Finance Director, PCP

Littelfuse•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Littelfuse is one of America’s Best Mid-Sized Companies (Forbes) and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois (Best Companies Group) for 11 consecutive years. With its global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Littelfuse is a leading, global manufacturer of electronic components serving more than 100,000 end customers across industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets. We have more than 17,000 employees with operations in 15 countries. From semiconductors to sensors… switches to fuses and more… we produce billions of electronic components that help our customers empower a sustainable, connected, and safer world. In 2021, Littelfuse had net sales of $2.1 billion. The Finance Director has full financial responsibility for a $200 Million business and reports directly to the Littelfuse VP Finance, Transportation, with a strong “dotted line” to the business unit General Manager. Leading finance teams in the US, Mexico, UK and China across financial planning, operations finance, controllership, financial systems, and integration, this leader will focus on building and expanding our finance function, growing revenue and profitability of the business through financial business partnership, including product management, manufacturing and supply chain support, investment analysis, and the streamlining of global processes, infrastructure, and systems. About the job: Provide Strategic Finance Leadership for the business • Key member of business management team • Develop the businesses’ short-term and long-range financial plans, while driving accountability for delivery against targets and business objectives • Provide strategic financial input and leadership to drive operational improvement across the business in areas such as: o customer, channel and product line management / profitability o manufacturing and supply chain optimization and cost o working capital efficiency and return on capital • To play a lead role in the continued redesign of the finance function: o Determine the optimal business and financial structure o Continue to deliver cost saving initiatives and operational synergies o Develop a standardized reporting system o Continue to integrate the global finance team with the required controls and procedures o Continued evaluation of the company’s ERP system and potential ERP change strategy, help lead and direct the organization’s ongoing involvement on future M&A initiatives • Accountable for generating robust data analytics to support decisions on strategic planning priorities, product/category/customer profitability, and cost containment. Deliver Best-In-Class analytical finance support and performance Insight • Provide clear and constructive insights about current and future financial performance and provide recommendations for areas of improvement, focus or investment • Lead the preparation and analysis of monthly worldwide reporting packages, including income statements and working capital, capital expenditures and other key balance sheet items. • Analyze monthly and quarterly results comparing against previous year and budget, identify key drivers of variances and prepare insightful commentaries • Develop executive reports on financial benchmarks, business analytics, and key performance indicators to drive financial performance initiatives Attract, develop, lead, and manage a high-performing global finance organization • Develop goals for finance staff that are consistent with business and corporate strategic objectives. Ensure that finance staff are aligned and accountable on goals. • Manage employee performance and development reviews Reinforce and drive business stewardship • Serve as a key role model for transparent and ethical behavior • Coordinate with finance team to enhance and standardize control procedures • Work with Corporate Controller’s organization to define improvements to ensure best-in class financial reporting and business stewardship. About you: Experience and Professional Qualifications The successful candidate will be a proven finance executive with progressive experience leading the finance function in a publicly traded multinational business with strong manufacturing and operations experience. This leader will have successful experience in a significant business unit, category, or region where the candidate partnered with the General Manager in setting goals and delivering against them. The candidate is a clear business thinker, able to lead others in achieving financial/operational objectives and has a well-rounded background in financial reporting and analysis, financial systems, budgeting, expense management, capital allocation, investment analysis and financial modelling and accounting. This person will have advanced communication skills in order to manage, influence, and partner across the organization and deliver effective formal/informal presentations to senior leaders. Key performance and personal competencies required for the position Setting Strategy & Change Management • The ability to develop and articulate the strategic vision for the business in its entirety • An inclination for critical thinking • The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling Executing for Results • The ability to set challenging goals and commit the organization to improved performance • Achieve results by pro-actively developing and advancing creative, pragmatic ideas and solutions • Able to tackle challenging tactical problems • Seeks broadest input from others to foresee all possible outcomes from decisions • A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity • Ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner Leading Teams • The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage talent • Perseverance in the face of challenges and relentless commitment to higher standards • Leads by example with an attitude of continuous improvement • Possesses a clear strength in assessing and attracting top talent Relationships and Influence • Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others • Ability to present complex financial information to non-financial audiences in a succinct manner • Ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence and active drive • Visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team. • Engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole. • Presence, maturity and gravitas to function at a senior level. Skills and Competencies The Director of Finance candidate should possess the following skills and competences: • Critical, Strategic Thinking – capable of seeing around corners, analyzing financial data, identifying trends and proactively balancing the need to execute today’s operations with tomorrow’s strategy • Influence and Storytelling - capability to translate financial data into a compelling narrative for internal and external key stakeholder audiences • Strategic & Operational Balance - Ability to telescope between high-level strategic thinking and operational financial details to connect the dot and ensure alignment to hitting financial results and driving growth bets • Resilience & Energy – Operates with urgency, endurance and the ability to navigate ambiguity, particularly in a high-growth, dynamic environment • Talent and Organizational Development – highly skilled at thinking about broad-based organizational structure and able to play chess. Demonstrated passion and natural capability to coach talent at scale • Low-Ego Collaboration – demonstrates humility, prioritizes team over self, and effectively collaborates across functions and leadership levels • Financial Acumen – Deep understanding of financial levers and impact on the P&L to ensure key business objectives and metrics are met.

