Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis (Business Controller)

Title: Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis 

Department: Finance 

Reports To: CFO  

Supervisory Position: Yes 

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Employment Type: Full Time 

Location: Lawrence, MA (Boston Area), with some remote flexibility, 3 days in office 

Are You Ready to Make an Immediate Impact?  

As part of the Babilou Family network, Little Sprouts and our sister brands are scaling rapidly and evolving into a data-driven, financially disciplined organization. The Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis plays a critical leadership role in strengthening the company’s financial infrastructure, ensuring the integrity of all financial data, and building a best-in-class business controlling function that is forward looking with an eye towards accurate and timely financial results and KPI development that will help guide the business.  

This leader oversees the FP&A Department, in collaboration with the CFO and executive team, the Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis will elevate financial processes, manage budget planning and reporting, develop and oversee performance reports and action plans, evaluate team capabilities, and ensure the quality of insights are driving key decisions within the organization.  

Our work is guided by our educational approach, Sustainable Education®, which bridges research and daily practice to help children thrive and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. We’re in what we like to call the science of children. Everything we do is rooted in research about how young minds grow—how they learn, connect, and build the skills that last a lifetime. We also lead our HONOR values: Humility, Open-Mindedness, Nurture, Ownership, and Recognition. This guiding framework fosters an environment where educators, children, families, and partners feel valued, empowered, and inspired to grow.  

What We Will Achieve Together:

Planning & Forecasting. Deliver accurate, timely, and transparent financial performance management data across all brands. 

Performance Analysis. Build a scalable, well-controlled planning and analysis environment with strong processes, documented policies, and clear performance metrics. 

Cash Stewardship. Improve cash visibility, forecasting accuracy, and liquidity management across all entities. 

Leadership & Team Development. Develop a high-performing FP&A team with clear accountability, growth pathways, and a culture of excellence. 

Systems & Process Optimization. Strengthen the integration and efficiency of all data across different platforms and reporting tools to reduce manual work and increase accuracy. 

What you’ll do:

• Lead the annual budgeting process and forecasts. 

• Consolidate business plans (with financial controller) and challenge assumptions. 

• Align financial forecasts with strategic goals, department heads and executive leadership. 

• Build bottom-up budgets from center assumptions 

• Run rolling forecasts based on:  

• Enrollment trends 

• Staffing changes 

• Consolidate into corporate view for lenders / PE / board 

• Analyze financial results and KPIs (margin, cost, profitability, productivity). 

• Identify performance gaps. 

• Track impacts of corrective actions deployed vs targets. 

• Support monthly business reviews and quarterly performance (shareholders & bank reports). 

• Build center-level models for:  

• Enrollment ramp / attrition 

• Waitlist conversion 

• Tuition pricing changes 

• Analyze capacity utilization % by classroom / age group 

• Partner with ops on underperforming centers 

• Model teacher-to-child ratios (EEC compliance driven) 

• Forecast labor using:  

• Staffing grids by classroom 

• Wage inflation / retention pressure 

• Identify:  

• Overtime leakage 

• Under/over staffing by center 

• Own monthly P&Ls at site level (often 20–100+ locations) 

• Drive visibility into:  

• Contribution margin by center 

• Fixed vs variable cost structure 

• Flag:  

• Centers below breakeven 

• Margin compression trends 

• Own cash flow forecasting, liquidity planning, and treasury partnerships. 

• Optimize cash management, banking relationships, and capital structure in collaboration with the CFO. 

• Strengthen the integration and utilization of Microsoft D365, Procare, payroll platforms, and reporting tools. 

• Identify automation opportunities and reduce manual accounting work. 

• Ensure documentation of policies, procedures, and internal controls (SOPs). 

• Develop (or finetune existing) KPIs & dashboards to track then analyze business performance. 

• Drive standardization and harmonization of management reporting / dashboards across Babilou. 

• Translate financial results into actionable insights for executives then track impacts vs expected target. 

• Present performance updates to the COMEX. 

• Collaborate with business units and regional controllers (including Working cap monitoring) 

• Provide guidance on cost control, growth initiatives, and operational efficiency. 

• Link strategic goals with financial performance metrics. 

• Lead, mentor, and develop team members. 

• Holds authority and significant influence in employment‑related decisions, such as hiring, performance evaluation, disciplinary action, team restructuring, promotions, and succession planning across the FP&A department. 

• Build succession plans, training programs, and coaching frameworks. 

• Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, continuous improvement, and service to Operations. 

• Enhance forecasting accuracy, profitability analysis, and decision tools. 

• Develop and maintain BI system and planning processes. 

Required & Preferred Qualifications:

•  BS/BA in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA or CPA/CFA a plus. 

• 8 -10+ years of progressive FP&A experience, ideally in a multi‑site or service‑based business and prior team leadership or supervisory experience (2-4+ years). 

• Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills. 

• Experience with MS Dynamics 365, SQL, BI tools, or similar systems preferred. 

• Proven ability to partner with senior leaders and influence decision‑making. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment. 

• Demonstrated success improving financial processes, reporting, and systems. 

• High emotional intelligence, professionalism, and sound judgment. 

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Can work at least a full-time, 40-hour a week schedule, sometimes off-hours as the business requires (i.e., deadlines, networking events, conferences, business dinners, etc.). 

• Can sit for long periods of time at a computer in a primarily sedentary position; manual dexterity required to use desktop computer and peripherals. 

• Limited travel may be required (less than 10% of time), valid passport required. 

Legal Notice 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value a workplace where everyone feels welcome. Employment here is offered on an at‑will basis, meaning either the employee or the company may end the relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable state and federal laws. 

Benefits:

• Health benefits are available upon start date.
• Free Subscription to First Stop Health; receive ongoing care from doctors and prescribers through easy telehealth services.
• Up to 75% discount on your child's tuition (Option for the initial $5,000 of tuition to be taken out of your paycheck before taxes through payroll deductions.)
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, and pet insurance.
• 401k with company match.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Career advancement and coaching.
• Additional Paid Time off and Holidays.
• Referral Program.

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