Manager, Business & Strategic Planning

Piedmont Airlines•Charlotte, NC

5d•$90,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

Join a team that works hard, cares for each other and offers plenty of opportunities to grow. At Piedmont Airlines, our strength is the way we deliver industry-leading service to our customers and airline partners. To continue our standard of excellence, Piedmont is seeking a motivated and forward-thinking leader to join our team as Manager, Business & Strategic Planning. The Manager, Business & Strategic Planning is responsible for leading financial and operational analysis, business planning, productivity initiatives, and performance measurement to support the organization's strategic and financial objectives. This role partners with Finance, Operations, and other cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities to improve cost performance, productivity, and operational efficiency. The Manager leads the development of financial and labor models, performance reporting, business cases, and key performance indicators that enable informed decision-making. A key responsibility of this position is ensuring that identified productivity and efficiency opportunities translate into measurable business results by establishing expected benefits, tracking implementation, validating realized savings and operational improvements, and incorporating results into forecasts and business plans.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Data Analytics, or another relevant field
Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in financial planning and analysis, business planning, operational finance, strategy, data analytics, or a related field
Strong financial acumen with demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, labor modeling, and business-case development
Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, or measuring productivity, cost-efficiency, or continuous-improvement initiatives
Strong understanding of benefits realization, including establishing financial baselines, measuring results, and distinguishing sustainable savings from cost avoidance or timing differences
Advanced analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable business recommendations
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct authority
Strong business partnership skills with the ability to work effectively with operational and senior leadership
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial modeling
Proficiency with Business Intelligence tools and experience developing dashboards, reports, and data visualizations
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment
Strong attention to detail while maintaining a broader strategic and enterprise perspective
Ability to constructively challenge existing processes and drive meaningful change
Experience leveraging technology, automation, and analytics to improve business processes and organizational productivity
Demonstrated commitment to developing team members and creating an environment of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Nice To Haves

Master of Business Administration (MBA), equivalent advanced degree, or professional certification
Experience implementing AI-driven solutions in financial planning or operational processes
Prior leadership experience managing teams in a dynamic environment

Responsibilities

Lead financial, operational, and productivity analysis to identify trends, performance gaps, cost drivers, risks, and opportunities for improvement
Partner with Finance, Operations, and functional leaders to develop and execute business and strategic planning initiatives aligned with organizational priorities
Lead the development of business cases, financial models, scenario analyses, and recommendations supporting strategic and operational decisions
Develop and maintain labor and productivity models that provide insight into staffing requirements, operational performance, and cost efficiency
Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning by providing analysis of productivity, labor, cost drivers, operational assumptions, and strategic initiatives
Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), performance scorecards, and management reporting to measure productivity, efficiency, financial performance, and progress against organizational objectives
Lead the development of dashboards and executive-level presentations that clearly communicate business performance, trends, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions
Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance organizational effectiveness
Partner with cross-functional teams to prioritize and implement productivity, cost-efficiency, and process-improvement initiatives
Establish financial and operational baselines, expected benefits, implementation milestones, and success measures for productivity and strategic initiatives
Track initiatives from business case through implementation and benefits realization, identifying gaps between projected and actual results and recommending corrective actions when necessary
Validate realized cost savings, cost avoidance, productivity improvements, and other business benefits in partnership with FP&A, Accounting, Operations, and other stakeholders
Ensure realized benefits and changes in business assumptions are appropriately reflected in forecasts, budgets, and long-range plans
Maintain visibility into the organization's portfolio of productivity and efficiency initiatives, including expected value, realized value, timing, risks, and implementation status
Provide data-driven recommendations to senior leadership and effectively communicate complex financial and operational information to financial and non-financial stakeholders
Support strategic projects and enterprise initiatives through financial analysis, business planning, project coordination, and performance measurement
Promote the effective use of automation, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, and analytics tools to improve productivity, reporting, and decision-making
Develop standardized methodologies, tools, and processes for business planning, financial modeling, productivity analysis, benefits realization, and performance reporting
Manage, coach, and develop team members; establish priorities, provide guidance, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality analysis and reporting
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement