Global Finance Director
10+ years
Livonia, MI
Full-time
Onsite
1 month ago
About the role
Role Summary
The Corporate Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership across planning, forecasting, accounting, operational finance, and performance analysis for a global manufacturing organization. This role is responsible for driving financial transparency, operational performance, and informed decision-making by leading forecasting, reporting, and analytics while ensuring compliance with accounting standards and internal policies.
As a key business partner to executive leadership (President, CFO, and Operations leaders), the Director delivers actionable insights, supports strategic initiatives (including investments, acquisitions, and cost optimization), and leads a high-performing, multi-location finance organization.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning, Forecasting & Reporting
Operational & Strategic Finance
Controlling & Performance Management
Accounting, Compliance & Controls
Leadership & Team Development
Ad Hoc Analysis & Executive Support
Qualifications
Education & Experience
Technical Skills
Core Competencies
Additional Requirements
Success Profile
The ideal candidate is a hands-on strategic finance leader who can balance deep financial expertise with operational insight , drive accountability, and influence business outcomes across a complex, global manufacturing environment.
The Corporate Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership across planning, forecasting, accounting, operational finance, and performance analysis for a global manufacturing organization. This role is responsible for driving financial transparency, operational performance, and informed decision-making by leading forecasting, reporting, and analytics while ensuring compliance with accounting standards and internal policies.
As a key business partner to executive leadership (President, CFO, and Operations leaders), the Director delivers actionable insights, supports strategic initiatives (including investments, acquisitions, and cost optimization), and leads a high-performing, multi-location finance organization.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning, Forecasting & Reporting
- Lead the development, consolidation, and presentation of annual budgets, long-range plans, and periodic financial forecasts
- Oversee monthly close processes, including Monthly Business Review (MBR), flash reporting, and variance analysis
- Drive accountability to forecast commitments and ensure timely, accurate deliverables
- Analyze financial performance against plan and forecast, identifying risks and opportunities
- Deliver clear, business-focused financial insights to leadership at all levels
Operational & Strategic Finance
- Partner with operations and plant leadership to improve financial performance, cost control, and profitability
- Provide detailed cost, margin, and product profitability analysis across all product lines
- Support product management in evaluating new programs and business cases
- Evaluate and justify capital expenditures, restructuring initiatives, and major investments
- Lead financial analysis for acquisitions, including valuation and synergy identification
- Support integration of acquired businesses, aligning financial processes, reporting, and controls
Controlling & Performance Management
- Oversee KPI reporting, dashboards, capex tracking, and operational metrics
- Monitor pricing processes, including customer quotations and transactional pricing accuracy
- Ensure effectiveness of material inflation pass-through mechanisms
- Identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions
Accounting, Compliance & Controls
- Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP (and IFRS where applicable) and company policies
- Oversee general ledger activities, financial accuracy, and reporting consistency
- Maintain strong internal controls over financial reporting
- Support internal and external audits and ensure audit readiness
- Establish and continuously improve financial policies, processes, and documentation
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, develop, and mentor a geographically dispersed finance and accounting team
- Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Manage staffing, performance, and professional development across multiple locations (U.S. and Mexico/global)
- Effectively engage cross-functional stakeholders and build strong business partnerships
Ad Hoc Analysis & Executive Support
- Provide strategic analysis and insights to the President, CFO, and senior leadership
- Support decision-making with scenario modeling and financial modeling
- Serve as a key financial advisor to plant and business unit leaders
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business (required)
- MBA or advanced degree (preferred)
- CPA or CMA certification (preferred)
- 10+ years of progressive finance/accounting experience
- 3–5+ years of leadership experience managing teams
- Strong background in manufacturing, cost accounting, and operations finance
- Experience with multi-site and international operations
Technical Skills
- Advanced proficiency in financial modeling and Excel
- Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred)
- Strong knowledge of GAAP; IFRS exposure a plus
Core Competencies
- Strategic thinking with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to translate complex financial data into actionable business insights
- Excellent communication and presentation skills across all organizational levels
- Proven ability to influence and partner with operations and executive leadership
- Strong planning, prioritization, and execution capabilities
- High ethical standards and integrity
Additional Requirements
- Willingness to travel (up to ~40%)
- Experience managing global or remote teams
- Automotive or manufacturing industry experience preferred
Success Profile
The ideal candidate is a hands-on strategic finance leader who can balance deep financial expertise with operational insight , drive accountability, and influence business outcomes across a complex, global manufacturing environment.
Skills
FinanceManufacturing