Director, Financial Planning

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Discount

401(k) with Company Match

Health Benefits

Job summary

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. seeks a Director of Financial Planning & Analysis to lead strategic finance initiatives, develop financial plans, and align them with the company's growth objectives.

In this senior role, you will own the enterprise planning process, deliver board-ready reporting, and partner with executive leadership to translate performance into actionable insights. Candidates with 10+ years FP&A, MBA preferred, and a track record in retail or multi-site environments

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a finance leader.
• Experience operating in a multi-site retail environment preferred.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution and operational detail.
• Exceptional influencing skills — able to drive alignment, shape decisions, and lead change at the executive level and across the broader organization.
• Proven ability to create, implement and maintain best-in-class processes, systems and structure.
• Strong change management capabilities with a history of transforming functions and building organizations from tactical to strategic.
• Outstanding financial modeling, analytical, and problem-solving skills; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with financial planning systems or data visualization tools (e.g., Hyperion, Essbase, IBM Planning Analytics, Power BI, or similar).

Responsibilities

• Own the enterprise-wide planning process, setting the standard for how the organization forecasts, budgets, and reports.
• Lead the monthly financial performance review, synthesizing results to deliver meaningful commentary and strategic insight.
• Translate financial performance into actionable guidance, delivering analysis that connects P&L results, capital deployment, and business initiatives to growth objectives.
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the executive committee, surfacing risks, opportunities, and recommendations through board packages and executive reporting.
• Drive cross-functional financial partnership, collaborating with business leaders to embed financial rigor into operations.
• Govern the capital planning and approval process, ensuring ROI modeling is in place to assess key initiatives.
• Spearhead the evaluation and implementation of a new FP&A platform, leading adoption across the finance team.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Executive communication

Change management

Team leadership

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics

MBA

Tools

Hyperion

Essbase

IBM Planning Analytics

Power BI

Job description

As a Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, you will be a strategic finance leader responsible for developing and implementing financial plans that support the company's short- and long-term goals.

Key Areas of Responsibilities

• Own the enterprise-wide planning process, setting the standard for how the organization forecasts, budgets, and reports — establishing a cadence that is proactive, consistent, and decision-ready.
• Lead the monthly financial performance review, synthesizing results to deliver meaningful commentary and strategic insight that informs leadership decision-making.
• Translate financial performance into actionable guidance, delivering analysis that connects P&L results, capital deployment, and business initiatives to the Company’s growth objectives.
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the executive committee, proactively surfacing risks, opportunities, and recommendations through high‑quality board packages, scorecards, and executive reporting.
• Drive cross‑functional financial partnership, collaborating with business and functional leaders to embed financial rigor into operational strategies and organizational initiatives.
• Govern the capital planning and approval process, ensuring a rigorous investment evaluation framework — including ROI modeling — is in place to assess key initiatives and hold the business accountable to deliver shareholder value.
• Spearhead the evaluation and implementation of a new financial planning and reporting platform, leading adoption across the finance team to streamline, modernize, and elevate the Company’s planning and management reporting capabilities.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of finance professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and excellence.
• Set clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching, and create meaningful development opportunities for all direct and indirect reports.
• Champion a data‑driven, ownership‑oriented culture.

Position Requirements

• Proven track record as a finance leader with demonstrated success leading a high performing FP&A function.
• Experience operating in a multi‑site retail environment is strongly preferred.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance long‑term vision with day‑to‑day execution and operational detail.
• Exceptional influencing skills — able to drive alignment, shape decisions, and lead change at the executive level and across the broader organization.
• Proven ability to create, implement and maintain best‑in‑class processes, systems and structure.
• Strong change management capabilities with a history of transforming functions and building organizations from tactical to strategic.
• Outstanding financial modeling, analytical, and problem‑solving skills; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with financial planning systems or data visualization tools (e.g., Hyperion, Essbase, IBM Planning Analytics, Power BI, or similar).
• Clear, articulate communication style; someone that can make complex things simple and is able to synthesize information quickly.
• Ability to thrive under pressure in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Demonstrates a growth mindset — actively seeks feedback, adapts to change, and fosters the same in others.
• A strong team leader who acts as a player/manager. Possesses the ability to recruit, retain and motivate a high‑performance team, and hold them to account.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or other quantitative discipline.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in financial planning & analysis, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• MBA strongly preferred.

Benefits

An employee in this position can expect a starting rate of $175,000 - $225,000 per year depending on experience, seniority, geographic locations, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits for those who are scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week include Employee Discount, EAP and Sick Pay. For those scheduled to work between 20 and 29.99 hours benefits include Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, Transit and 401(k) with Company Match. For those scheduled to work 30 hours or more benefits include Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, 401(k) with Company Match, Comprehensive Health Benefits (Medical, Dental and Vision), Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, Healthcare Spending Account, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Transit, and Tuition Reimbursement. All benefits provided are in accordance with the terms of the current plan and may be subject to future change. Benefit may vary depending on location/state regulations. More information can be received by the recruiter or Human Resources.