Retail Business Consultant

Benjamin Moore; Carol Stream (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading paint company is seeking a Retailer Business Consultant to strengthen and grow their independent retailer channel. The role involves performing financial analysis, conducting consultations, and developing training tools for retailers. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance and strong analytical skills. This position requires up to 60% travel, excellent communication abilities, and a collaborative mindset.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of financial and business analysis experience.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to master new applications and systems.
• Ability to travel up to 40-60%.

Responsibilities

• Perform financial and operational analysis for consulting projects.
• Conduct in-person consulting sessions with independent retailers.
• Assist retailers in developing business plans.

Skills

Financial statement analysis

Business acumen

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and/or Finance

Relevant certification or MBA

Tools

Excel

Microsoft Office applications

Job description

Overview

The Retailer Business Consultant will have the opportunity to gain broad experience and lead the effort to strengthen and help grow Benjamin Moore’s independent retailer channel. This individual will be a key resource in developing and presenting improvement and growth strategies to our retailers, as well as support market distribution plans.

The Retailer Business Consultant reports to the Senior Manager, Retailer Business Consulting, a part of the finance organization.

Responsibilities

• Perform financial and operational analysis for consulting projects with independent retailers.
• Conduct in-person consulting sessions with independent retail store owners.
• Review and analyze financial statements, including balance sheet, P&L and cash flow statements, income tax returns, and POS data.
• Build and utilize budget forecasting and cash flow models.
• Perform financial analysis against industry benchmarks to gauge current performance.
• Identify and quantify operational and financial improvement opportunities for independent retail stores.
• Identify retailer accounting procedure and control issues, formulate improvement plans, and communicate recommendations for implementation.
• Develop and facilitate retail business training, including:
  • Develop new training tools and modules
  • Function as trainer and presenter for both internal and external training programs
• Assist retailers in developing business plans by facilitating the planning process and developing key operating assumptions.
• Assist retailers with growth plans, providing guidance on all facets of the process from forecasting to measuring debt service manageability, including delivering on the requirements of BMC’s store growth programs (Branching-out Program and New Entrepreneur Program, as applicable).
• Assist retailers in all facets of financial management decision-making.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Accounting and/or Finance. Relevant certification or MBA preferred.
• Strong financial statement analysis skills.
• Minimum 4 years of financial and business analysis experience including budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, with proven ability to develop effective face-to-face business partner relationships at all levels.
• Prior experience providing financial support to senior leadership is a plus.
• Must be highly analytical with strong business acumen, critical thinking skills, financial modeling, keen attention to detail, accuracy, and ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines and goals.
• Strong technical aptitude, including competency in Excel and experience using other Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, etc.), and the ability to quickly master new applications and systems.
• Ability to work in a team-based continuous improvement environment.
• Knowledge of point-of-sale and small business accounting software packages.
• Ability to travel up to 40-60%.
• Strong customer focus dedicated to meeting expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to build trust and partnerships with peers.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects with the ability to prioritize and respond quickly to shifting priorities.
• Analytical mindset to investigate and resolve issues related to daily work by applying knowledge of policies, procedures, and internal processes.
• Drive for results to complete goals successfully.
• Commitment to the company’s ethics and values.
• Open and honest communication with colleagues and customers, with responsibility for the quality and confidentiality of work where applicable.
• Ability to adapt in a evolving environment and grasp new concepts quickly and accurately.
• Establishes and maintains strong business relationships by collaborating with customers and understanding their expectations.