Director, Commercial Finance

Motherson•Farmington Hills, MI

About The Position

Essential Responsibilities Commercial Finance Function Leadership Build, develop, and lead a stand‑alone Commercial Finance organization, including tools, processes, and talent Establish scalable commercial finance processes and systems to support growth and increasing complexity Develop into a trusted financial advisor to commercial and operational leadership Cross‑Functional Business Partnership Partner with Sales, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Plant Controllers, and Accounting to drive data‑backed decision‑making Challenge assumptions and advocate for profitability, value realization, and long‑term returns Customer Pricing & Quoting Lead financial support of customer pricing and quoting activities, including: Preparation of pricing models, templates, and customer presentations Cost‑to‑produce analysis and full profitability modeling Development of customer “next‑best alternatives” / understanding market pricing and competitive analysis Scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis Review, validate, track, and approve pricing changes Develop clear expectations for quote timing and deliverables based on project size and complexity Support win/loss analysis and capture commercial intelligence from quoting activity Business & Commercial Analytics & Systems Analyze customer, product, and segment profitability to identify margin leakage and cost improvement opportunities Evaluate raw material exposure, material cost percentages, and timing/lag impacts between revenue and costs Analyze monthly and YTD performance (volume, price, and material) versus Budget / Prior Year Lead or support development of data models, profitability databases, and Power BI dashboards Support development of Customer Relationship Management tools (like Salesforce.com) Capital & Business Case Development Develop Commercial and special‑project capital expenditure requests (CERs) Build robust financial models evaluating project returns, risks, and alternatives Partner with operations and engineering on investment prioritization Budgeting & Forecasting Support development of sales assumptions including volume, pricing, mix, and material costs Partner with Finance and Commercial teams through budgeting and forecasting cycles Prepare executive‑level presentation materials and management insights Contract Management & Commercial Risk Review and advise on financial terms, pricing mechanisms, and commercial clauses within customer contracts Summarize key financial risks and opportunities in commercial agreements Assist with ongoing management and enforcement of critical contract terms (e.g., pricing adjustments, surcharges, volume commitments, etc.) Develop “gold standard” financial contract clauses People Leadership & Development Manage, coach, mentor, and develop Finance team members Provide timely, constructive, and high‑quality feedback Foster a culture of ownership, analytical excellence, continuous improvement and engagement

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in accounting and finance roles within large, complex multinational organizations.
Strong analytical and financial modeling capabilities
High systems aptitude; experience building scalable tools and dashboards
Proven experience developing pricing, cost‑to‑produce, and profitability models
Experience supporting commercial strategy, negotiations, and customer decision‑making
High integrity with strong financial judgment
Ability to build trust and strong relationships across the organization
Willingness to challenge the status quo and act as a constructive “devil’s advocate”
Strategic thinker with the ability to operate deeply in execution and detail
Comfortable influencing and communicating at all levels of the organization

Responsibilities

Build, develop, and lead a stand‑alone Commercial Finance organization, including tools, processes, and talent
Establish scalable commercial finance processes and systems to support growth and increasing complexity
Develop into a trusted financial advisor to commercial and operational leadership
Partner with Sales, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Plant Controllers, and Accounting to drive data‑backed decision‑making
Challenge assumptions and advocate for profitability, value realization, and long‑term returns
Lead financial support of customer pricing and quoting activities, including: Preparation of pricing models, templates, and customer presentations, Cost‑to‑produce analysis and full profitability modeling, Development of customer “next‑best alternatives” / understanding market pricing and competitive analysis, Scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis
Review, validate, track, and approve pricing changes
Develop clear expectations for quote timing and deliverables based on project size and complexity
Support win/loss analysis and capture commercial intelligence from quoting activity
Analyze customer, product, and segment profitability to identify margin leakage and cost improvement opportunities
Evaluate raw material exposure, material cost percentages, and timing/lag impacts between revenue and costs
Analyze monthly and YTD performance (volume, price, and material) versus Budget / Prior Year
Lead or support development of data models, profitability databases, and Power BI dashboards
Support development of Customer Relationship Management tools (like Salesforce.com)
Develop Commercial and special‑project capital expenditure requests (CERs)
Build robust financial models evaluating project returns, risks, and alternatives
Partner with operations and engineering on investment prioritization
Support development of sales assumptions including volume, pricing, mix, and material costs
Partner with Finance and Commercial teams through budgeting and forecasting cycles
Prepare executive‑level presentation materials and management insights
Review and advise on financial terms, pricing mechanisms, and commercial clauses within customer contracts
Summarize key financial risks and opportunities in commercial agreements
Assist with ongoing management and enforcement of critical contract terms (e.g., pricing adjustments, surcharges, volume commitments, etc.)
Develop “gold standard” financial contract clauses
Manage, coach, mentor, and develop Finance team members
Provide timely, constructive, and high‑quality feedback
Foster a culture of ownership, analytical excellence, continuous improvement and engagement