Director of Financial Planning & Analysis

Cognite•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

Cognite operates at the forefront of industrial digitalization, building AI and data solutions that solve some of the world’s hardest, highest-impact problems. With unmatched industrial heritage and a comprehensive suite of AI capabilities, including low-code AI agents, Cognite accelerates the digital transformation to drive operational improvements. Our moonshot is bold: unlock $100B in customer value by 2035 and redefine how global industry works. What Cognite is Relentless to achieve We thrive in challenges. We challenge assumptions. We execute with speed and ownership. If you view obstacles as signals to step forward - not step back - you’ll feel at home here. Join us in this venture where AI and data meet ingenuity, and together, we forge the path to a smarter, more connected industrial future. How you’ll demonstrate Ownership Reporting to the VP of FP&A, the Director of FP&A will be responsible for supporting Cognite’s Product organization that develops both the strategy and actual Industrial AI products that Cognite sells. The role will lead Product-wide processes for the organization including monthly budget management as well as annual operating plan and long range planning. This individual will work directly with leaders of all Product functional teams to assist in reporting, forecasting and analyzing financial and operations results, as well as conducting analysis to support better business decisions. This role is an opportunity to influence the direction of AI for the Industrial market where Cognite is the market leader. This position supports the Product organization, which is responsible for strategy and development of Cognite’s core products.

Requirements

Education & Experience: Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Finance, Accounting or related field; MBA preferred.
8+ years of progressive finance experience, including leadership roles in FP&A.
Prior experience partnering with Product Development or R&D organizations.
SaaS Expertise: Deep understanding of SaaS business models, including ARR/MRR, churn, CAC, LTV, and unit economics. Ability to forecast subscription revenue streams and model SaaS-specific KPIs. Familiarity with product lifecycle economics and cloud infrastructure cost drivers.
Cloud & AI Economics Understanding of cloud and AI infrastructure cost cannot sit downstream of Product and Engineering decisions. Experience making cloud cost a strategic input—modeling and explaining tradeoffs between architecture options (compute vs. storage, managed services vs. build, multi-tenant vs. single-tenant, performance vs. margin) and helping teams choose paths that protect unit economics without blocking innovation. Ability to speak to GPU/CPU tradeoffs, inference vs. training costs, and region/latency choices in business terms, and turn these into financial narratives that influence senior technical leaders and shape roadmap, development velocity, and long-term margin.
Technical & Analytical Skills: Advanced financial modeling and scenario analysis skills. Strong Excel skills Comfort with data visualization and BI tools for executive reporting. Able to deliver independently, strong attention to detail.
Leadership & Communication: Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and act as a trusted advisor. Strong presentation skills and ability to simplify complex financial concepts for non-finance audiences. Collaborative mindset

Responsibilities

Budgeting and Forecasting: Develop and manage annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, and long-range planning for Product Development through zero-based budgeting for R&D
Investment Analysis: Lead ROI and NPV modeling for major initiatives, including new product introductions (NPI) and R&D investments.
Performance Monitoring: Track and analyze product development spend, headcount, and resource allocation to ensure alignment with strategic priorities. Implement automation in reporting.
Scenario Planning: Build financial models to evaluate trade-offs, risks, and opportunities for product roadmap decisions. Champion data-driven decision-making through advanced analytics.
Business Partnering: Provide actionable insights and recommendations to engineering and product leaders to drive financial discipline and strategic decision-making.
KPI Development: Define and monitor key metrics for product development efficiency, innovation ROI, and cost optimization.
Governance & Compliance: Ensure adherence to corporate financial policies and support audit readiness for development-related expenditures.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Corporate Finance to align financial goals with business objectives.
Strategic Projects: Support deal due diligence, pricing strategy, and capital allocation decisions impacting product development.
Cloud support: Manage the accounting for Cloud including the management judgment for OPEX vs COGS split. Support software margin improvement work in partnership with IT and Sourcing team

Benefits

Competitive compensation
401(k) with employer matching
Competitive health, dental, vision & disability coverages for employees and all dependents
Unlimited PTO
Paid Parental Leave Program
Employee Referral Program
Join a team of 60+ different nationalities 🌐 with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) in focus 🤝.
A highly modern and fun working environment with sublime culture across the organization, follow us on Instagram @ cognitedata 📷 to know more
Opportunity to work with and learn from some of the best people on some of the most ambitious projects found anywhere, across industries
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