Senior Manager, Innovation Finance
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- USA-Illinois-Chicago
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 8+ years
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related quantitative discipline.
- Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive finance experience with significant exposure to financial modeling, business planning, or FP&A.
- Strong working knowledge of corporate finance principles, P&L architecture, and stage-gate innovation processes.
- Proven track record in building multi-year discounted cash flow (DCF), project P&Ls, and capital justification models.
- Deep understanding of how manufacturing supply chain, formula bill of materials (BOM), and commercial marketing drivers interconnect to impact gross margin and operating profit.
- Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and executive presentation capabilities.
- Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize across competing project deadlines, and drive alignment across matrixed functions.
- Advanced technical fluency in Microsoft Excel, financial modeling systems, and business intelligence/reporting platforms (e.g., Power BI, SAP).
Nice to have
- MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent advanced professional credential.
- Prior experience within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) / Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
- Direct experience in Innovation Finance, New Product Development (NPD), or Commercial Co-Piloting.
Full description
Job Description:
The Senior Manager, Innovation Finance serves as the financial co-pilot across the category portfolio, providing proactive financial stewardship and strategic leadership for growth-driving initiatives that optimize the P&L. This role is responsible for driving end-to-end innovation governance—from crafting robust business cases and iterating project P&Ls to orchestrating pipeline reviews, performance reporting, and post-launch evaluations. By bridging R&D, Industrial Engineering, Marketing, and Commercial teams, the role ensures investment decisions are financially viable and aligned with Mars' long-term value-creation agenda. Co-pilot team to ensure sustainable innovation that delivers across desirability, viability, or feasibility, and if not, create the tension to decide quickly on stopping immediately.
What are we looking for?Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related quantitative discipline.
- Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive finance experience with significant exposure to financial modeling, business planning, or FP&A.
- Strong working knowledge of corporate finance principles, P&L architecture, and stage-gate innovation processes.
- Proven track record in building multi-year discounted cash flow (DCF), project P&Ls, and capital justification models.
- Deep understanding of how manufacturing supply chain, formula bill of materials (BOM), and commercial marketing drivers interconnect to impact gross margin and operating profit.
- Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and executive presentation capabilities.
- Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize across competing project deadlines, and drive alignment across matrixed functions.
- Advanced technical fluency in Microsoft Excel, financial modeling systems, and business intelligence/reporting platforms (e.g., Power BI, SAP).
Preferred Qualifications:
- MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent advanced professional credential.
- Prior experience within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) / Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
- Direct experience in Innovation Finance, New Product Development (NPD), or Commercial Co-Piloting.
What Will Be Your Key Responsibilities?
The most important and relevant responsibilities of the role:
Innovation Business Cases and P&L Modeling:
- Lead end-to-end financial evaluation and modeling for Horizon 3 and 4 innovation and portfolio expansion projects across the category.
- Build, pressure-test, and iterate dynamic P&Ls for individual projects by consolidating inputs from R&D (formulations/ingredients), Industrial Engineering (CapEx, line capacity, conversion costs), and Marketing (volume forecast, pricing, A&CP support).