Finance Director, Robotics & Automation at Novanta Inc. in Apex, NC

Job description

• This position leads finance for Novanta’s Robotics and Automation business unit with two product portfolios, ATI and Celera Motion. Robotics and Automation operate globally, with manufacturing and R&D happening in six countries.
• ATI provides robotic end-effectors such as tool changers, sensors, and automation accessories that enhance the flexibility and productivity of industrial robots. Celera Motion delivers precision motion control components—like encoders, motors, and servo drives—used in advanced medical, robotics, and industrial automation applications.
• Our company excels in collaborating with our OEM partners to engineer products from the largest engineering solution to the smallest component.

Responsibilities

• The role is responsible for providing financial, analytical, and decision support for the Robotics and Automation business unit within Novanta’s Automation & Enabling Technology business segment. In addition, this role will support the financial reporting activities of the Apex site. This finance role reports directly to the VP Finance R&A. This is a “business partner” role, in which the individual is expected to lead the business analysis, forecasting, and planning processes, and partner with the BU leadership team to make better business decisions through provided insights and information. The candidate must be a “hand’s on” leader who enjoys challenges and thrives in a demanding environment.
• Lead the monthly & quarterly financial analysis process, which includes detailed analysis of the P&L and Balance Sheet to gain specific insights and make recommendations for business improvements.
• Develop and lead the monthly & quarterly financial forecasting and planning process to predict operating results, coordinate forecasting processes across the global business, define deliverables, and help drive better business outcomes.
• Coordinate with cross-functional leaders to support internal reporting & management discussion and analysis of the financial and operating performance.
• Lead annual budgeting processes including developing financial targets, key metrics, multi-year financial projections, and alignment of financial and operational objectives.
• Support and manage strategic development planning processes.
• Provide analysis of new business opportunities, customer pricing, new product development, manufacturing strategy, acquisitions modeling, and due diligence efforts.
• Proactively identify process improvements, cost efficiency initiatives, while helping to drive stronger ownership over the businesses' productivity programs to drive better financial outcomes.
• Ensure that the business is run in a cost effective, cash-conscious manner, with an emphasis on maximizing economic returns on investments and cash on cash returns.
• Further advance initiatives to streamline and standardize financial processes across the organization, ensuring consistency and efficiency in operations.
• Develop and implement best practices for financial planning and analysis, including the creation of standardized templates and procedures.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify areas for process improvement and drive continuous improvement efforts.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of Power BI dashboards and reports to provide real-time insights into financial performance and key metrics.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of data used in Power BI reports, working closely with the IT and data teams to manage data sources and integrations.
• Assist in special projects as needed.
• Provide proactive financial guidance to functional leaders: Advise business and functional leaders on the financial impact of operational decisions, ensuring alignment with financial commitments and strategic objectives.
• Deliver clear reasoning for commercial decisions: Support and explain business decisions related to pricing, gross margin, and profitability, ensuring recommendations are grounded in robust financial analysis.
• Design and implement new reporting processes: Identify gaps in existing financial reporting and create new processes and reports to deliver actionable insights for business leaders.
• Champion problem-solving in low process maturity environments: Apply a structured problem-solving toolkit to navigate ambiguity and drive improvements in areas with limited established processes.
• Influence and support commercial change: Actively support and influence change initiatives within the commercial organization, driving results through effective collaboration and financial leadership.
• Collaborate on headcount and resource planning: Work closely with HR and business leaders to ensure open headcount and resource planning aligns with financial forecasts and business needs.

Requirements

• BS degree in Finance or Accounting
• 10+ years progressive experience in financial planning and analysis; industrial manufacturing experience required
• Demonstrated success in building finance functions, leading cross-functional teams, and driving operational excellence.
• Exceptional financial, analytical, and modeling skills
• Proven management abilities in the areas of performance management, leadership influence and executive engagement
• Demonstrated success in process improvement initiatives, including problem identification & mitigation
• Advanced MS Excel required; Hyperion/HFM, and Oracle/SAP preferred
• Self-starter with the demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced unstructured atmosphere with minimal supervision
• Strong business partnering and influencing skills: Demonstrated ability to guide and influence cross-functional leaders, especially in commercial and operational functions, to achieve financial and strategic goals.
• Advanced problem-solving capabilities: Proven experience applying structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis) in environments with low process maturity.
• Process creation and improvement: Track record of designing and implementing new financial processes and reporting tools from the ground up.
• Change management expertise: Adept at supporting and driving organizational change, particularly within commercial teams, to deliver measurable business results.
• Exceptional collaboration skills: Ability to work effectively across functions, including HR, operations, and commercial teams, to support headcount planning and resource allocation.

Skills

Required

• Advanced MS Excel
• Financial modeling
• Analytical skills
• Process creation and improvement
• Change management
• Collaboration
• Business partnering and influencing
• Leadership
• Performance management

Preferred

• Hyperion/HFM
• Oracle/SAP