Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

National Association of REALTORS•Chicago, IL

20h•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is seeking a strategic and analytical Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) to lead budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and business partnership activities across the organization. This role serves as a key advisor to leadership, providing actionable financial insights that support decision-making, resource allocation, and long-term organizational planning. The Director will lead the continued evolution of NAR's finance transformation efforts, including Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB), NetSuite Planning & Budgeting (NSPB), management reporting, financial modeling, and operational analytics. The successful candidate will build strong partnerships across all business functions, drive financial accountability, and lead a high-performing FP&A team focused on delivering timely, accurate, and insightful financial information.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
Minimum 8-10 years of progressive experience in FP&A, corporate finance, budgeting, or strategic finance.
Minimum 3-5 years of leadership experience managing finance professionals.
Strong financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, and analytical skills.
Demonstrated experience partnering with senior leadership and business stakeholders.
Experience developing executive-level reporting and presentations.
Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial analysis skills.
Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CFA, or other advanced financial credential.
Experience with NetSuite ERP and NetSuite Planning & Budgeting (NSPB).
Experience implementing budgeting, forecasting, or financial planning systems.
Knowledge of Power BI, Tableau, or similar business intelligence platforms.
Experience in associations, nonprofits, membership organizations, or similarly complex organizations.

Responsibilities

Oversee development and delivery of leadership, committee, and departmental reporting packages.
Analyze financial results against budget, forecast and prior year.
Identify trends, risks, opportunities, and performance drivers.
Develop key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, scorecards, and management reporting tools.
Continue to improve NAR's Zero-Based Budgeting process.
Develop tracking of member-facing programs success measurements.
Develop quarterly forecasting cycles across departments and functional areas.
Drive accountability for budget ownership and forecast accuracy throughout the organization.
Ensure alignment between financial plans and strategic objectives.
Oversee development and delivery of executive, leadership, committee, and departmental reporting packages.
Analyze financial results against budget, forecast, prior year, and strategic targets.
Develop key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, scorecards, and management reporting tools.
Lead FP&A business partner support across all NAR teams.
Provide financial guidance to Group Leaders, cost center owners, and project leaders.
Assist departments in evaluating spending decisions, staffing plans, program investments, and operational initiatives.
Promote a culture of financial accountability, transparency, and data-driven decision making across the organization.
Serve as a leader in the administration, optimization, and ongoing development of NetSuite Planning & Budgeting (NSPB).
Drive improvements in budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and planning processes.
Establish financial reporting standards and data governance practices.
Partner with Finance, Accounting, IT, and external consultants on system enhancements and process automation initiatives.
Champion innovation through financial technology, reporting automation, and business intelligence tools.
Lead, mentor, and develop FP&A staff.
Establish performance expectations, priorities, and professional development plans.
Foster collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service within the FP&A function.
Manage workload prioritization to support leadership, committee, budgeting, and reporting deadlines.
Support Finance Committee, Budget Review Team, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors reporting requirements.
Develop financial presentations, talking points, analyses, and decision-support materials.
Ensure financial planning processes align with approved governance structures and timelines.
Coordinate financial information for major organizational initiatives and strategic projects.