Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis

Description

PhaseWell Research is a private equity (PE)-backed, multi-site clinical research network operating across oncology, cardiometabolic, CNS (including neurodegeneration and psychiatry), dermatology, and pulmonary indications. 

We are seeking a data-driven Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) to own the financial rhythm of the business: monthly management reporting, the annual budget and rolling forecast, Board of Directors and PE sponsor materials, and the scenario and ad hoc analyses that inform our most important decisions. This role is the primary finance business partner to site leadership across our Site Network and the Finance team's leader for applying AI and automation to how we generate reporting and insights.

The ideal candidate combines deep FP&A and financial modeling expertise with a relentless focus on optimizing the organization - finding the drivers behind the numbers and turning them into action with operating leaders. This person approaches the work with an AI- and automation-first mindset, instinctively redesigning how reporting and analysis get done so the team spends less time assembling data and more time generating insight. This person will be a trusted advisor to the CFO, executive team, and site leaders, and will raise the analytical standard of the entire Finance function.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnership & Site Performance

• Serve as the primary finance business partner to site leadership and operating executives, translating financial results into operational drivers and clear, prioritized actions
• In partnership with Accounting leadership, deliver monthly site performance reviews; diagnose variances to budget and forecast, identify root causes, and partner with site leaders on corrective action plans
• Build and maintain site-level KPI frameworks (e.g., study pipeline conversion, enrollment and screening throughput, revenue per patient visit, staffing productivity, working capital) that connect operating metrics to financial outcomes
• Bring newly acquired sites onto standard reporting, budgeting, and forecasting processes quickly post-close and track realized performance against acquisition underwriting

Monthly Reporting & Insights

• Own production of the monthly management reporting package: consolidated and site-level P&L, KPI dashboards, variance commentary, and forward-looking risks and opportunities
• Deliver insights, not just data: author the monthly "so what" narrative for the executive team
• Reduce reporting cycle time through standardization, automation, and self-service dashboards while raising accuracy and consistency
• Maintain a single source of truth for financial and operational data in partnership with Business Development, Operations, Accounting, and Data/IT

Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Modeling

• In partnership with Accounting leadership, lead the annual budget and rolling forecast production processes end to end - timeline, templates, assumptions, consolidation, and executive review across sites and corporate functions
• Build and maintain driver-based financial models (site ramp, study pipeline, staffing, capital expenditures, cash flow, etc.) that tie to the long-range plan
• Present budgets and forecasts to executive leadership with a clear articulation of assumptions, risks, sensitivities, and required decisions
• Measure and continuously improve forecast accuracy and planning-process efficiency

Board & PE Sponsor Materials

• Prepare Board and PE sponsor materials, including quarterly performance reviews, annual budget presentations, liquidity and covenant views, and acquisition performance versus underwriting
• Own the accuracy, consistency, and storyline of all Board, lender, and management presentations
• Support the CFO on ad hoc Board, sponsor, and lender requests with decision-ready analysis
• Track and report on key Finance metrics - reporting cycle time, forecast accuracy, and business partner satisfaction - and act on the results

AI, Automation & Finance Transformation

• Lead the FP&A roadmap for AI and automation: identify, pilot, and scale tools that automate data consolidation, variance analysis, commentary drafting, and dashboarding
• Champion an AI-first operating model within Finance - build reusable prompts, agents, and workflows; train and upskill analysts and business partners on their use
• Partner with IT and Data on the planning and BI stack (e.g., planning platform, data warehouse, Power BI/Tableau); own FP&A requirements, adoption, and change management
• Establish governance for AI-generated analysis - data quality, validation controls, and review standards - so outputs are trusted, repeatable, and audit-ready

Scenario Planning & Ad Hoc Analysis

• Lead scenario and sensitivity analyses on pricing, site and therapeutic-area mix, staffing models, capital allocation, and M&A to support executive decisions
• Develop ROI and business-case analyses for major initiatives, new site openings, and technology investments; track realized returns
• Respond rapidly to ad hoc requests from the CFO, CEO, sponsor, and operating leaders

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related quantitative field
• 5-7 years of progressive finance experience, including 3+ years in FP&A or strategic finance
• Demonstrated ownership of monthly management reporting, annual budgeting, and forecasting processes in a multi-site or multi-unit operating company
• Experience preparing and presenting Board and executive-level financial materials
• Expert-level Excel and financial modeling skills (driver-based, three-statement, and scenario models) and strong PowerPoint storytelling
• Hands-on experience with BI and planning tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Adaptive)
• Demonstrated track record of applying AI and automation (e.g., generative AI, Power Query, SQL/Python, RPA) to finance reporting and analysis workflows
• Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP and how accounting results flow into management reporting

Preferred

• Experience in a PE-backed, acquisitive, or multi-site healthcare or clinical research company
• Experience integrating acquired entities into reporting and forecasting processes
• MBA, CPA, or CFA
• Working knowledge of SQL or Python; experience building agentic or LLM-based finance workflows
• Experience leading and developing analysts

Skills & Attributes

• Data-driven decision maker who insists on a single source of truth, quantifies trade-offs, and lets the analysis - not the anecdote - drive recommendations
• AI- and automation-first mindset - actively adopts and leads the rollout of AI and automation tools to eliminate manual work, accelerate turnaround, and raise the quality of analysis
• Trusted business partner who influences operating leaders without direct authority and converts analysis into decisions and results
• Executive presence and storytelling - distills complex financial concepts into concise, compelling narratives for the CFO, Board, and site leaders
• Ownership and urgency; thrives in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment with aggressive timelines
• Intellectual curiosity and a continuous improvement orientation - challenges the status quo and redesigns processes rather than accepting them
• High attention to detail paired with sound business judgment and a strategic mindset
• Collaborative, low-ego leader who works independently and drives initiatives to completion