Director, Finance Data & Analytics

Crain Communications•Detroit, MI

About The Position

Crain Communications is seeking a strategic and hands-on Director of Finance Data & Analytics to transform how finance leverages data to drive decision-making across the organization. This role will lead the development of a modern finance data ecosystem, delivering actionable insights that improve financial performance, forecasting accuracy, and operational efficiency. Reporting to the SVP of Finance, this leader will serve as a key partner to Finance, Business Intelligence, and business unit leaders—bridging financial expertise with advanced analytics to support growth across Crain’s portfolio of media brands.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, or related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred)
8–12+ years of experience in finance, FP&A, analytics, or related roles
Proven experience leading data-driven finance initiatives and managing teams
Strong technical skills (SQL, Excel, BI tools; Python/R a plus)
Experience with financial systems (e.g., ERP, planning tools) and data warehouses
Ability to connect financial metrics to business drivers in a media, publishing, or digital environment preferred
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders
Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
Data-driven and analytically rigorous
Collaborative and cross-functional mindset
Change agent comfortable building new capabilities
Strong attention to detail with a focus on execution

Responsibilities

Finance Data Strategy & Leadership Define and execute a roadmap for finance data and analytics aligned with corporate strategy
Build and lead a high-performing team of analysts and data professionals
Establish governance, standards, and best practices for financial data management
Analytics & Insights Develop advanced financial dashboards, KPIs, and performance reporting across revenue, cost, and profitability
Deliver deep-dive analyses on audience revenue, subscriptions, events, advertising, and emerging digital products
Provide actionable insights to support executive decision-making and strategic planning
Planning, Forecasting & Modeling Enhance financial planning & analysis (FP&A) through predictive analytics and scenario modeling
Partner with FP&A to improve forecasting accuracy and automate reporting processes
Build scalable models for revenue forecasting, pricing strategy, and margin optimization
Data Infrastructure & Tools Partner with IT and Data teams to modernize finance data architecture (data warehouse, BI tools, etc.)
Evaluate and implement tools for reporting, visualization, and automation (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python)
Ensure integrity, consistency, and accessibility of financial data across systems
Cross-Functional Collaboration Act as a strategic partner to business leaders across editorial, events, sales, and product teams
Translate complex financial data into clear, compelling narratives for non-finance stakeholders
Support M&A analysis, investment decisions, and new business initiatives