Senior Director, Finance

Northwestern Mutual; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 176,000 - 264,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual is seeking a Senior Director of Finance to partner with technology and business leadership, driving strategic financial performance and investment governance across a large technology organization.

The role focuses on planning, forecasting, and building investment strategies, delivering actionable insights, and guiding executive-level decisions to optimize value and organizational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related business area; MBA or CPA preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and manage large teams.
• Strong modeling, forecasting, planning, and investment analysis skills.
• Excellent communication and executive storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary finance partner to senior technology executives.
• Translate complex concepts into actionable insights for executives.
• Lead annual planning, forecasting, and long-range planning cycles.
• Develop multi-year investment strategies aligned to enterprise goals.
• Drive ROI analysis, business case development, and value realization.
• Lead cost management while balancing growth, innovation, and operational objectives.
• Prepare board-quality materials and executive communications.
• Build and mentor high-performing finance teams.

Skills

Financial Analysis

Business Influence

Strategic Vision & Planning

Storytelling through Data

Talent Development & Planning

Analytical thinking

Cross Functional Planning & Partnering

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

MBA or CPA preferred

Job description

Summary

Summary The Senior Director is a strategic finance and business leader responsible for driving financial performance, operational excellence, workforce planning, investment governance, and business decision support across a large technology organization. This role serves as a trusted partner to technology, business, and finance leaders, helping shape strategy, optimize investments, improve organizational effectiveness, and deliver business value. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in technology finance and operational management with exceptional leadership, influence, and change management capabilities. Success in this role requires the ability to operate effectively in complex and ambiguous environments, balance strategic thinking with operational execution, and lead high-performing teams through transformation and growth.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary finance partner to senior technology executives, providing strategic counsel on business priorities, investment decisions, organizational design, operating model evolution, and technology strategy.
• Translate complex financial, operational, and technology concepts into actionable business insights for executive audiences.
• Lead annual planning, forecasting, long-range planning, and quarterly business review processes across large technology portfolios.
• Partner with senior leaders to develop multi-year investment strategies aligned to enterprise objectives.
• Drive portfolio prioritization, business case development, ROI analysis, and value realization measurement.
• Identify risks, opportunities, and strategic tradeoffs while providing actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Establish financial targets, performance metrics, and accountability mechanisms aligned to enterprise objectives.
• Translate complex technology and financial concepts into executive-level business discussions.
• Partner with business leaders to improve financial discipline, accountability, and operational efficiency.
• Lead cost management initiatives while balancing investment, growth, innovation, and operational objectives.
• Prepare board-quality materials, executive presentations, strategic recommendations, and leadership communications.
• Build, lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams of finance professionals.
• Coach and mentor future leaders while building organizational capability and succession strength.
• Foster a culture focused on business partnership, critical thinking, continuous learning, and operational maintenance.
• Lead teams through change while maintaining high levels of performance and engagement.
• Represent Finance in executive steering committees, governance forums, investment reviews, and transformation initiatives.

Qualifications

Bachelors degree in accounting, finance, or other business required Masters of Business Administration (MBA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in positions with increasing financial management responsibilities Exceptional people leadership experience managing teams and influencing executive stakeholders. Intellectual agility, analytical and problem-solving abilities and well-developed presentation skills. Ability to develop rapport and maintain effective relationships throughout the Company and influence decision making without authority Demonstrated success partnering with senior leaders and executive leadership teams. Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, strategic planning, and investment analysis. Strong business acumen with an ability to understand and synthesize company-wide results. Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive outcomes across cross-functional organizations. Experience leading large-scale transformation, organizational change, or operational improvement iniatives. Demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles and lead through change. Exceptional communication, storytelling, and executive skills.

Skills

• Financial Analysis: Analyzes balance sheet and income statement accounts to ensure accuracy, utilizes operational indicators, and actuarial information for comprehensive analysis. Interprets financial statements, draws conclusions, makes financial recommendations related to NM's products and services.
• Business Influence: Collaborates, communicates and influences direct reports, stakeholders, and other business functions based on understanding of the marketplace, organizational needs, and the client as a people manager.
• Strategic Vision & Planning: Develops, defines, and executes strategic vision for the team and business function they manage with an understanding of the enterprise’s goals as a people manager; defines business planning, strategy formulation, and management engine to support strategic vision.
• Storytelling through Data: Communicates insights and opportunities from a dataset, using narratives, visualizations, and analysis.
• Talent Development & Planning: Develops direct reports’ skills based on organizational objectives, evaluates skill gaps, and manages succession planning to develop more capable direct reports, diverse, strong teams and better organizational performance in an equitable and inclusive manner.
• Analytical thinking: Organizes and compares various aspects of a situation to comprehend and identify key or underlying complex issues through the use of quantitative data and analysis; leverages strong business acumen, problem solving, and interpersonal skills to think critically about situations from multiple perspectives and consistently seeks ways to improve processes.
• Cross Functional Planning & Partnering: Facilitates collaboration, communication, coordination, and planning with individuals and teams from different functions within the organization, and who have different areas of expertise, to achieve common goals.

Compensation

Compensation Range: Pay Range - Start: $176,000.00 Pay Range - End: $264,000.00 Geographic Specific Pay Structure: Structure 110: $193,600.00 USD - $290,400.00 USD Structure 115: $202,400.00 USD - $303,600.00 USD We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

At Northwestern Mutual, we believe relationships are built on trust. That our lives and our work matter. These beliefs launched our company over 160 years ago. Today, they’re just a few of the reasons why people choose to build careers at Northwestern Mutual. What started in Milwaukee, WI has grown into 7,000+ home office professionals split across 3 campuses: New York City, Franklin and downtown Milwaukee (HQ) - each one bringing with it its own unique talent and culture.

In a company with such a long and storied history, this may be the most exciting and important time to be a part of Northwestern Mutual as we are growing our digital and tech capabilities and are always on the lookout for bright, tech-savvy candidates.