Requirements

proven finance executive with progressive experience leading the finance function in a publicly traded multinational business with strong manufacturing and operations experience
successful experience in a significant business unit, category, or region where the candidate partnered with the General Manager in setting goals and delivering against them
clear business thinker, able to lead others in achieving financial/operational objectives and has a well-rounded background in financial reporting and analysis, financial systems, budgeting, expense management, capital allocation, investment analysis and financial modelling and accounting
advanced communication skills in order to manage, influence, and partner across the organization and deliver effective formal/informal presentations to senior leaders
Critical, Strategic Thinking – capable of seeing around corners, analyzing financial data, identifying trends and proactively balancing the need to execute today’s operations with tomorrow’s strategy
Influence and Storytelling - capability to translate financial data into a compelling narrative for internal and external key stakeholder audiences
Strategic & Operational Balance - Ability to telescope between high-level strategic thinking and operational financial details to connect the dot and ensure alignment to hitting financial results and driving growth bets
Resilience & Energy – Operates with urgency, endurance and the ability to navigate ambiguity, particularly in a high-growth, dynamic environment
Talent and Organizational Development – highly skilled at thinking about broad-based organizational structure and able to play chess. Demonstrated passion and natural capability to coach talent at scale
Low-Ego Collaboration – demonstrates humility, prioritizes team over self, and effectively collaborates across functions and leadership levels
Financial Acumen – Deep understanding of financial levers and impact on the P&L to ensure key business objectives and metrics are met
Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field required

Nice To Haves

MBA or Master’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

Provide Strategic Finance Leadership for the business
Develop the businesses’ short-term and long-range financial plans, while driving accountability for delivery against targets and business objectives
Provide strategic financial input and leadership to drive operational improvement across the business
Play a lead role in the continued redesign of the finance function
Accountable for generating robust data analytics to support decisions on strategic planning priorities, product/category/customer profitability, and cost containment
Provide clear and constructive insights about current and future financial performance and provide recommendations for areas of improvement, focus or investment
Lead the preparation and analysis of monthly worldwide reporting packages, including income statements and working capital, capital expenditures and other key balance sheet items
Analyze monthly and quarterly results comparing against previous year and budget, identify key drivers of variances and prepare insightful commentaries
Develop executive reports on financial benchmarks, business analytics, and key performance indicators to drive financial performance initiatives
Develop goals for finance staff that are consistent with business and corporate strategic objectives
Manage employee performance and development reviews
Serve as a key role model for transparent and ethical behavior
Coordinate with finance team to enhance and standardize control procedures
Work with Corporate Controller’s organization to define improvements to ensure best-in class financial reporting and business stewardship