Finance (General) — M5

FINANC1.FINANCEG17B2.M5

M5M5 — Senior Directorhigh0.80approvedglobalv1

Leads the FP&A and financial management function: financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, the Annual Operating Plan, month/quarter-end close, GAAP/SOX compliance, and cross-functional business partnership. Distinct from sibling Controllership (transactional accounting ownership) and Treasury/Tax focuses — this focus centers on planning, analysis, performance management, and the leadership of finance teams who translate financial data into business decisions.

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Level

M5 · M5 — Senior Director · 12–18 yrs

Function · Focus

Finance Leadership · Finance (General)

Market pay (median)

$188k ($148k–$240k)

Pay basis

function-anchored · wide bars

Focus — Finance (General)

General focus — no material pay or skill differential vs the function baseline.

Responsibilities by level

What this person actually does at each level on the management track — escalating scope, not one generic blob. Your level is highlighted.

Supervises a small team of analysts producing monthly reports, scoreboards, and dashboards, reviewing their work for accuracy before distribution.
Oversees day-to-day execution of variance analyses, ensuring differences between actual and planned results are explained and supporting schedules tie out.
Coordinates the team's inputs into the budgeting process and consolidates discrete analyses for review by senior finance staff.
Assigns and sequences recurring close and reporting tasks across the unit to meet established monthly deadlines.
Coaches junior analysts on financial modeling, Excel technique, and report quality to build foundational capability.

Leads a skilled team owning financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting for a defined set of cost centers or business units.
Manages the monthly forecasting cycle and expands the team's planning horizon from monthly cycles into quarterly outlooks.
Acts as the go-to finance partner for assigned areas of the P&L, fielding cross-functional questions and reconciling results with department owners.
Owns tactical outcomes for the consolidation of financial results within the team's scope, resolving issues within known accounting and reporting factors.
Develops specialists and junior managers, delegating ownership of recurring deliverables while maintaining review accountability.

Manages the finance department's reporting, budgeting, and forecasting operations, including ownership of the Annual Operating Plan within scope.
Leads cross-functional teams analyzing financial data to support business decisions, evaluating trends across diverse P&L and operational issues.
Owns departmental operating budget and headcount, balancing analytical depth against delivery timelines.
Coordinates month-end and quarter-end close activities for the function, ensuring forecasts and actuals reconcile and exceptions are escalated.
Provides tax, accounting, treasury, and credit guidance to business partners, drawing on diverse domain knowledge.

Manages multiple finance sections or departments, aligning reporting and planning practices with broader business objectives.
Leads cross-functional business partnership to drive financial performance, engaging senior leaders on functional strategy and resource trade-offs.
Oversees the month-end and quarter-end close across teams and ensures adherence to GAAP, SOX, and other regulations while coordinating external auditors.
Sets strategic policies for forecasting accuracy and the Annual Operating Plan, where lapses could jeopardize business activities.
Oversees a layer of finance managers, building bench strength and standardizing modeling, reporting, and review practices across teams.

M5this profile

Directs the FP&A and financial management function through department managers, with decisions impacting overall division or company operations.
Provides leadership with an overall business perspective via regular financial reports, highlighting risks and assisting in developing corrective actions.
Defines methods and standards for company-wide forecasting, budgeting, and close, resolving complex org-wide financial issues.
Influences executives and major business partners on key financial issues, translating analysis into strategic recommendations.
Owns the division's financial plan and performance commitments, directing strategic areas with business-wide implications.

Oversees the entire financial planning function across departments or divisions, leading through senior managers and shaping long-term financial strategy.
Partners directly with C-suite executives, including the CFO, on long-term strategy and develops presentations communicating analysis to the highest organizational levels.
Defines long-term forecasting, capital allocation, and performance-management frameworks affecting long-term company success.
Negotiates with executives on critical financial matters and acts as a policy influencer across cross-functional and abstract business issues.
Demonstrates exceptional leadership and strategic vision, influencing business decisions at the highest organizational levels and developing a strong second-line of finance leaders.

Level guidelines

The universal leveling rubric applied to this function — how scope, complexity, collaboration, and experience step up across levels.

