Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis, R&D (Hybrid - Acton, MA)

Job Description

Insulet Corporation is seeking an experienced and driven Sr. Director to join our expanding FP&A team, providing strategic financial leadership to the SVP of Research & Development (R&D) and their leadership teams. In this highly visible role, you will act as the principal financial thought partner to R&D, collaborating with key leaders to identify and implement strategic initiatives that deliver measurable value and drive organizational excellence. You will be responsible for establishing and executing comprehensive financial planning, reporting, and analysis for these groups, including the creation of advanced project reporting tools and dashboards for granular tracking of R&D costs, resource allocation, and milestone progress across all initiatives.

This position will design and institutionalize robust frameworks for scoping new R&D projects, encompassing demand and capacity management, project prioritization, and alignment with broader business strategies and cross-functional requirements. You will lead the development and oversight of resource planning processes to optimize team allocation, support timely project delivery, and inform strategic workforce decisions. Additionally, you will drive the creation and enhancement of systems to track actual work performed on R&D projects, integrating time accounting, cost categorization, and real-time status updates to ensure data accuracy and reporting efficiency.

As a key leader, you will architect and deploy end-to-end financial reporting solutions that connect proforma business cases to actual results, ensuring full traceability and comprehensive oversight from project inception through execution and close. You will spearhead ROI analysis for major R&D investments, utilizing advanced financial modeling and scenario planning to provide actionable insights for executive decision-making. Overseeing the consolidation and reporting of total company R&D spend, you will partner with finance, accounting, and business unit leaders to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance.

This role also involves close partnership with the Controllership group to ensure precise expense classification (e.g., Capex vs. Opex) and the development of financial plans and reporting that serve as a roadmap for achieving functional financial goals, while ensuring that total operating expenses align with expectations. You will work collaboratively with functional teams to identify opportunities to reduce operating costs and improve operating margin, providing financial support to drive and execute cost-saving initiatives. The ideal candidate will champion accurate reporting of actual performance, focusing on key operating metrics and analyses that enhance forecast accuracy, drive accountability, and propose actions for continuous improvement of financial results.

Your responsibilities will include leading forecasting processes—such as the annual budget and long-range planning—analyzing results, and partnering with other finance and executive team members to ensure that financial objectives for the current period are met. Through insightful financial analysis, you will help guide executive decision-making on critical investments and strategic priorities. The Sr. Director may be entrusted with various confidential projects, requiring impeccable discretion and professionalism while collaborating across commercial, regional, and functional areas. This position reports directly to the Vice President of Corporate & COO FP&A.

Responsibilities:

• Set strategic vision for financial processes associated with R&D organization and lead team to develop tracking and reporting metrics to drive improvements in R&D efficiency, removing process bottlenecks, and keeping team accountable to budget and timelines. Act as lead financial thought partner to R&D to identify and help implement key strategic initiatives that drive value across the organization.

• Create New Capability for R&D Project Reporting: Lead the design and implementation of advanced project reporting tools and dashboards, enabling granular tracking of R&D costs, resource allocation, and milestone progress across all initiatives.

• Develop Processes to Scope Work: Establish and institutionalize robust frameworks for scoping new R&D projects, including demand/capacity management and project prioritization, ensuring alignment with business strategy and cross-functional requirements.

• Resource Planning: Develop and oversee comprehensive resource planning processes to optimize team allocation, support project delivery, and inform strategic workforce decisions.

• System to Track Actual Work: Create or enhance systems for tracking actual work performed on R&D projects, integrating time accounting, cost categorization, and real-time status updates to improve data accuracy and reporting efficiency.

• End-to-End Reporting from Proforma to Actuals: Architect and deploy end-to-end financial reporting solutions that connect proforma business cases to actual results, ensuring full traceability and comprehensive oversight from project inception through execution and close.

• ROI Analysis: Lead ROI analysis for major R&D investments, leveraging advanced financial modeling and scenario planning to provide actionable insights for executive decision-making.

• Consolidation for Total Company R&D Spend: Oversee the consolidation and reporting of total company R&D spend, partnering with finance, accounting, and business unit leaders to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance.

