Senior Director, Finance Data Strategy

Realty Income Corporation•San Diego, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Realty Income is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Finance Data Strategy to define and execute the finance data strategy and multi-year roadmap. This role serves as the business owner for finance data, analytics, and governance, leading the design and adoption of governed finance data products and scalable data foundations. These foundations will support accurate public-company reporting, audit and SOX controls, automated dashboards, and advanced analytics/AI readiness. The position requires close collaboration with Finance, Internal Audit, and Technology to translate business requirements into trusted data solutions, manage a prioritized portfolio of initiatives, and drive change management for consistent delivery and organization-wide adoption.

Requirements

Proven senior‑level leadership experience driving Finance data, analytics, or transformation initiatives within complex, regulated organizations.
Strong ability to translate Finance and data strategy into executable roadmaps and outcomes across matrixed Finance, Technology, and Analytics teams.
Effective executive communicator with the ability to clearly articulate Finance data strategy, risks, and progress to senior Finance leadership and key stakeholders.
Demonstrated success leading change, influencing cross‑functional partners, and driving adoption of new data platforms, standards, and ways of working.
Deep understanding of Finance and Accounting processes, including general ledger, subledgers, financial reporting, and period‑end close within a real estate or public‑company environment.
Strong understanding of modern Finance data platforms, data governance, analytics, and data‑driven operating models, with the ability to apply them pragmatically to Finance use cases.
Solid experience working within SOX‑regulated environments, including internal controls, audit requirements, and control‑aware data and reporting design.
Working knowledge of ERP systems (Yardi preferred), cloud data platforms, data warehousing, ETL/ELT concepts, BI tools (e.g., Power BI), and emerging analytics and AI concepts as applied to Finance.
Ability to align Finance data strategy, analytics, and governance with enterprise objectives, risk posture, and reporting requirements.
Ability to communicate complex Finance, data, and analytics topics clearly and credibly to Finance leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to synthesize Finance, operational, and data insights into practical strategies and solutions that improve decision‑making and operational effectiveness.
Proven capability to build trusted partnerships across Finance, Technology, Internal Audit, and Operations to enable alignment and execution.
Demonstrated ability to mentor team members, foster collaboration across functions, and operate effectively in matrixed environments.
Sound judgment with a practical, risk‑aware mindset when addressing complex, ambiguous, or regulated challenges.
Strong commitment to ethical standards, confidentiality, and compliance expectations within a public‑company environment.
Ability to manage multiple, interrelated initiatives while balancing delivery discipline, governance rigor, and stakeholder engagement.
Comfortable leading through change, managing competing priorities, and operating effectively in evolving environments.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 tools, including Excel (advanced modeling), PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint to support analysis, communication, and enablement.
Strong working knowledge of ERP systems and Finance source systems (Yardi preferred); experience partnering with system owners and administrators.
Familiarity with analytics and visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI) and an understanding of how automation and data‑driven workflows can improve Finance processes.
Understanding of cloud platforms, data warehousing, ETL/ELT processes, and modern data architecture (including Lakehouse concepts) sufficient to provide business direction and governance oversight.
Familiarity with data access controls, auditability, change management, and delivery practices (e.g., Agile), with an emphasis on SOX compliance and data integrity.
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, technology or a related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in finance and technology.
Public company experience.
Strong background in finance data, reporting, governance, and controls.
Available for occasional business travel.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
REIT experience
Professional certifications such as CPA, CMA
Data and analytics certifications

Responsibilities

Define, execute, and continuously evolve the Finance Data Strategy in alignment with Finance objectives, SOX requirements, and enterprise priorities.
Serve as the senior Finance leader accountable for Finance data architecture, data governance, and data product outcomes.
Partner with the SVP, Finance Operations to develop and maintain a multi‑year Finance data and analytics roadmap.
Act as a strategic advisor to Finance leadership on data, analytics, automation, and AI enablement.
Own the Finance data initiative portfolio, including intake, prioritization, sequencing, and alignment to Finance priorities.
Lead the business design, governance, and adoption of governed Finance Data Products (GL, Close, AR/AP, Cash, Property, Tenant, Tax, Consolidation).
Serve as a key liaison with Corporate Finance and RIIM to enable Investor Relations dashboards and analytics, including the development and management of historical and real‑time KPI dashboards such as WACC metrics, Budget‑vs‑Actual (BvA) variance analysis, and fund‑level and portfolio‑level performance analytics used in executive and investor reporting.
Define Finance data models, canonical definitions, hierarchies, and certification standards.
Translate Finance and Accounting requirements into clear data and reporting specifications.
Ensure Finance data assets support both management and external reporting needs.
Own the full lifecycle of Finance Data Products, including design, delivery, adoption, and ongoing improvement.
Partner with Technology on Finance data governance frameworks including ownership, stewardship, quality, lineage, and access controls.
Design and implement Data Quality Indicators (DQIs) as operational controls.
Ensure Finance data meets audit, regulatory, and public‑company compliance requirements.
Partner with Internal Audit and Accounting to ensure control effectiveness.
Proactively identify and assess Finance data risks, including data quality, access, and reporting risks.
Define and track KPIs related to Finance analytics adoption, automation benefits, and reporting efficiency.
Drive the transition to automated reporting and dashboards.
Champion AI‑ready data foundations for future analytics and automation use cases.
Serve as the primary Finance liaison to Technology and Data Engineering teams.
Partner across Finance to ensure data solutions meet business needs.
Lead comprehensive change adoption strategies for new Finance data platforms, standards, and reporting solutions.
Serve as escalation point for cross-functional alignment challenges related to Finance data initiatives.
Mentor and develop Finance team members engaged in data initiatives.

Benefits

Healthcare insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k)-retirement plan with a company match of 50% up to 6% of eligible compensation
Wellness benefits
Financial benefits
Work/lifestyle-specific benefits
Generous PTO accrual
12 paid holidays
Paid volunteer time
Annual discretionary bonus
Annual discretionary stock award