Director of Finance
Location: Parsippany, NJ
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (2-3 days in-office per week )
Job Status: Full Time- Monday- Friday
FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: Finance
Reports to: CEO
SUMMARY
The Director of Finance serves as a strategic business partner to the CEO and a member of the Valio USA management team. This role provides strategic financial leadership, drives commercial profitability and P&L optimization, oversees IT & enterprise risk management, manages international tax and trade compliance, and leads the organization’s multi-year SAP transformation initiative. The Director of Finance ensures financial integrity, operational excellence, and positions finance as a strategic driver of business success. The role requires both deep financial expertise and strategic business acumen to partner with Operations, Sales, Supply Chain and international stakeholders.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
COMMERCIAL STRATEGY & PROFITABILITY MANAGEMENT
• Own pricing and profitability strategy; drive margin optimization by product, customer, and channel
• Lead semi-annual strategic pricing reviews and semi-annual P&L analysis with executive team
• Partner with CEO, Director of Marketing and Business Development and Head of Operations on major account and product portfolio strategies
• Own trade spend portfolio management and promotional ROI optimization
• Lead P&L optimization initiatives; identify and drive margin improvement opportunities
SAP TRANSFORMATION & MODERNIZATION LEADERSHIP
CRITICAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE: time horizon 1-2 years, all modules (GL, AR, AP, Inventory)
• Establish and chair SAP Transformation Steering Committee; set governance, timeline, and resources
• Lead Finance process redesign and optimization; manage data migration and financial integrity
• Develop change management and user adoption strategy; ensure team readiness throughout implementation
• Identify resource needs and manage risks; escalate issues to CEO
• Partner with IT, Valio Group, and Head of Operations on shared SAP modules
FINANCIAL CLOSE, REPORTING & AUDIT
• Executing month-end and year-end close; ensure quality and timeliness
• Review and approve financial statements and variance analysis
• Manage external audit relationship; conduct quarterly financial reviews with executive team
• Prepare financial packages for parent company (Valio Ltd.) and Valio USA Board
TRANSFER PRICING, TAX & TRADE COMPLIANCE
• Own transfer pricing strategy and documentation
• Manage customs valuation and import cost strategy; conduct duty analysis together with Head of Operations
• Complete federal, state, local, and international tax filings; partner with external tax advisors
• Manage Valio Group Finance relationship; ensure proper intercompany accounting
FORECASTING, S&OP, RISK MANAGEMENT & CUSTOMER CREDIT
• Co-lead monthly S&OP meetings with Head of Operations
• Oversee annual budget and monthly forecasts; drive forecast accuracy
• Own enterprise risk management and insurance portfolio planning
• Set customer credit policy; approve credit limits and manage DSO; oversee outsourced vendor performance
• Monitor trade compliance and tariff strategy
TEAM LEADERSHIP & STRATEGIC SYSTEMS
• Manage & develop the Finance team; provide coaching, development, and mentoring and ensuring SAP transformation readiness
• Set strategic direction for IT governance model and finance technology (SAP post-implementation, BluePlanner, PowerBI and the like)
• Develop and monitor SLA (Service Level Agreement) with external partners; establish performance metrics and reporting requirements
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
• Serve as primary financial business partner and advisor to CEO on all major business decisions
• Participate in all executive leadership forums; provide financial perspective on strategy
• Partner with Head of Operations on shared finance/operations decisions (S&OP, SAP, import strategy)
QUALIFICATIONS
• 12+ years of progressive finance leadership; 7+ years as Director/VP Finance or equivalent
• Proven strategic business partner to CEO; executive presence and credibility
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present complex financial information clearly to various stakeholders.
• CPA or equivalent professional certification
• Manufacturing or CPG/Food industry experience
• 5+ years transfer pricing and international trade compliance expertise
• SAP/ERP implementation or large-scale system transformation experience
• Experience with complex tax filings (federal, state, local, international) and external tax advisors
• Enterprise risk management and insurance portfolio management experience
• Hands-on SAP expertise (GL, AR/AP, inventory, costing, master data)
• Advanced Microsoft Suite proficiency (Excel with pivot tables and financial modeling, Word, PowerPoint, Teams); hands-on PowerBI or equivalent BI platform experience; and strong data analytics skills required.
• Ability to travel internationally at least once per year.
PREFERRED:
• International business experience (multi-currency, Scandinavian/Nordic markets)
• Experience with multi-entity financial consolidation and parent company reporting
• Change leadership and large-scale organizational transformation experience
EDUCATION
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (required)
• Master’s degree or additional professional certification (preferred)
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This is a hybrid position that requires a combination of remote and in-office work. The role involves working in a professional, collaborative office environment 2–3 days per week, with the remaining days remote. Standard work hours may vary to accommodate meetings held across different international time zones. The office is equipped with standard business technology and ergonomic workstations. While working remotely, the employee is expected to maintain a productive home workspace with reliable internet access. The role is primarily sedentary, involving prolonged periods of computer and phone use. Occasional interaction with team members and other departments is required, both virtually and in person. The pace of work may vary depending on deadlines, particularly during month-end or billing cycles.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a desk, both in a home office and on-site.
• Manual dexterity to efficiently operate a computer, keyboard, calculator, phone, and other standard office equipment in both settings.
• Visual ability to read and interpret data on computer screens, spreadsheets, and printed documents.
• Ability to communicate effectively through phone, video conferencing, and email.
• Occasionally required to lift or move light office materials (e.g., files, mail, or supplies) weighing up to 20 pounds when on-site.
• Capacity to transition between remote and in-office work environments as scheduled.
Valio USA is an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
Valio USA is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities, as required by law, to perform the essential functions of this position.