Senior Financial Partner, Financial Planning and Forecasting

CN; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Senior Financial Partner to support financial planning and forecasting. This role will involve collaborating with various teams to provide financial insights and reporting, drive process improvements, and support board presentations. Candidates should have significant experience in financial roles and relevant professional qualifications.

Qualifications

• 5 to 7 years in financial or accounting roles.
• Experience in board material preparation and building financial data models.
• Bilingual in English and French.

Responsibilities

• Provide insights on corporate financial performance.
• Budget, forecast, and analyze capital and operating expenses.
• Prepare board-level materials and reports.

Skills

Accountability

Collaboration

Agility

Leadership

Communication

Critical Thinking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce

CPA or other professional accounting designation

MBA

Tools

SAP

Essbase

BW

Power BI

Tableau

MS Office

Job description

The Senior Financial Partner, Financial Planning and Forecasting, is responsible for supporting the Director of Financial Planning in developing CN’s Operating forecast and three-year plan, and communicating operating performance to the C-suite and other Executives. The role involves interacting with financial partners, the Commercial team, Accounting, Investor Relations, and Strategy to gather detailed information and deliver key financial insights and operational analytics. The incumbent identifies deviations from the plan, enabling immediate action and promoting behavioral change. Additionally, they participate in developing and presenting the annual CN business plan, month-end and quarter-end financial reporting, and preparing content for board presentations.

Main Responsibilities

Forecasting and Executive Reporting

• Provide insights on corporate financial performance, linking business behavior to financial outcomes.
• Budget, forecast, and analyze capital and operating expenses.
• Monitor, analyze, and explain monthly operating results against budget.
• Prepare reports based on actual results and trends; drive cost improvements.
• Support pre-meeting preparations for executives.
• Manage production of board-level materials, often juggling multiple deliverables.
• Perform ad hoc analyses for the C-suite and leadership team.
• Provide visibility on cost levers, trend analysis, and performance metrics for effective decision-making.
• Leverage understanding of CN’s business and KPIs to create analyses.
• Identify gaps and recommend strategies to enhance financial performance and opportunities.
• Ensure dashboards and KPIs are dynamic and management actions are driven by analysis.
• Respond to ad hoc requests with appropriate analyses.
• Translate the corporate business plan into operating budgets and secure stakeholder buy-in.
• Analyze variances and suggest corrective actions.
• Advise senior management on forecast merits and risks.

Process Improvement and Digitization

• Create insightful ad hoc reports supporting CN’s goals, including dashboards and data analytics tools.
• Leverage technology for continuous improvement in forecasting tools, processes, and visualizations.
• Streamline and automate deliverables and processes for relevance and clarity.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and complete reports.

Working Conditions

The role involves standard office conditions with a regular Monday-to-Friday schedule and participation in CN’s hybrid work policy. Occasionally, outside hours may be required to meet deadlines, handle pressure, and stress.

Requirements

Experience

• 5 to 7 years in financial or accounting roles.

Experience with systems, board material preparation, ad hoc financial analysis, and building financial data models is essential.

Education / Certification / Designation

• Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce.
• CPA or other professional accounting designation.
• MBA is an asset.

Skills include accountability, collaboration, agility, industry knowledge, leadership, communication, and critical thinking.

Technical Skills / Knowledge

• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, GAAP, and regulations.
• Understanding of rail transportation and logistics industry.
• Familiarity with CN’s financial systems, SAP, Essbase, BW, Power BI, Tableau.
• Advanced MS Office skills.
• Bilingual in English and French.