Associate Director, Global Business Insights

Westlake Chemical; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Westlake Chemical in Houston seeks an Associate Director, Business Insights to lead enterprise-wide analytics, governance, and BI strategy for senior leadership.

You will build and mentor a team, develop dashboards (Power BI), integrate macroeconomic data with internal metrics, and translate analyses into clear recommendations for strategic decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA/desirable; CFA/FRM desirable.
• 10–12 years of progressive experience in business analysis, FP&A, strategy, or economic/market analysis.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and MS Office; financial quantitative software desirable.
• Experience in manufacturing, chemicals, building products, or related industrial sectors preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, governance, and delivery of enterprise-wide business intelligence and strategic analytics.
• Oversee dashboards and reporting (Power BI) incorporating macroeconomic and industry data.
• Perform regression analysis, econometrics and other quantitative analyses to inform decisions.
• Build forecasting, scenario, and sensitivity models linking economic drivers to performance.
• Translate complex analyses into clear narratives for senior leadership.
• Build the Business Insights function by hiring, training, and developing staff.

Skills

Microsoft Excel

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Economics/Business or related quantitative discipline

MBA or Master’s in Finance/Economics desirable

CFA/FRM desirable

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.

SUMMARY

The Associate Director, Business Insights is responsible for leading the development, governance, and delivery of enterprise-wide business intelligence and strategic analytics to support senior leadership. This role oversees a team that transforms financial, operational, market, and macroeconomic data into actionable insights, informing strategic decisions, performance management, and long-range planning across the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary business insights partner to the VP Finance, providing forward-looking analysis and recommendations on business performance, risks, and opportunities through the application of analytical and quantitative analysis and tools.

• Lead the design and execution of a business insights strategy that integrates financial, commercial, and economic indicators to support decision-making. Identify and create new reports and distribution of insights to inform senior business leaders and support the broader FP&A and Investor Relations functions.

• Present insights and recommendations to executive and senior leadership, tailoring messages to different audiences and levels of technical expertise.

• Oversee development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of finance and market intelligence dashboards (e.g., Power BI) that incorporate macroeconomic and industry data (interest rates, inflation, GDP, housing activity, commodities, currency trends, etc.)

• Integrate external economic and industry data sources (e.g., commodity price indices, housing and construction indicators, trade and tariff data, FX rates) with internal financial and operational data to provide a comprehensive view of performance drivers.

• Perform regression analysis, econometrics and other forms of quantitative analysis to identify drivers of business performance and predict future business outcomes to inform performance expectations, drivers of business performance, and assist in capital deployment and strategic decision making.

• Build and maintain forecasting, scenario, and sensitivity models that link economic drivers (raw material prices, demand cycles, housing starts, currency movements) to company performance and margins.

• Support the development of medium- and long-term strategic plans by providing economic outlooks, industry cycle assessments, and quantitative evaluation of strategic options.

• Translate complex analyses into clear, concise narratives and recommendations that drive action.

• Build the Business Insights function by hiring, training, and developing key personnel and helping drive a culture of insight, accountability, and partnership across all key stakeholders.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline required. MBA or Masters in Finance, Economics, or related quantitative disciple desirable. CFA, FRM or similar designation desirable.

• Minimum 10-12 years of progressive experience in business analysis, FP&A, strategy, or economic/market analysis roles.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office products. Proficiency in financial quantitative software applications desirable.

• Experience in manufacturing, chemicals, building products, or other industrial sectors preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, as the role is primarily based in an office setting (e.g., Westlake Corporate offices in Houston). Some travel may be required for investor conferences, roadshows, plant/site tours with investors and internal meetings. Travel is typically up to 15-25%, including domestic and international air and automobile travel.

Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.