FP&A Manager- Commercial Expenses & Sales Compensation (P3865)

As an FP&A Manager- Commercial Expenses & Sales Compensation at 84.51°, your primary responsibilities include managing the end-to-end budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes for over $800M in commercial expenses. You'll partner with Sales Operations and HR to monitor and model variable compensation plans, ensuring alignment with overall business goals. Additionally, you will provide variance analysis, report on actuals versus forecast, and offer strategic insights to optimize cost management.

To succeed as an FP&A Manager at 84.51°, you'll need a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field, while an MBA or CPA is a significant plus. The role calls for 5-8 years of progressive FP&A or corporate finance experience, ideally in commercial or sales environments. A strong understanding of financial modeling, analytical skills, and behavior with large budgets will be essential for this position.

The FP&A Manager- Commercial Expenses & Sales Compensation plays a critical role in decision-making at 84.51°. By providing detailed financial insights and guidance, you’ll assist business leaders in resource allocation and implementing cost optimization strategies. Your analyses and forecasts will enable proactive decision-making that directly influences strategic directions within the organization.

As an FP&A Manager at 84.51°, proficiency in tools like Excel, PowerBI, Salesforce, and PowerPoint is crucial. These tools help you create financial models, analyze data, and communicate findings effectively to stakeholders. Your ability to leverage these platforms will enhance your capacity to deliver impactful insights and strategic recommendations.

The work environment at 84.51° for an FP&A Manager is collaborative and fast-paced. You’ll work alongside various teams, including Sales, HR, and Commercial Operations, which fosters a team-oriented atmosphere. This role not only offers high visibility and real impact on strategic decisions but also presents opportunities for professional growth and engagement with senior leadership.

In answering this question, outline your previous roles involving budgeting and forecasting. Discuss specific examples of how you managed forecasts, any tools you utilized, and how your inputs affected decision-making processes. Highlight your ability to successfully manage budgets, as this is crucial for the FP&A Manager role at 84.51°.

Discuss your methodology for conducting variance analysis, focusing on how you identify discrepancies between budgeted and actual expenses. Provide examples of how you reported these variances and recommended actionable strategies, showcasing your analytical skills and your proactive approach to address discrepancies.

In your response, outline your strategies for effective expense management. This may include regular review meetings, forecasting adjustments, cost-cutting measures, or collaborating with different departments. Emphasize your experience in aligning expenses with organizational goals, particularly in a sales context.

Highlight any specific roles or projects where you had to model variable compensation plans. Discuss the tools and methodologies you used, the alignment with business objectives, and the outcomes of your modeling efforts. Relating your experience to how it could benefit 84.51° will strengthen your answer.

Explain your process for simplifying complex financial data for stakeholders without a finance background. Discuss the use of visual aids, clear language, and focusing on key takeaways. Give specific examples of past success in communicating financial strategies effectively.

Describe your familiarity with various financial reporting tools and systems, including PowerBI, Salesforce, or any custom solutions you’ve used. Highlight your proficiency in generating reports, dashboards, and analytics that directly inform strategic decisions.

Discuss your approach to prioritizing tasks when handling a complex budget. Highlight your strategic planning, the importance of deadlines, and how you focus on high-impact areas. Mention any tools or systems you employ to stay organized and efficient.

Provide a specific example where your actions led to notable cost savings. Discuss the initial problem, your analysis, and the solution you proposed or implemented, illustrating your critical thinking and proactive approach to financial management.

Explain your step-by-step process for investigating and resolving discrepancies in financial data. Share past experiences where you successfully identified the root cause and collaborated with other teams to rectify the issue, emphasizing your attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Discuss the steps you take in developing robust financial models, including data collection, defining assumptions, testing different scenarios, and validation. Share any specific outcomes from past modeling experiences that had a significant impact on budgeting or strategic decisions.