Director, Financial Planning

Barnes & Noble•New York, NY

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Barnes & Noble is the leading book retailer in the United States, with roots dating back to 1873 and a long history of growth through innovation and expansion. Today, under CEO James Daunt and private ownership by Elliott Advisors, Barnes & Noble operates approximately 700 bookstores nationwide, serves over 700 communities across all 50 states, and maintains a robust digital presence through BN.com, NOOK® eBooks and audiobooks, and educational resources such as SparkNotes. The company also includes complementary retail brands such as Paper Source, Books Inc., Tattered Cover, and B. Dalton, further strengthening its market reach. Following a period of revitalization, Barnes & Noble is experiencing strong momentum, with plans to open approximately 60 new stores in 2026, underscoring renewed confidence in physical retail and local bookselling. Combining expansive store networks, curated selections, enhanced in-store experiences, and growing omnichannel capabilities, Barnes & Noble remains the #1 bookseller in the U.S. and a trusted, evolving partner within the publishing and retail ecosystem. As a Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, you will be a strategic finance leader responsible for developing and implementing financial plans that support the company's short- and long-term goals. Reporting to the VP of FP&A and Commercial Finance, you will be a key member of the finance leadership team. In this role, you will partner with the executive team and cross-functional leaders to provide forward-looking financial insights, influence critical business decisions, and drive measurable improvement in profitability and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate is a seasoned finance leader who combines deep analytical expertise with a strategic mindset and a proven track record of leading change and building high-performing teams. This role requires a minimum of 3 to 4 days a week in our NYC Home Office.

Requirements

Proven track record as a finance leader with demonstrated success leading a high performing FP&A function.
Experience operating in a multi-site retail environment is strongly preferred.
Strategic mindset with the ability to balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution and operational detail.
Exceptional influencing skills — able to drive alignment, shape decisions, and lead change at the executive level and across the broader organization.
Proven ability to create, implement and maintain best-in-class processes, systems and structure.
Strong change management capabilities with a history of transforming functions and building organizations from tactical to strategic.
Outstanding financial modeling, analytical, and problem-solving skills; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with financial planning systems or data visualization tools (e.g., Hyperion, Essbase, IBM Planning Analytics, Power BI, or similar).
Clear, articulate communication style; someone that can make complex things simple and is able to synthesize information quickly.
Ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
Demonstrates a growth mindset — actively seeks feedback, adapts to change, and fosters the same in others.
A strong team leader who acts as a player/manager. Possesses the ability to recruit, retain and motivate a high-performance team, and hold them to account.
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or other quantitative discipline.
Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in financial planning & analysis, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

Nice To Haves

MBA strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Own the enterprise-wide planning process, setting the standard for how the organization forecasts, budgets, and reports — establishing a cadence that is proactive, consistent, and decision-ready.
Lead the monthly financial performance review, synthesizing results to deliver meaningful commentary and strategic insight that informs leadership decision-making.
Translate financial performance into actionable guidance, delivering analysis that connects P&L results, capital deployment, and business initiatives to the Company’s growth objectives.
Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the executive committee, proactively surfacing risks, opportunities, and recommendations through high-quality board packages, scorecards, and executive reporting.
Drive cross-functional financial partnership, collaborating with business and functional leaders to embed financial rigor into operational strategies and organizational initiatives.
Govern the capital planning and approval process, ensuring a rigorous investment evaluation framework — including ROI modeling — is in place to assess key initiatives and hold the business accountable to deliver shareholder value.
Spearhead the evaluation and implementation of a new financial planning and reporting platform, leading adoption across the finance team to streamline, modernize, and elevate the Company’s planning and management reporting capabilities.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of finance professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and excellence.
Set clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching, and create meaningful development opportunities for all direct and indirect reports.
Champion a data-driven, ownership-oriented culture.