Strategic Finance Manager, Operations

CookUnity•New York, NY

1d•$160,000 - $175,000

About The Position

The Strategic Finance Manager, Operations combines rigorous financial analysis with hands-on partnership across CookUnity’s operations. The role helps teams identify performance improvements, assess investments, and translate decisions into measurable results. Key focus areas include expansion, automation, and operational efficiency. The manager works directly with operators to understand workflows, challenge assumptions, and build practical business cases, while bringing financial discipline to planning and performance reviews so that insights lead to clear decisions and follow-through. This role is suited to a finance professional who can build models from scratch, work directly with operating teams, and influence decisions in a fast-moving environment. It requires travel to operating sites and collaboration with local teams.

Requirements

At least 6 years of experience in operations finance, FP&A, or a closely related analytical role, with a track record of influencing operational or investment decisions.
Advanced financial modeling skills, including building models from the ground up and translating operational drivers into financial outcomes.
Ability to work with imperfect operational data, validate assumptions with business partners, and turn analysis into clear, actionable recommendations.
Strong business partnering skills, including the confidence to challenge assumptions constructively and work effectively with operators and senior leaders.
A hands-on approach to understanding operations, solving ambiguous problems, and building processes in a growing business.
Working knowledge of accounting principles and financial controls, with strong attention to detail and sound commercial judgment.
Willingness to travel to operating sites and work directly with local teams.
Ability to leverage generative AI to increase output quality and speed.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a business with complex physical operations, such as food production, fulfillment, logistics, retail, or manufacturing.
Exposure to expansion, automation, or capital investment projects, including evaluation of results after implementation.
Experience using FP&A or business intelligence tools to improve planning and performance analysis.

Responsibilities

Partner with operating teams to understand workflows, investigate performance gaps, and translate labor productivity, throughput, and capacity utilization drivers into practical improvement opportunities.
Build financial models and business cases for expansion, automation, and other operational investments, comparing scenarios and evaluating expected returns, cash requirements, implementation risks, and assumptions.
Help leaders prioritize initiatives and allocate resources by translating operational plans into financial targets and forecasts.
Work with initiative owners to establish baselines and success measures, compare results with approved business cases, and recommend corrective actions when outcomes differ from expectations.
Lead financial performance reviews for areas of responsibility, explain the drivers behind results, and recommend actions to address risks and opportunities.
Develop reporting and decision tools that connect operational metrics with financial outcomes and make performance visible to stakeholders.
Partner across Finance and Operations to improve planning processes, data quality, and accountability as the business scales.