Who We Are
Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips - the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world - like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.
What We Offer
Salary:
$158,500.00 - $218,000.00
Location:
Santa Clara,CA
You'll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible-while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.
At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We're committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits (https://hrportal.ehr.com/applied/) .
Job Summary
This Senior Finance Manager leads a Corporate FP&A team with end-to-end ownership of short-term forecasting cycles (QBR, QRAM, CMT), Board of Directors materials, targeting processes, and corporate scorecards. The role drives enterprise OPEX, headcount, and productivity analytics with a data-driven, forward-thinking approach, and operates with direct visibility to executive leadership including the CFO and VP of Global FP&A, and most Finance VPs.
The ideal candidate combines deep analytical capability with strong business judgment and executive communication skills. They are a self-starter who thinks ahead, anticipates risks before they surface, and translates complex data into clear, actionable insights. Success in this role requires the ability to move fluidly between detailed analysis and executive storytelling while maintaining rigorous financial discipline in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
This position manages 1-2 analysts and drives continuous improvement across FP&A processes, outputs, and analytical frameworks.
Job Description
This Corporate FP&A leadership role owns the full suite of short-term forecasting cycles - QRAM, CMT, QBR - along with enterprise-wide OPEX, headcount, and productivity analytics, internal and external benchmarking, and performance management across all segments and functions. The role also owns the corporate targeting process and scorecard reporting, serving as the primary cycle owner and ensuring timely, accurate, and executive-ready outputs each quarter.
A defining characteristic of this role is an analytical, data-driven mindset. The ideal candidate goes beyond reporting history - they build forward-looking frameworks, surface emerging trends, and proactively prepare leadership for what is around the corner. Strong AI and automation capability is a plus, with the expectation to help scale intelligent tooling across FP&A workflows.
Key Responsibilities
Short-Term Forecast Cycles (Core Ownership)
Own and coordinate company-wide short-term forecast cycles - QRAM, CMT, and QBR - end-to-end, including timeline management, cross-functional coordination with segment and functional FP&A teams, data consolidation, and executive-ready output delivery
Serve as the primary point of contact for all segment and functional finance teams during forecast cycles, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and adherence to deadlines
Synthesize forecast submissions into clear variance analysis, bridge walks, and forward-looking insights for executive leadership
Own and drive the corporate benchmarking and targeting process, partnering with segments and functional FP&A teams to establish financially sound, strategically aligned targets
Own corporate scorecard reporting, ensuring KPIs and metrics are accurate, consistent, and linked to forecast and plan assumptions across all planning cycles
OPEX, Headcount & Productivity Analytics (Domain Ownership)
Own enterprise OPEX and headcount planning, forecasting, bridges, analytics, and target-setting across all segments and functional groups
Own productivity analytics, including unit cost trends, efficiency metrics, headcount ratios, and investment ROI, to support data-driven resource allocation and decision-making
Provide actionable variance analysis on spending trends, forecast changes, headcount movements, and key business drivers
Partner closely with segment and functional FP&A leaders to understand cost drivers, risks, opportunities, and evolving business priorities
Challenge assumptions, pressure-test inputs, and ensure plans are grounded in sound financial analysis and business rationale
Analytics & Data-Driven Insights
Develop and maintain scalable and structured analytical frameworks to support forecast cycles, variance analysis, and executive storytelling
Translate large, complex data sets into clear, actionable insights with a strong point of view - going beyond the numbers to anticipate questions and surface risks proactively
Build forward-looking models and scenario analyses that help leadership think around the corner on cost structure, headcount trends, and business performance
Establish data quality standards and governance practices to ensure reliability and consistency of outputs across all planning cycles
Identify patterns, anomalies, and emerging trends across segments and functions, and bring data-backed perspectives to key planning decisions
Executive Support & Board Materials
Own the preparation of Board of Directors (BOD) materials related to OPEX, headcount, and financial performance, ensuring accuracy and narrative clarity
Key Support for quarterly Earnings Release process
Translate complex financial results into concise narratives, recommendations, and executive-level materials for finance and business leadership
Create high-quality executive decks and present confidently in high-visibility forums, often on short notice
Seamless Partnership with Long-Term Planning Team
Partner closely with the Annual and Long-Term Planning domain to ensure seamless integration of short-term (QRAM, CMT, QBR) and long-term forecasts (SR, EPR, AOP)
Align on key assumptions, financial frameworks, and data structures to enable consistent narratives across short-range outlooks and multi-year plans
Drive consistency in analytics, reporting outputs, and strategic insights across segments and functional groups
AI Adoption & Process Automation
Actively explore, pilot, and scale AI-powered solutions to automate routine FP&A tasks including QA checks, data tie-outs, cross-deck consistency reviews, and system reconciliations
Identify and implement process automation and efficiency improvements across short-term cycle workflows, OPEX reporting, and headcount analytics
Stay current on emerging AI capabilities and proactively recommend new use cases to elevate the team's speed, accuracy, and analytical depth
Set the standard for responsible AI use within FP&A, including validation protocols and governance guardrails
People Management & Team Development
Directly manage, coach, and develop finance analysts, setting analytical standards, prioritizing work, reviewing outputs, and mentoring for growth
Operate as a player-coach - hands-on with analysis and cycle execution while elevating the capabilities and output of the team
Contribute as a senior team player across the broader FP&A organization
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; Master's degree preferred
Typically 12+ years of progressive experience in Finance, FP&A, or related fields
Demonstrated experience owning and coordinating quarterly forecast cycles (e.g., QRAM, QBR, or equivalent) end-to-end in a large, matrixed organization
Experience owning corporate scorecards, KPI frameworks, or performance management reporting in a complex organization
Strong experience in OPEX budgeting, headcount planning, forecasting, and financial analysis
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain analytical models and frameworks that drive business decisions - not just report history
Experience with productivity or efficiency analytics (e.g., cost per unit, headcount ratios, investment ROI)
Experience partnering with business leaders and working across multiple stakeholders at the executive level
Proven people management experience, including coaching and developing junior talent
Strong analytical skills with high attention to detail, balanced by the ability to synthesize, prioritize, and communicate clearly
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level presentation skills
Ability to operate effectively under pressure, with comfort navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities
Preferred Capabilities
Technical & Analytical
Experience with financial systems such as SAP, Anaplan, or BPC
Familiarity with statistical analysis concepts; experience with Python, SQL, or AI and automation tools is a plus
Experience driving process automation and continuous improvement in FP&A workflows
Leadership & Soft Skills
Self-starter who takes initiative, drives work forward without being told, and thrives in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Forward-thinking mindset - naturally anticipates what is coming next, surfaces risks and opportunities before they become obvious, and proactively prepares leadership for what is around the corner
Intellectual curiosity - asks why behind the numbers, digs deeper than the ask, and connects dots across data sets and business trends
Strong collaborator who builds trusted relationships across segment and functional teams while maintaining independence of analysis and financial discipline
Critical thinker who balances curiosity and business partnership with appropriate challenge and sound financial judgment
Comfortable operating in a player-coach capacity - hands-on with analysis while also elevating the team around them
Confidence presenting to senior executives (CFO, VP-level) and responding effectively in high-visibility settings
Ability to influence across segments and functions without losing clarity or firmness
Collaborative, team-oriented approach with willingness to contribute beyond individual scope
Additional Information
Time Type:
Full time
Employee Type:
Assignee / Regular
Travel:
Yes, 10% of the Time
Relocation Eligible:
No
The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.
For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.
Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site (https://www.appliedmaterials.com/us/en/careers.html) accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