Level	Knowledge & Application	Complexity & Problem Solving	Collaboration & Interaction	Typical Degree & Years
M1	Functional finance expert with some leadership exposure; applies established reporting, variance, and budgeting practices to a unit's recurring work.	Limited scope; resolves routine reporting and analysis issues using established practices and templates.	Daily interactions with own staff and finance peers; coordinates inputs from other departments, auditors, and bankers at a task level.	Functional expertise in FP&A or accounting with initial supervisory responsibility for individual contributors.
M2	Applies specialist FP&A and accounting judgment within known factors to own reporting, budgeting, and forecasting for defined business units.	Exercises judgment within known accounting and reporting factors; resolves tactical consolidation and forecasting issues.	Drives cross-functional cooperation with department owners as the go-to finance partner for assigned P&L areas.	2-5 years in team leadership or finance specialist roles managing skilled ICs or junior managers.
M3	Applies diverse financial domain knowledge — reporting, planning, tax, treasury, credit — to evaluate trends and run departmental operations.	Addresses diverse issues requiring trend evaluation across the P&L and operational drivers.	Leads functional or customer finance teams and partners with business stakeholders on results and forecasts.	5-7+ years managing finance professionals, departmental operations, and budgets.
M4	Translates strategic policies into finance practice, aligning reporting, planning, and compliance with business objectives across multiple teams.	Solves problems where outcomes could jeopardize business activities, balancing forecast accuracy, compliance, and resource constraints.	Engages senior leaders on functional strategy and coordinates external auditors and cross-functional partners.	8-10+ years with complex finance team and multi-section organizational leadership.
M5	Defines methods and standards for company-wide financial planning and analysis, impacting overall division or company operations.	Resolves complex org-wide financial issues and defines the approaches used across the function.	Influences executives and major business partners on key financial issues and corrective actions.	10-12+ years including second-level finance management and strategy work.
M6	Sets long-term financial strategy across functions or divisions, shaping policy and capital-allocation frameworks for company success.	Addresses abstract, cross-functional financial issues with long-term effect on company success.	Negotiates with executives, including the CFO, on critical matters as a policy influencer across the enterprise.	12-15+ years of deep finance leadership across departments or divisions.

Skills

Focus-specific skills the role applies — the relevance layer beyond the occupational base.

Forecasting and Budgeting: Leads FP&A processes including rolling forecasts, annual operating plans, and budget management across teams and business units.
Variance Analysis: Directs analysis of differences between actual and planned financial results, including P&L analysis, and ensures explanations support decisions.
Financial Modeling: Oversees three-statement and operating models, DCF analysis, and scenario planning to support strategic decision-making.
GAAP/IFRS Knowledge: Applies expert-level understanding of accounting standards to ensure compliance and accurate reporting across the function.
Leadership and Delegation: Orchestrates finance teams, delegates effectively, and develops talent rather than performing individual execution.
Analytical Skills: Evaluates data and information to assist executives in making decisions and to surface risks and corrective actions.
Communication Skills: Explains and justifies complex financial transactions and analysis to non-finance and senior audiences including the CFO.
ERP Fluency: Applies working knowledge of ERP and planning systems for financial transactions, consolidation, and reporting.
Detail Orientation: Ensures precision and attentiveness in preparing and reviewing reports to avoid errors in distributed financials.
AI Tool Usage: Uses AI tools daily for analysis, modeling, and writing to accelerate finance team output.

Provenance

The evidence base behind this profile — every layer is sourced; quality is scored by an adversarial review panel (1–5; passes at ≥4 on the minimum dimension).

Level differentiation4.5Focus specificity5.0Concreteness4.5Factual accuracy4.5Real-world coverage4.0

8 sources

Level — M5 — Senior Director

Leads multiple functions or a large department; drives multi-year strategy.

Scope: Multiple functions or a large department
Autonomy: Owns multi-year strategy for the area
Complexity: Org-level trade-offs and investment
Impact: Multi-function results
Decision rights: Owns investment and org design across functions
Leadership: Leads directors and managers
Typical experience: 12–18 yrs

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