Director of Financial Planning and Analysis

Premier Executive Search; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Premier Executive Search seeks a highly analytical Director of Corporate Accounting & FP&A to lead budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and management reporting for a multi-property real estate portfolio. Reporting to the SVP of Finance & Analytics, you will develop financial models, dashboards, and scalable processes to improve visibility and decision-making.

The ideal candidate has 8–12+ years in finance, strong accounting knowledge, and real estate experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 8–12+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience with FP&A or corporate accounting.
• Real estate, property management, or asset-intensive background preferred.
• CPA, MBA, or similar qualification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and reporting.
• Develop and maintain financial models, budgets, forecasts, and long-range plans.
• Prepare monthly management reporting packages for executives and owners.
• Build dashboards and KPIs to drive operational and financial decisions.
• Standardize reporting, improve cash flow forecasting, and enhance controls.
• Partner with operations and senior leadership to improve financial performance.

Skills

FP&A

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial modeling

Excel

Cash flow

Leadership

Analytics

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

Yardi Voyager

ERP systems

Job description

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid – 4 Days Onsite)

Reports To: Senior Vice President of Finance & Analytics

About Our Client

Our client is a growing, privately held real estate operating and management company specializing in residential and student housing properties across multiple markets.

The organization is backed by institutional investors and is undergoing an exciting transformation of its finance and accounting operations. As part of this initiative, the company is building a more sophisticated, scalable financial infrastructure with a focus on financial planning, cash management, reporting accuracy, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands‑on finance professional who enjoys building processes, partnering with operations, and making a meaningful impact on a growing organization.

Position Overview

Our client is seeking a highly analytical, commercially minded Director of Corporate Accounting & Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) to lead corporate accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and management reporting. Reporting directly to the SVP of Finance & Analytics, this individual will play a critical role in improving financial visibility, strengthening cash forecasting, and developing consistent financial planning and reporting processes across a multi-property real estate portfolio. The ideal candidate combines strong technical accounting knowledge with sophisticated FP&A capabilities and understands how to translate financial results into actionable business insights. This position requires someone who is both strategic and hands‑on—comfortable developing financial models, analyzing operating performance, improving systems, and working directly with senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the annual corporate operating budget process and coordinate property‑level operating and capital budgets across the portfolio.
• Develop and maintain detailed financial models, budgets, forecasts, and long‑range financial plans.
• Manage quarterly reforecasting processes and ensure forecasts reflect actual business performance and changing operating conditions.
• Prepare monthly budget‑to‑actual and prior‑year variance analyses, identifying key trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Partner with Property Operations and senior leadership to evaluate financial performance, occupancy trends, revenue, operating expenses, and profitability.
• Develop financial KPIs and dashboards to support better operational and strategic decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins, control expenses, and enhance financial performance.
• Oversee corporate‑level accounting activities, ensuring accurate recording and reporting of management company financial transactions.
• Support the preparation and analysis of corporate financial statements and management reporting packages.
• Partner with the Controller and property accounting teams to ensure reliable financial information and consistent reporting across entities.
• Oversee corporate expense allocations, intercompany charges, and shared‑service cost allocations.
• Help establish consistent accounting policies, financial procedures, and internal controls.
• Coordinate oversight of corporate tax filings, payroll‑related financial reporting, and outsourced service providers.

Treasury, Cash Management & Financial Controls

• Develop and maintain a rolling three‑month cash flow forecast to improve liquidity visibility and financial planning.
• Monitor cash balances, anticipated expenditures, operating cash requirements, and funding needs.
• Support treasury and banking activities, including cash management and cash flow reporting.
• Monitor debt service requirements, lender covenants, and financial compliance obligations.
• Prepare and coordinate lender reporting packages and related financial analyses.
• Identify potential liquidity or covenant issues early and communicate recommendations to senior finance leadership.

Management Reporting & Business Partnership

• Prepare monthly financial reporting packages for executive leadership, ownership, and other key stakeholders.
• Translate complex financial information into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Work closely with Operations, Property Management, and senior leadership to understand financial and operational performance.
• Evaluate property‑level performance, including occupancy, revenue, NOI, operating costs, and capital expenditures.
• Support business planning, financial analysis, and evaluation of operational improvement initiatives.
• Provide financial analysis to support investment decisions, cost‑saving initiatives, and strategic projects.

Systems, Process Improvement & Team Leadership

• Improve budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and cash management processes to support organizational growth.
• Partner with accounting and operations teams to enhance data integrity and financial reporting through Yardi and related systems.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual reporting, reduce spreadsheet dependencies, and improve financial accuracy.
• Develop standardized reporting templates, financial models, and management dashboards.
• Provide leadership and oversight to FP&A team members.
• Establish clear financial reporting deadlines, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Support the SVP of Finance & Analytics in building a high‑performing, scalable finance organization.

Qualifications

Required / Targeted Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Approximately 8–12+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including leadership responsibilities in FP&A, corporate finance, or corporate accounting.
• Strong background in financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling.
• Experience within real estate, property management, multifamily residential, student housing, hospitality, or a similarly asset‑intensive business; direct real estate experience strongly preferred.
• Solid understanding of corporate accounting, financial statements, GAAP, and management reporting.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing cash flow forecasts and analyzing liquidity requirements.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial results and provide meaningful business recommendations.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modeling capabilities.
• Experience partnering with operations and senior leadership to improve financial performance.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a growing, entrepreneurial environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA, MBA, or other relevant advanced professional qualification.
• Experience with Yardi Voyager or comparable real estate accounting and property management systems.
• Experience in a private equity‑backed or institutionally owned real estate organization.
• Knowledge of multi‑entity corporate structures, intercompany allocations, and property‑level financial reporting.
• Experience with lender reporting, debt covenant monitoring, and treasury management.
• Demonstrated success building or improving FP&A processes, reporting systems, and financial controls.
• Experience managing or mentoring finance professionals.
• Familiarity with financial reporting automation, business intelligence tools, and AI‑enabled analysis.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first year, the Director of Corporate Accounting & FP&A will be expected to:

• Standardize budgeting: Establish one coordinated annual operating and capital budget process across all properties, with reliable and defensible financial assumptions.
• Improve forecasting: Deliver quarterly reforecasts within 10 business days of quarter‑end.
• Strengthen financial visibility: Produce monthly variance analyses that explain material financial differences, identify root causes, and assign accountability.
• Establish cash forecasting: Maintain an accurate rolling three‑month cash forecast that identifies liquidity needs and potential covenant risks in advance.
• Improve reporting: Deliver consistent, accurate management reporting that helps leadership understand financial and operational performance.
• Build scalable processes: Reduce manual reporting, improve data integrity, and establish repeatable financial planning procedures.
• Partner with operations: Provide actionable financial insights that support occupancy, revenue, cost management, and property profitability.

Why Join Our Client?

• High‑Impact Leadership Role: Play a key role in building and transforming the finance function of a growing real estate platform.
• Executive Exposure: Work directly with the SVP of Finance & Analytics and collaborate with senior leadership.
• Opportunity to Build: Develop budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and reporting processes that will shape the company's future.
• Strategic and Operational Responsibility: Combine hands‑on financial analysis with meaningful business partnership.
• Growth Opportunity: Join an organization investing in stronger financial infrastructure, technology, and operational performance.