Director of FP&A – Ground

The Director of FP&A Ground leads financial planning forecasting budgeting and analysis for Forward Airs Ground businesses: less-than-truckload (LTL) truckload (TLS) domestic freight forwarding (DFF) and pool distribution. The Director is the finance partner to Ground business unit leadership owns the Ground financial models and monthly reporting package and leads a team of a manager and analysts. A central expectation of the role is to move Ground planning and reporting off spreadsheet-based processes and onto the companys data platform so the teams time shifts from producing numbers to analyzing them.

Core Responsibilities & Duties:
Lead Ground financial planning budgeting and forecasting: annual budget quarterly forecasts medium-term plan inputs
Serve as finance partner to Ground business unit leadership; develop financial plans and monitor performance against targets
Build and maintain Ground driver-based models (volume weight revenue per shipment linehaul pickup and delivery and terminal cost) with the model logic in a governed platform or code rather than in linked workbooks
Lead the migration of Ground planning and reporting from spreadsheet processes to the companys data platform (Databricks / Microsoft Fabric) in partnership with the Analytics team which owns the underlying data infrastructure
Automate the monthly Ground reporting package; success is measured by team time spent on analysis rather than production
Prepare and present monthly quarterly and annual Ground financial results and analysis to executive leadership
Conduct variance analysis against budget forecast and prior periods explained in terms of the operating drivers
Provide decision support for Ground strategic initiatives pricing actions network changes and capital investments
Identify and communicate risks and opportunities in Ground financial performance and recommend corrective actions
Develop and maintain Ground performance metrics and KPIs
Serve as business lead for the Ground P&L in the FP&A planning-tool initiative: requirements process mapping and testing
Ensure compliance with internal controls accounting policies and procedures
Manage and develop the Ground FP&A team (manager and analysts) building both analytical and technical skills
Perform ad hoc analysis and projects as required by senior leadership

Qualifications:
Required
BA/BS degree in Finance Accounting Economics or a related quantitative field; MBA or CFA is a plus
Minimum of 7 years of experience in financial planning analysis budgeting and forecasting
Has built financial models forecasts or reporting outside Excel (SQL Python or R a BI tool or a planning platform) and can show the work
Has replaced at least one spreadsheet-based process with an automated governed one and can explain what changed and who maintains it
Strong knowledge of financial modeling financial statements and corporate finance principles
Demonstrated experience partnering with business leaders to provide strategic financial insights and recommendations
Proven track record of leading and developing high-performing teams
Strong analytical problem-solving and decision-making skills
Excellent communication and presentation skills; conveys complex financial information clearly and concisely
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities effectively
High level of integrity and professionalism with a commitment to ethical standards

Preferred
Databricks or Microsoft Fabric; Power BI or Tableau; Python
Experience working with data engineering on pipelines and data models
Experience in a finance team that works directly in the data warehouse or time spent in an analytics or BI role
Transportation or logistics industry experience LTL in particular

Forward Air is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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