Sr Director, IT Financial Planning & Analysis

Panera Bread; St. Louis (MO); Hybrid; USD 189,000 - 227,000; Full time

Job summary

Panera Bread seeks a Sr Director of IT Financial Planning & Analysis to lead the IT PMO governance, budgeting, forecasting, and contract management. This executive role aligns technology investments with business strategy and drives transparency across IT, Finance, Procurement, and leadership.

The candidate will oversee portfolio planning, vendor negotiations, and investment prioritization, delivering ROI analyses and long-range tech spending plans, while building high-performing teams at the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT/Business/Finance/Engineering or related field.
• 20+ years of progressive IT PMO leadership, Finance, IT business operations, technology finance, vendor management, or related disciplines.
• 10+ years of leadership experience managing enterprise portfolios, PMOs, financial management functions, or business operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise IT project management planning, governance, prioritization, and investment management activities.
• Own IT operating and capital budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance reporting processes.
• Serve as the strategic liaison between IT and Finance, translating technology initiatives into business and financial outcomes.
• Develop business cases, ROI analyses, investment recommendations, and long-range technology spending plans.
• Lead strategic vendor management, contract negotiations, supplier governance, and performance management programs.
• Provide executive-level reporting on portfolio health, resource utilization, budgets, risks, and value realization.

Skills

IT PMO leadership

Finance integration

Vendor management

Portfolio budgeting & forecasting

Executive stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/Business/Finance/Engineering

Master’s degree (MBA or related)

Professional certifications (PMP, PfMP, ITIL, TBM, CPA, CMA)

Job description

Sr Director, IT Financial Planning & Analysis

Position Summary

The Senior Director, IT Project Management Office, IT Finance & Contract Management leads enterprise technology business initiative governance, the Project Management Office, IT financial management, and contract management. This role serves as the primary liaison between IT, Finance, and business leadership, ensuring technology investments align with strategic priorities, financial objectives, and measurable business outcomes. The position provides executive oversight of project management planning, budgeting, forecasting, contract management, resource planning, and investment prioritization while driving transparency, accountability, and operational excellence across the technology organization.

Location: St. Louis, MO (hybrid)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise IT project management planning, governance, prioritization, and investment management activities.
• Own IT operating and capital budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance reporting processes.
• Serve as the strategic liaison between IT and Finance, translating technology initiatives into business and financial outcomes.
• Develop business cases, ROI analyses, investment recommendations, and long-range technology spending plans.
• Lead strategic vendor management, contract negotiations, supplier governance, and performance management programs.
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to optimize technology spend, manage renewals, and improve vendor performance.
• Provide executive-level reporting on portfolio health, resource utilization, budgets, risks, and value realization.
• Facilitate governance committees and executive reviews that support investment and prioritization decisions.
• Lead enterprise IT capacity planning and resource allocation activities.
• Drive continuous improvement of PMO, governance, financial management, and vendor management practices.

Leadership Expectations

• Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on technology investments and business operations.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration across IT, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and business teams.
• Build a culture of accountability, transparency, and data-driven decision making.
• Develop and mentor high-performing teams while advancing organizational capability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or related field.
• 20+ years of progressive experience in IT PMO leadership, Finance, IT business operations, technology finance, vendor management, or related disciplines.
• 10+ years of leadership experience managing enterprise portfolios, PMOs, financial management functions, or business operations teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing technology budgets, investment portfolios, and strategic initiatives.
• Experience partnering with Finance, Procurement, and executive business leaders.
• Strong knowledge of portfolio management, budgeting, forecasting, governance frameworks, and vendor management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MBA or related discipline).
• Experience leading IT Business Operations, Technology Finance, or Enterprise Portfolio Management functions.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, PfMP, ITIL, TBM, CPA, CMA, or equivalent.
• Experience negotiating enterprise technology, software, cloud, and managed services agreements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans

Competitive Pay $188,838 - $226,606 annually

The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

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