Business Partner to key leaders across the organization:

• Work with various functional leaders as their trusted thought partner to ensure they have a deep level of visibility into their financials in order to hit long term and short-term expectations and provide thoughtful insights on how to better manage their costs.

• Drive all Forecasting, Budget and long-range planning by partnering with functional leaders and their respective teams

• Ensure actual results are aligned to expectations through detailed variance analysis.

• Establish a strong collaborative culture with peers and other functions while promoting a culture of success, pride, performance, discipline and creativity.

• Oversee all close related activities to support R&D organization.

• Manage the company’s critical technology costs which help drive the commercialization of our products.

• Manage the company’s R&D costs to help inform project spend, ROI and assist in resource assessments and allocations.

Drive Operating Expense Financial Reporting and Analysis for R&D:

• Oversee weekly / biweekly Latest estimate updates for respective functions ensuring commentary is fully updated.

• Establish consistent project reporting across both IT and R&D to ensure we have the right level of detail for forecast and actuals tracking.

• Create Operating Expense fluxes and other key analysis to leverage for MFR reporting and other deliverables.

• Ensure Capital Expenditures vs. Operating Expense controls are established

Create Sustainable Workforce Planning: Develop and implement sustainable workforce planning strategies for R&D, integrating strategic workforce planning principles to ensure the right capabilities, talent mix, and cost structure for future growth.

• Assist in IFRS reporting and analysis

• Assist in Tax reporting and various requests

• Support Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), Investment committee and key inputs into product business plans

• Process & Design Improvement: Design and implement processes and procedures to streamline data gathering and reporting in support of R&D expenses.

• Oversee monthly financial reporting and close related activities as it relates to the respective Function’s Operating Expenses.

• Implement new and improved Capital Policy and Process and maintain as new circumstances occur.

• Play a critical role in the FP&A module of the SAP implementation as this role will be a heavy contributor for project reporting/analysis and CAPEX subject matter expert.

• Special Projects: Work on specific unique projects which may call for reporting and analysis skills, including continuous improvement activities.

• Teamwork and Training: The person in this role should work well with the various team members in the department and the broader Insulet community. 

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting. MBA is a plus.

• 15+ years of financial planning and analysis experience in a global growth-oriented, publicly-traded company, broad finance background that includes financial planning and analysis, accounting, finance, internal management reporting systems, budgeting, acquisitions and investment analysis and financial modeling. 

• Proven track record as an effective financial business partner with a strong internal customer service focus

• Proven ability to learn new accounting & reporting tools.

• Proven ability to complete tasks with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

           

Preferred Skills & Competencies:

• Strong communication, presence, and relationship building skills, with the ability to interpret and summarize data to aid management in achieving strategic and operational goals.

• Analytical thinker with strong business acumen, ability to summarize complex financial data into clear and concise recommendations for strategic decision support
  Systems savvy - experience with Planful reporting tools is a plus.

• Experience with tier-one ERP and Business Performance Management tools required, experience with Host/ Planful and or SAP / SAC a plus

• Excellent MS Excel and financial modeling skills are required

• Able to synthesize and analyze large quantities of data to create useful information and concise analyses.

• Able to effectively manage projects; results oriented and able to roll-up the sleeves in order to accomplish necessary tasks.

• Able to work in a fast pace, high-growth environment.

• Has highest standards of integrity reflected in all external and internal communications.

• Self-motivated, high energy, respectful, honest, hard-working and loyal team.

Physical Requirements:

• May require 10-15% travel

NOTE: This position is eligible for hybrid working arrangements and requires on-site work from an Insulet office. #LI-Hybrid

Additional Information:

Compensation & Benefits: For U.S.-based positions only, the annual base salary range for this role is $192,400.00 - $288,550.00 This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: • Medical, dental, and vision insurance • 401(k) with company match • Paid time off (PTO) • And additional employee wellness programs Application Details: This job posting will remain open until the position is filled. To apply, please visit the Insulet Careers site and submit your application online. Actual pay depends on skills, experience, and education.