Finance Manager, Strategic Business… at UL Solutions · Northbrook

This Manager Finance role serves as a strategic finance partner to business and operating unit leadership, providing financial insights, analysis, and decision support to drive profitable growth. The position is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, KPI development, cost allocation, capital expenditure review, and business performance reporting. This leader will work cross-functionally in a global matrixed environment to support transformation, integration, and long-range planning efforts. The ideal candidate brings strong finance and accounting expertise, advanced analytical capabilities, and the ability to influence leadership through clear, data-driven recommendations.

This Manager Finance role serves as a strategic finance partner to business and operating unit leadership, providing financial insights, analysis, and decision support to drive profitable growth. The position is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, KPI development, cost allocation, capital expenditure review, and business performance reporting. This leader will work cross-functionally in a global matrixed environment to support transformation, integration, and long-range planning efforts. The ideal candidate brings strong finance and accounting expertise, advanced analytical capabilities, and the ability to influence leadership through clear, data-driven recommendations.

This is a full-time, hybrid (3 days a week on-site) position located at our Northbrook, IL or Chicago, IL office.

Responsibilities

• Ability to collaborate at various levels of the enterprise and provide leadership decision support to optimize financial performance.
• Work with leadership to grow the business, formulating plans that accomplish their strategic goals, including supporting the development of robust projection systems, resource allocations, sourcing decisions and business KPIs and indicators.
• Mentor and develop a Financial Analyst through structured coaching, feedback, and hands-on involvement
• Delegate and oversee analytical workstreams, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and continuous skill development in financial modeling, reporting, and decision support
• Lead the development of financial metrics to guide strategy implementation
• Challenging assumptions as appropriate and providing financial analysis and guidance on all activities, plans, targets and business drivers.
• Help identify areas for potential cost savings or improved efficiency/effectiveness.
• Maintain a consistent and transparent cost allocation methodology for allocation costs to the Customer operating units to drive the right enterprise behavior.
• Evaluates the financial impact of business opportunities in a thorough and concise manner, which may include projected return on investment / payback periods for proposed capital expenditures or other investments.
• Compiles and prepares reports, graphs and charts of data developed. Leads review and approval of capital expenditures.
• Hands-on position, while being a key partner in integration and transformation efforts. Present analyses and findings Business/Operating Unit leadership.
• Supports M&A analysis of potential growth opportunities and assist with the integration of acquisitions as needed.
• Responsible for developing annual budgets and forecasts
• Works across functions and regions on shared objectives to meet profitable growth incl. efficient resource allocation.
• Work with Corporate Accounting and Internal Controls, and other related financial activities.
• Assist in the development of new or expanded services.
• Read and follow the Underwriters Laboratories Code of Conduct and follow all physical and digital security practices.
• Performs other duties as directed.

Qualifications

• University Degree in Accounting, Finance or equivalent Professional qualification such as CPA, CMA or CA plus generally eight years directly related work experience in a global matrixed organization.
• Superior quantitative and analytical capabilities with Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; Strong financial systems capabilities for e.g. Oracle / essbase.
• Ability to combine quantitative and qualitative analysis; to think critically, listen reflectively, consider many points of view on a topic, recognize connections; disparate actions, to guide leaderships decision making process.
• Demonstrated experience in people development strongly preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills (including ability to recognize best mode(s) for communicating based on the audience and the situation), negotiation and interpersonal skills; distinctive ability to interact with all levels of management, clients and suppliers; communicate effectively with experience in a dynamic international environment and good proficiency in English.
• Strong technical skills in finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control, variance analysis and service / product line profitability. Preferably in complex matrix organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of accounting, financial planning, reporting and analysis, acquired through related work experience in increasingly complex roles.
• Excellent financial modeling skills, good understanding of technical accounting and financial reporting skills and knowledge.
• Adapts to changing circumstances, accepts new ideas and change initiatives, and deals effectively with ambiguity.
• Comfortable with large business projects and system initiatives.
• Experience with M&A and integrations a plus.

Total Rewards: We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. The estimated salary range for this position is $110,000 to $145,000 and is based on multiple factors, including job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, as well as other factors. This position is eligible for annual bonus compensation with a target payout of 20% of the base salary. This position also provides health benefits such as medical, dental and vision; wellness benefits such as mental and financial health; and retirement savings (401K) commensurate with the standard rewards offered in each individual location or country. We also provide full-time employees with paid time off including vacation (15 days), Holidays (9 days), Personal days (3 days) and sick time off (72 hours).

#LI-SM3

#LI-Hybrid

About the Team

At the core of our expanding organization is our Finance team. We’re a growing group of professionals, based around the world, who share ideas, work together and innovate to drive strategic growth and ensure financial integrity. Whether you’re an expert in taxes, treasury, accounting, financial planning and analysis or corporate strategy and development, we’re always looking for ambitious finance professionals who want to make an impact at a publicly traded company that’s leading the way in safety science. Join our team, be part of our global community and drive the success of our mission-driven organization.

About the Company

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. The UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.