Senior Manager, Finance - R&D

Mars•Chicago, IL

3d•$134,400 - $184,800

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Finance – R&D joins the Global Snacking FP&A and Business Partnering team and is responsible for helping drive the financial performance of the global R&D organization. The role provides strategic insights and supports investment decisions that enable innovation, product development, and long-term business growth. The R&D Finance Business Partner works as a strategic thought partner to R&D leadership, applying financial planning and analysis, business partnering, and investment management expertise. The position requires understanding R&D investment management, project financial tracking, and productivity and value creation, while balancing innovation priorities, resource allocation, cost efficiency, and long-term value. The role leads R&D financial strategy and planning, analyzes performance, and communicates financial insights to technical and non-financial stakeholders. It partners across R&D, Finance, Commercial, Supply Chain, and other functions to evaluate projects and investments, improve cost efficiency and productivity, and align R&D spending with business objectives. It also promotes collaboration, continuous improvement, and financial capability development across the R&D organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 5–8 years of experience in Finance, FP&A, business partnering, R&D Finance, or related roles.
Strong understanding of financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, management reporting, and financial performance analysis.
Experience in investment evaluation, business case development, financial modeling, and scenario planning.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret complex financial data and translate it into actionable business insights.
Proven experience in cross-functional business partnering and managing stakeholder relationships across Finance and non-financial functions.
Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, including the ability to convey complex financial concepts to technical and non-financial stakeholders.
Ability to manage competing priorities, influence decisions, and operate effectively in a dynamic, evolving business environment.
Competency in managing complexity, courage, nimble learning, and resilience.
Skills in influencing stakeholders, building collaborative relationships, driving accountability, communicating with impact, and creating new and different solutions to improve financial performance and maximize the value of R&D investments.

Nice To Haves

MBA or relevant professional certification, such as CPA or CFA.
Experience within a CPG or innovation-driven organization.

Responsibilities

Lead development and execution of R&D financial strategies aligned with Mars business objectives.
Provide financial insights, recommendations, and investment guidance to R&D leadership to maximize the value of innovation investments and support sustainable business growth.
Oversee consolidation of R&D budgets, forecasts, and long-term financial plans.
Analyze financial performance against targets, identify risks and opportunities, and provide actionable insights to deliver financial commitments.
Conduct financial modeling and scenario analysis to support investment and resource allocation decisions.
Communicate R&D financial performance, investment trends, and business insights clearly to technical and non-financial stakeholders, using data visualization and financial storytelling.
Partner with R&D Leadership, Finance, Commercial, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders to connect financial performance with innovation priorities and business outcomes.
Challenge assumptions, influence investment decisions, and align R&D spending with strategic objectives and enterprise-wide priorities.
Support evaluation and prioritization of R&D projects and innovation initiatives through financial modeling, business case development, and return-on-investment analysis.
Monitor project spending, assess resource requirements, and provide visibility into portfolio performance.
Identify opportunities to improve R&D cost efficiency, resource utilization, and investment productivity.
Monitor key cost drivers, including headcount, external research, project expenses, and operating costs.
Partner with stakeholders to develop and track productivity initiatives and deliver financial commitments without compromising innovation outcomes.
Model excellent business partnering and promote continuous improvement, collaboration, and personal development.
Share financial best practices, strengthen financial capabilities across the R&D organization, and encourage innovative thinking to improve financial performance and decision-making.