Financial director Jobs in Chicago, IL

Job Title

Director of FP&A

Job Description

The Director of FP&A reports to the VP of FP&A and provides strategic financial leadership for a portfolio of agencies within the Creative & Health Pillars. This role leads a team of approximately 15 finance professionals through 2-3 Associate Director and Manager direct reports and is responsible for ensuring the consistent delivery of forecasting, budgeting, reporting, workforce planning, and financial analysis across supported agencies.

Working closely with Agency CFOs, Finance Directors, and senior leadership, the Director will drive forecasting governance, process consistency, and adoption of FP&A tools and best practices while developing talent and ensuring the team delivers timely, accurate, and actionable financial insights.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary FP&A partner to Agency CFOs and Finance Directors, providing proactive financial insights, scenario analysis, and recommendations to support strategic business decisions, organizational changes, and growth initiatives.

Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing FP&A team while building organizational capabilities in financial planning, analysis, business partnership, and strategic decision support.

Lead the FP&A team responsible for monthly forecasts, annual budgets, long-range plans, management reporting, and financial analysis across supported agencies, while translating results into clear risks, opportunities, and strategic recommendations for agency leadership and executive stakeholders.

Ensure the team delivers accurate and disciplined bottom-up forecasting, including personnel planning, workforce needs, open positions, hiring plans, terminations, attrition assumptions, compensation costs, and related staffing investments.

Oversee planning and forecasting activities related to operating expenses, overhead costs, intercompany allocations, management fees, recharges, vendor costs, and departmental spending.

Drive consistency across agencies by establishing and enforcing common forecasting methodologies, planning assumptions, reporting standards, and financial processes.

Ensure the timely delivery of monthly close analysis, headcount reporting, short-term revenue forecasting, performance reporting, and executive-level results packages.

Monitor agency performance across key financial and operational metrics, including revenue growth, headcount, staff costs, utilization, overhead, profitability, margin, and Trade Working Capital, ensuring appropriate follow-up on material variances, risks, and opportunities.

Oversee client profitability reporting, workforce analytics, and other financial analyses that support improved business performance and decision-making.

Partner with Accounting, Business Intelligence, Finance Systems, and agency finance teams to improve reporting quality, streamline processes, and enhance data-driven decision-making.

Lead finance transformation initiatives across systems, planning platforms, advanced analytics, automation, AI, and digital tools to improve forecasting accuracy, productivity, decision-making, reporting capabilities, and operating effectiveness.

Identify opportunities to standardize, simplify, automate, and continuously improve FP&A processes across the organization.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.

10+ years of progressive FP&A or finance experience; advertising industry experience preferred.

Experience leading managers and teams in a multi-agency, multi-business unit, or complex organizational environment.

Strong knowledge of forecasting, budgeting, workforce planning, financial reporting, and performance management.

Demonstrated ability to build strong partnerships with senior finance and business leaders.

Experience driving process improvements, standardization initiatives, and systems enhancements.

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required.

Hyperion (HFM) experience required.

SAP, Pigment, Power BI, or similar planning and reporting tools experience preferred.

Strong communication, leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence decision-making at all levels of the organization.

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto "Viva La Diffrence" means we're better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMTTACompliance@publicis.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $121,315.00 - USD $194,220.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.