Sr. Finance Manager - Innovation - Chicago, IL

Company: Wells Enterprises (a Ferrero Company)

Functional Area: Finance

The Role

The Senior Manager, Innovation Finance serves as the financial lead for the innovation portfolio, guiding commercial investment decisions from concept through commercialization. The role combines financial analysis, governance, cross-functional partnership, and long-range planning to support profitable growth while balancing risk, resource constraints, and long-term value creation

What You’ll Do

• Lead financial evaluation of the innovation pipeline from concept through commercialization, presenting analysis and recommendations to senior management and internal stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain innovation P&Ls, business cases, and investment recommendations.
• Assess profitability, margin structure, volume assumptions, and return on investment for new products.
• Partner with Marketing, Innovation, Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, RGM, and Commercial teams to ensure financial considerations are incorporated early in the development process.
• Establish financial criteria and decision frameworks for innovation prioritization.
• Facilitate financial alignment across stakeholders and ensure transparency of key assumptions.
• Support stage-gate reviews and executive decision-making processes.
• Identify risks, sensitivities, and key assumptions impacting innovation outcomes.
• Provide recommendations on portfolio trade-offs and resource allocation.
• Drive high-performance culture by providing guidance, direction and developmental leadership to direct reports.
• Demonstrate curiosity and critical thinking by asking probing questions, challenging conventional assumptions, and exploring alternative perspectives to drive sound financial decisions.
• Make thoughtful, timely recommendations using available information while recognizing risks, uncertainties, and the need for further analysis.
• Champion change management behaviors and influence business partners.

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What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA or CPA preferred
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Finance, ideally in CPG or brand-focused roles
• Strong analytical skills with deep understanding of P&L management
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills; experience with Oracle EPM, Hyperion, or similar systems a plus

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Direct Reports: Yes

• Reports to: Senior Director, Commercial Finance

The base pay range for this position is $142,636 to $171,336 annually.  Actual compensation will be determined based on location, experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law.  This pay range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time.

Wells Enterprises is an EEO/AA employer M/F/Vet/Dis