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Director, Finance R&D 

The Finance organization at SharkNinja is a strategic partner that enables innovation, accelerates growth, and drives outstanding business performance. Working closely with Product Development, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and Commercial teams, Finance provides the insights and financial leadership that enable SharkNinja to deliver disruptive, consumer-first innovation. 

As the Director, Finance R&D, you will serve as the senior finance partner to the global Research & Development organization, providing financial leadership across SharkNinja's innovation portfolio. You will influence strategic investment decisions, support portfolio prioritization, and ensure that R&D investments maximize long-term value while maintaining financial discipline. 

The R&D organization is responsible for creating the next generation of Shark and Ninja products that positively impact people's lives every day in every home around the world. As Finance Director, you will partner with cross-functional leaders to balance innovation, speed, cost, and profitability while supporting SharkNinja's ambitious growth agenda. 

Success in this role requires someone who is Rarely Satisfied, consistently looking for better ways to analyze, prioritize, and optimize investments. You must excel at Communicating for Impact, translating complex financial information into clear recommendations for executive leadership, while embracing the Outrageously Extraordinary mindset through innovation, confidence, urgency, and a relentless drive for edge.  

Responsibilities 

• Serve as the Finance Business Partner for the global R&D organization, supporting executive leadership on financial strategy and investment decisions.  

• Lead annual operating plans, long-range planning, quarterly forecasts, and monthly financial reviews for the R&D organization.  

• Partner with Product Development, Engineering, Product Excellence, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Program Management teams to evaluate investment opportunities and new product initiatives.  

• Develop robust financial models supporting innovation investments, product business cases, technology development, and commercialization initiatives.  

• Drive portfolio prioritization by evaluating financial returns, strategic alignment, and resource allocation across multiple innovation programs.  

• Partner with Product Costing and Supply Chain Finance to establish product cost targets, identify value engineering opportunities, and improve profitability.  

• Deliver executive-level financial analyses and recommendations that influence strategic decision-making.  

• Monitor R&D spending, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions to ensure financial objectives are achieved.  

• Develop dashboards and KPIs that improve visibility into R&D investment effectiveness and portfolio performance.  

• Lead financial support for executive product reviews, innovation governance, and commercialization milestones.  

• Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, automate reporting, and simplify financial analysis.  

• Build strong cross-functional relationships while challenging assumptions through data-driven insights.  

• Lead and develop members of the Finance team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.  

Skills Required 

Education & Experience 

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

• MBA, CPA, or CMA preferred.  

• 8-10 years of progressive Finance experience, including business partnering with Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain organizations.  

• Previous experience supporting R&D, Product Development, or Innovation organizations within a consumer products or manufacturing environment preferred.  

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing high-performing finance professionals.  

• Experience working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, matrixed global organization.  

• Proficiency and demonstrated expertise with AI tools and applications is required; hands-on experience building AI agents is strongly preferred. 

Technical Skills 

• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)  

• Budgeting and Forecasting  

• Strategic Financial Modeling  

• Product Costing  

• Capital Investment Analysis  

• Portfolio Prioritization  

• Commercial Finance  

• Executive Financial Presentations  

• Financial KPI Development  

• Business Case Development  

• Variance Analysis  

• Cost Optimization  

• AI-Driven Analysis & Automation 

Preferred Tools & Technologies 

• Oracle ERP  

• Hyperion, Anaplan, or Adaptive Planning  

• Power BI, Tableau, or Domo  

• Microsoft Excel (Advanced)  

• Microsoft PowerPoint  

• Power Query and financial reporting tools  

• SAP experience is beneficial  

Leadership Competencies 

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial and financial acumen.  

• Consumer-first mindset with the ability to balance innovation and financial performance.  

• Demonstrates Rarely Satisfied by continuously improving processes and challenging conventional thinking.  

• Excellent at Communicating for Impact, simplifying complex financial concepts for diverse audiences.  

• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and believes Winning is a Team Sport.  

• Operates with urgency while maintaining high-quality decision-making.  

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and leading through change.  

• Strong coaching and talent development skills aligned with Director-level expectations.