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Strategic Finance Business Partner, Sales and Marketing

D2L

D2L

Marketing & Communications, Accounting & Finance, Sales & Business Development
Canada
Posted on Sep 28, 2024

D2L is a cloud company that is modernizing education and building the Future of Work. The old models of teaching and learning are in the midst of the largest transformation in history, and D2L is at the heart of that fundamental shift.

New models of teaching and learning enable a personalized, student-centric experience – and deliver improved retention, engagement, satisfaction, and results for learners of all ages – in schools, campuses, and companies.

D2L is disrupting the way the world learns, by providing the next generation learning environment and solutions to engage and inspire learners. And most importantly, by giving customers a platform that is easy, flexible, and smart. No other company provides a solution as robust and innovative as D2L.

D2L has had a singular mission for 25 years and is dedicated to that same mission in the years ahead: to transform the way the world learns – and by doing so, we will help improve human potential globally.


A member of our Talent Acquisition team reviews ALL of our applications - yes a real person reviews resumes! They are excited to read more about what amazing things you could add to D2L.

Job Summary:

The Strategic Finance Business Partner serves as a trusted adviser with leaders across the global Sales and Marketing teams to drive analytical decision making, investment evaluation and prioritization, and influence the execution of efficient growth.

This highly visible and fast-paced role will partner across the organization on business planning initiatives, including direct financial support for the core business groups, budget/forecast management, long-range go-to-market (GTM) planning, and various special projects. The Strategic Finance Business Partner will be a member of the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team and report to the Senior Director of FP&A.

This position will be ingrained in the integrated planning processes, including translation of strategy into operational plans, and alignment with go-to-market planning. You will also be a key participant in evaluating the financial viability and modeling of future GTM strategic initiatives for the company, including new market entry and other new ventures.

This role requires a forward-thinking mindset, curiosity, analytical skills, and the ability to simplify complexity into easily understood financial models and narratives. This position requires strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and a demonstrated ability to coordinate and partner with teams across the company to drive evaluation and implementation of initiatives.

How You Will Make an Impact:

GTM Business Planning

  • Build a deep understanding of our markets, business drivers, and GTM motion. You will leverage this knowledge to pinpoint opportunities for enhancing core metrics such as NRR, Magic Number, CAC, LTV, and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) performance.
  • With this deep understanding of our operations, and through partnership with key stakeholders, you will function as the finance subject matter expert to influence and enhance the execution of efficient growth
  • Lead finance partner in the annual go-to-market integrated planning cycle, ensuring tight cohesion with the product roadmap, alignment to corporate strategy, and bringing a data-driven approach to decision making
  • Track and analyze unit economics and other GTM metrics that measure the efficacy of sales and marketing investments

Strategic Initiatives and Ventures

  • Primary finance partner for the Sales and Marketing team on ad-hoc special projects and cross-functional strategic initiatives
  • Collaborate and build influence with GTM stakeholders to develop business cases and provide analytical support for new markets, new product and packing initiatives, and strategic partnerships
  • Design frameworks and processes to evaluate and measure the ROI attribution of new strategic initiatives, implement and enable the organization on such methodologies

Financial Planning, Analysis and Reporting

  • Work closely with Sales and Marketing executives and budget owners to support data-driven decision making across all GTM functions
  • Key advisor on business growth, expense optimization and resource allocation, culminating in clear recommendations to improve the efficiency and profitability of business units
  • Own the annual budget and monthly forecasts for Sales and Marketing spend, ensure that leadership has clear visibility into resource deployment, and plans are aligned with D2L’s financial targets
  • Collaborate with GTM leadership and the Manager of FP&A to analyze and forecast key revenue drivers including ARR bookings, churn, NRR, sales capacity/efficiency, and commissions
  • Proactively monitor and manage the achievement of business unit results including identification and management of risks and opportunities
  • Collaborate with Revenue Operations team to develop and deploy data/analytics tools that enhance insights into marketing efficiency metrics, sales performance, and bookings forecasts

What You'll Bring to the Role:

  • 5+ years of well-rounded finance experience, including within FP&A, investment banking, consulting, or finance/operations within SaaS companies
  • Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, superior attention to detail and quick learner
  • Expertise in advanced financial modeling and scenario planning
  • Experience within a SaaS business model and global company is considered a strong asset
  • Superior communication, including in verbal presentations and written business memos
  • Strong relationship, collaboration, and influence capabilities, including at the senior leadership stakeholder level
  • Process-oriented, experience with building scalable processes and leveraging automation
  • Experience with both sales-led growth and product-led growth motions is considered a plus
  • Data driven and strong systems aptitude, working knowledge of key enterprise systems including Salesforce, NetSuite and Adaptive Planning

Education Recommendations:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, preferably with emphasis in Finance / Accounting / Economics
  • CPA, CFA, or CBV designation considered an asset

The expected base salary range for a new hire in this role is listed below. The annualized base salary offered is determined by each candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, education, training and experience. It is aligned to ensure both internal and external competitiveness using market data for the geographic location and industry. As part of the total compensation at D2L the role may be eligible for additional benefits including a Wellness Subsidy, Equity Grants, Variable Incentive, and more.

Base Salary Range
$100,000$135,000 CAD

Don’t meet every single requirement? We strongly encourage you to still apply! At D2L, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage your application even if you don't believe you meet every single qualification outlined, because we love to help our people grow and develop!

Why we're awesome:

At D2L, we are dedicated to providing you with the tools to do the best work of your life. While some of our perks and benefits may vary depending on location or employment type, we are proud to provide employees with the following through #LifeAtD2L;

  • Impactful work transforming the way the world learns
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Learning and Growth opportunities
  • Tuition reimbursement of up to $4,000 CAD for continuing education through our Catch the Wave Program
  • 2 Paid Days off for Catch the Wave related activities like exams or final assignments
  • Employee wellbeing (Access to mental health services, EFAP program, financial planning and more)
  • Retirement planning
  • 2 Paid Volunteer Days
  • Competitive Benefits Package
  • Home Internet Reimbursements
  • Employee Referral Program
  • Wellness Reimbursement
  • Employee Recognition
  • Social Events
  • Dog Friendly Offices at our HQ in Kitchener, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Melbourne.