Finance Business Partner, R&d

Notion Notion · Enterprise · San Francisco, CA · Finance

This role supports the R&D organization by driving financial planning, forecasting, and analysis. The Finance Business Partner will partner with engineering, product, and design leadership to evaluate strategic investments, improve forecast accuracy, and prepare executive-level reporting. The role also involves leveraging AI and automation to improve financial processes.

What you'd actually do

  1. Serve as the primary strategic finance partner to the CTO and CPO for EPD planning, forecasting, reporting, and key decision-making. Build trusted relationships with EPD leads and proactively surface insights, risks, and opportunities.
  2. Build financial models to evaluate investment opportunities and strategic initiatives (e.g., vendor and tooling decisions, infrastructure spend).
  3. Develop and refine scalable reporting and analytical frameworks to increase transparency and decision velocity, and guide day-to-day execution and strategy.
  4. Prepare high-quality materials for executive and Board-level reviews, translating complex financial and operational information into clear, concise narratives.
  5. Partner with Accounting to ensure accurate and timely reporting, provide clear narratives for variances, and translate results into actionable recommendations for executives and functional leaders.

Skills

Required

  • 6+ years of progressive experience in FP&A/Strategic Finance, investment banking, accounting, private equity, or a combination
  • experience directly supporting technical organizations (R&D) strongly preferred
  • Strong financial modeling (Advanced Excel/Google Sheets) and analytical capabilities
  • comfort handling ambiguity and connecting financial outcomes to operational drivers
  • High standards for accuracy, follow-through, and ownership
  • independent & “get it done” attitude
  • strong attention to detail
  • minimal need for oversight
  • Exceptional communication and executive presence
  • Ability to influence executives with concise, structured storytelling and clear recommendations
  • Strong cross-functional partnership skills
  • collaborative, low-ego working style

Nice to have

  • Familiarity with AI tools such as Claude Code, Gemini, or Codex
  • Experience at a high-growth SaaS company
  • Familiarity with planning and reporting systems (e.g., Anaplan, Adaptive Planning, Pigment)
  • Experience with ERP/accounting systems (e.g., NetSuite) and partnering closely with Accounting for close/actuals
  • Basic SQL skills

What the JD emphasized

  • own the finance relationship
  • operate independently
  • bring structure to ambiguous problems
  • influence senior leaders
  • partner deeply
  • strengthen executive-level visibility
  • improve forecast accuracy
  • evaluate strategic investments
  • High standards for accuracy, follow-through, and ownership
  • independent & “get it done” attitude
  • strong attention to detail
  • minimal need for oversight
  • Exceptional communication and executive presence
  • Ability to influence executives
  • concise, structured storytelling
  • clear recommendations
  • Strong cross-functional partnership skills
  • collaborative, low-ego working style