Strategy & Planning Manager

UpClear • New York, NY

16h • $150,000 - $200,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

UpClear is a SaaS revenue management software company serving more than 80 consumer goods brands in over 20 countries. The Strategy & Planning Manager is a corporate role reporting to the CEO, supporting the company’s next phase of growth and development. This person will translate the company’s ambitions into actionable plans, forecasts, business cases, sales performance insights, and decision-support analysis for the CEO and leadership team.

The role leads the annual operating plan and budgeting process, owns revenue, ARR, and operating-metric forecasts, and maintains a three-year strategic model spanning functions, product verticals, and growth levers. It also develops investment recommendations and strategic analyses, leads high-priority cross-functional initiatives, drives alignment among senior stakeholders, and prepares leadership and board materials. The position requires on-site collaboration and the ability to commute to UpClear’s West 22nd Street office in New York. The company is unable to provide employment-authorization sponsorship at this time.

Requirements

• At least 6 years of experience.
• Background in strategy consulting (MBB or a tier-2 firm) or investment banking.
• Advanced Excel financial modeling skills, including operating models, forecasts, scenario and sensitivity analysis, and unit economics.
• Hands-on experience with budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Ability to structure ambiguous problems and turn them into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
• Strong PowerPoint storytelling skills and ability to develop executive- and board-level materials.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to influence without direct authority.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or economics.
• An owner mindset, with the ability to take a problem off the CEO’s desk and see it through.
• Able to commute to UpClear’s West 22nd Street office in New York for on-site collaboration.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a B2B SaaS or high-growth company after consulting or banking, such as in FP&A, strategy, or business operations.
• Familiarity with SaaS metrics (ARR, NRR, CAC, and LTV) and go-to-market analytics.
• Exposure to the CPG industry, especially trade promotion, revenue growth management, or trade finance.
• Experience with sales compensation or pricing analysis.
• Working knowledge of SQL or BI tools such as Power BI.

Responsibilities

• Lead the annual operating plan and budgeting process, coordinating input from Product, Solutions, Sales, and Tech.
• Own monthly and quarterly forecasts for revenue, ARR, and key operating metrics, and conduct reforecasts as the business evolves.
• Analyze variances against plan, explain the drivers, and recommend corrective actions.
• Build and maintain the three-year strategic model across functions, product verticals (Compass, TPM, and Bridge), and growth levers such as tier two, new products, and geography.
• Develop business cases and investment recommendations for new products, markets, and initiatives, including the Deductions rollout and growth in France and Europe.
• Conduct market, competitive, and pricing analyses to inform strategic decisions.
• Support corporate development priorities, including strategic transactions, partnerships, investments, and other growth opportunities.
• Lead high-priority strategic and cross-functional initiatives for the CEO from definition through execution.
• Drive alignment across senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams, identify dependencies, resolve blockers, and move critical decisions and actions forward.
• Challenge assumptions constructively, identify gaps, and recommend actions while maintaining strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Develop strategic analysis and materials for leadership meetings, quarterly business reviews, and the board, highlighting key trade-offs for decision-making.
• Set the planning calendar and run the business review cadence with department heads.
• Respond to ad hoc analysis requests from the executive team.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision healthcare plans.
• Retirement plan with company match (401(k), IRA).
• Paid time off that grows with seniority, including vacation, sick time, and public holidays.
• Paid maternity leave.
• Paid parental bonding leave.
• One-month paid sabbatical after five continuous years of work at UpClear.
• Hybrid work model.
• Weekly happy hours and office culture.
• Global cross-team collaboration and direct access to executive leadership for guidance.

What This Job Offers

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