Finance Manager

Job Title: Finance Manager
Duration: 12-Month (Potential extension based on business need)
Work Model: Hybrid (3 days onsite: Tue / Wed / Thu; 2 days remote: Mon / Fri)
Location: North Chicago, IL 60064
 
Position Overview:
The Finance Manager, Procurement, is an individual contributor role responsible for managing end-to-end financial planning and analysis (FP&A) along with core operational accounting for two Vice President-led Procurement organizations.
This role manages processes rather than people. The ideal candidate will take full ownership of planning cycles, business partnering, and hands-on accounting tasks—including journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, and accruals—while translating complex financial data into business-driven narratives for executive leadership.
 
Key Responsibilities:

• FP&A Cycles & Planning: Lead and execute all phases of the Annual Plan, Long-Range Plan (LRP), and Latest Business Estimates (LBE), encompassing P&L, balance sheet, headcount planning, and procurement-specific metrics.
• Hands-on Accounting & Month-End Close: Actively perform month-end close execution in coordination with Accounting Shared Services, including booking manual journal entries, calculating and posting accruals, reconciling balance sheet accounts, and reviewing purchase order commitments and invoices.
• Executive Business Partnering: Serve as the dedicated finance partner for two Procurement VPs and their leadership teams (Directors). Facilitate weekly cost reviews, identify budget risks/opportunities, resolve variance gaps, and connect financial figures to operational initiatives.
• Reporting & Dashboards: Design, maintain, and present executive reporting packages and interactive dashboards utilizing Power BI and Power Query to deliver clear insights to non-finance stakeholders.
• Systems Maintenance & Data Integrity: Maintain planning systems (SAP and BPC) with up-to-date assumptions, allocations, and compliance standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify process automation opportunities, optimize existing reporting models, and support exploration of modern data automation and AI use cases.

 
Candidate Profile & Requirements:
Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline with strong applied accounting knowledge. CPA or MBA is strongly preferred.
• Experience Level: 7+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience with a Bachelor’s degree, OR ~5+ years of relevant experience with a Master’s degree / MBA.
• Hands-On Mindset: Must be actively executing day-to-day modeling, reconciliations, and journal entries. Candidates whose recent background has been strictly supervisory or delegative will not be a fit.
• Transferable Domain Experience: Direct Procurement finance experience is not required. Prior experience supporting large corporate functions—such as Supply Chain, Operations, R&D, or Corporate Shared Services—is fully transferable.
• Industry Background: Open to all corporate industries; Pharma/Biotech experience is a plus, not a requirement.

 
Technical Skills:

• Accounting Expertise: Strong working knowledge of US GAAP, journal entry posting, balance sheet reconciliation, and accrual accounting.
• Systems & Tools: Proficiency in SAP and SAP BPC (or equivalent enterprise planning tools).
• Reporting & Analytics: Advanced/Heavy Microsoft Excel skills, alongside proven hands-on experience using Power Query and Power BI.
• Modern Tools: Exposure to finance automation workflows or AI use cases is an advantage.

 
Soft Skills & Business Acumen

• High emotional intelligence and strong executive presence to challenge, influence, and advise VP- and Director-level partners who do not have a finance background.
• Collaborative mindset to work in shared financial models alongside peer finance managers.
• Strong self-direction, organizational agility, and capacity to handle multiple planning deadlines simultaneously.

 
Key Information for Candidates

• Direct Reports: None (Process ownership role).
• Interview Structure: Approximately 3 rounds, including functional leadership, team management, and stakeholder interviews with supported business leaders (VPs/Directors).

 

At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position's pay range is $55.00/hr – $60.00/hr.