals are accurately reflected in forecasts, ensure the system of record (Planful) reflects spend levels accurately and per approved spend levels
Business performance analysis & reporting: translating data into actionable insights
Develop financial models to analyze, project sales, cost trends and balance sheet items. Build models to project sales trends by brands, categories, and customers based on household penetration, market share, customer POS data that reflect trends, building blocks, various marketing and sales initiatives and spend level. Develop a deep understanding of P&Ls by brand, sub-brand, customer and channel and by SKU.
Conduct rigorous analysis to identify root causes of performance trends relative to internal and external benchmarks. Integrates various data sources and modelling tools into the analysis (Sales, POS, Pricing, Distribution, Customer Data, Media, Market Share, household panel, competitive and industry data as available etc.). Develop ability to analyze and explain variance in sales performance by underlying factors driving household penetration, market share, POS, channel shifts and mix.
Develop data based, unbiased, actionable insights to optimize performance based on this analysis and lead presentations with function leaders and senior management. Drive a common understanding across the organization of root causes of business trends and performance relative to expectations and external benchmarks, utilizing reporting tools and models.
Lead development and preparation of materials to share results and forecast with senior management, Board and function management. Develop a robust monthly reporting deck with comprehensive reports that show current performance vs history and budgets, including scorecards and KPIs that are measured on a monthly and quarterly basis. Ensure quality commentary of results (MD&A) with input from key stakeholders.
Develop and continually improve reporting and analytical tools, KPIs, scorecards to analyze monthly, weekly performance leveraging best-in-class technology
Financial analysis and assessment of marketing and sales initiatives :
Develop models to quantify and simulate the financial impact of marketing, sales and other initiatives. Develop initiative P&L, integrating volumetric assumptions, source of volume/cannibalization from consumer insights or benchmarks, sourcing and cost models, awareness and trial assumptions including trade/marketing spend consistent with brand and channel strategy, CAPEX and working capital implications. Conduct what-if analysis to evaluate options to maximize the value creation potential of marketing and sales initiatives
Lead ROI analysis of trade spending, from analyzing high level customer P&L and trends, to financial assessment of specific trade spending investments. Support Joint Business Planning with top customers with financial analysis of trade spending effectiveness trends, ROI of major spend buckets, household penetration and development across time and relative to competitive benchmarks
Lead ROI analysis of marketing investment (national/shopper media) to assess payback and CAC/LTV (Cost of Acquisition vs Lifetime Value) based on Household penetration and development. Lead annual loss analysis (ZBB) exercise with marketing team to identify low ROI spending to reinvest in higher ROI programs
Conduct pricing analysis including price sensitivity to guide promotions and pricing decisions. Own the pricing model with necessary enhancements to reflect current trends
Annual Budgeting, Long Range Planning, Forecast Process and Controls :
Lead annual operating plan process. Own and lead calendar development for AOP, ensure clear and ongoing communication with function leads to ensure inputs are received on time and high quality. Work with the CFO and CEO to issue guidance on revenue and costs by region. Ensure constant communication with functions to anticipate and clear roadblocks in development of the AOP. Lead preparation of material and presentations to senior management and function leaders
Leads the process to create long range forecasts for the P&L and Balance Sheet and partner with stakeholders to identify risk management strategies
Lead continuous improvement efforts to ensure a robust forecasting and budgeting process with strong accuracy
Own the creation and maintenance of forecasting policies and standards, as well as compliance with organizational controls
Coach and mentor Financial Analysts and other Accounting & Finance professionals within the team to build technical capabilities and strengthen communication, accountability, and collaborative skillsets.
Develop mastery over data systems that feed forecast - Forecast system (Planful), POS/OTD, Nielson, IFS Accounting System. Be able to access data from systems for analysis and reporting purposes and manipulate it using available tools for what-if analysis and building forecast models like Price-Mix variances
Key accountabilities:
Forecast Accuracy : EBITDA, Net Income, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet. Ability to look for and anticipate emerging issues based on analysis and a broader understanding of business trends, internal and external developments
Timeliness and accuracy : Of forecast cycles, actuals reconciliation and analysis
Quality of reporting decks and materials prepared on monthly basis - accurate, timely and variance explanations that are rooted in root causes, with clear, succinct commentary
Stakeholder satisfaction with insights and recommendations , which will be a function of:
Quality (relevance, accuracy) of analysis and insights, ability to integrate knowledge and data across functions and experts to drive a common understanding of business trends
Ability to communicate and collaborate with the Commercial team to develop a common understanding of root causes of business performance
Responsiveness to management queries and analysis
Who We-re Looking For:
Team Wellie is a group of people who are truly obsessed with all the best ways about winning for the consumer and the pets they love. And so, we are seeking an individual who:
Always starts with the consumer
Is dedicated to doing it right the first time
Brings their best every day
Has an -all-in- mindset
Embraces the hard things and does them right away
Owns their outcomes
Gives back to their community
In addition, we are seeking a candidate with the following qualifications:
Bachelor-s degree in finance, Economics, Accounting, or a related field; an MBA or relevant professional certification (e.g., CPA, CFA) is preferred.
At least 8-10 years of experience in financial planning, profit forecasting, or a related role.
Proven track record in developing financial models and providing strategic insights.
Proficiency in financial modeling tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau).
Familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and forecasting software.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
Strong leadership and team management skills.
High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Why Work for Wellness Pet
We care about the wellbeing of our people, their families, and their pets. We treat every Wellie to a comprehensive benefits package full of extras to support their health, pets, passions, and Professional Development. More information about our benefits can be found on our website.
The Wellness Pet Company is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or veteran status.
LI-RD1
