principal, Operations Finance

Starbucks • Nashville, TN

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance Principal serves as a senior functional expert and strategic advisor, providing deep analytical leadership and shaping the financial strategy for the business unit and related areas. This role applies in‑depth and broad financial expertise to solve highly complex and unique problems, integrating financial, operational, and marketplace insights to inform long‑range planning and critical business decisions. The Finance Principal influences senior leaders through clear, compelling communication of complex concepts, drives innovation in FP&A practices, and contributes to the development of functional strategies that enhance financial performance across the enterprise.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or a related field.
• 9+ years of experience in FP&A, financial analysis, accounting, business analytics, or related financial disciplines, demonstrating expert‑level analytical capability and broad business impact.
• Experience building effective teams (4–6 years), including coaching, feedback, development, and elevating analytical capability across the organization.
• A demonstrated ability to lead complex assignments end-to-end, from structuring ambiguous problems, gathering data, building rigorous financial models, synthesizing insights, and delivering clear recommendations to senior executives
• Deep experience in budgeting and forecasting (9 years) with extensive knowledge of core FP&A activities across planning cycles.
• Proven experience navigating large and complex data sets across multiple systems, synthesizing insights into compelling narratives for senior and executive leadership.
• Progressive experience in financial management (9 years), including financial analysis, variance analysis, cost allocation, fact‑finding, or auditing.
• Progressive experience in financial analysis, modeling, and business planning (5–7 years).
• Experience making recommendations to and influencing decision makers (5+ years), including communicating complex concepts and guiding strategic decision‑making.
• Experience leading cross‑functional teams and/or enterprise‑level projects (5+ years).

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic financial expert and advisor, shaping business unit and functional financial strategies by integrating deep financial expertise, market insights, and long‑range considerations.
• Lead the resolution of highly complex, unique financial challenges by applying innovative thinking, designing new analytical frameworks, and evaluating broad business impacts across functions.
• Influence senior executives on key financial decisions by synthesizing complex data, communicating nuanced insights, and framing strategic trade‑offs that guide priorities.
• Architect, develop, and refine advanced financial models, planning methodologies, or performance frameworks that elevate FP&A maturity and enable robust forecasting and strategic decision‑support.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives with broad organizational impact, establishing best practices and driving enterprise‑level improvements in planning, reporting, or financial governance.
• Provide expert‑level consultation on business cases, investments, and strategic initiatives, ensuring financial rigor and alignment with long‑term goals.
• Mentor and develop senior FP&A talent, elevating analytical capability across the team and fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.
• Shape and refine FP&A functional standards and processes, contributing directly to the evolution of the finance function’s strategy and operating model.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits
• short-term and long-term disability
• paid parental leave
• family expansion reimbursement
• paid vacation from date of hire
• sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked)
• eight paid holidays
• two personal days per year
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
• Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
• incentivized emergency savings
• financial well-being tools
• 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan
• student loan management resources
• access to other educational opportunities
• backup care
• DACA reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal