Company Introduction

The La Jolla Group is a worldwide leader in the action sports apparel business segment with a fast paced, high-energy environment that is continually on the move. With prominent brands such as O’Neill, PSD Underwear, Mountain Khakis, Sol Angeles, and Hang Ten, La Jolla Group has proved to be a builder of great brands, a creator of innovative products, and a master of operational excellence.

Our team enjoys flexibility with a hybrid schedule of in-office and remote work. We offer awesome discounts on our clothing brands, early release Fridays (2:00pm), occasional employer provided lunches, year-round fun events as well as a full benefits package! We believe our employees are our strongest asset and invest in their growth by focusing on developing their strengths.

General Summary

The Finance Manager will report to the VP of Finance and will be an integral part of the success of the company’s financial outcome. The role will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the business, reporting and forecasting. This role will work closely with multiple departments to meet the company’s financial goals.

Essential Job Functions

• Perform monthly P&L and departmental review with cross functional teams, provide profitability insights to drive profitable growth and mitigate risk.
• Prepare and consolidate accurate monthly forecast, annual budget, and strategic plans, working closely with Sales, Marketing, Planning and Operations.
• Analyze results by providing explanations on key P&L drivers for the month vs. forecast, budget and prior year including customer and product channel/mix, IT spend along with advertising and promotions. Commentary should be insightful and conducive to management action to improve performance.
• Digging into the numbers to find new opportunities or patterns to explain the "what and why" behind performance. Seek improvement, develop a plan of action, and led cross-functional terms to implement changes.
• Support managing and optimizing working capital including inventory. This includes establishing product life-cycle expectations and monitoring excess & obsolete inventory and establishing sell-through recommendations.
• Liaise with Cost Accounting to summarize impacts of standard costs and manufacturing variances for historical, current, and future key material costs.
• Analyze proposed advertising, promotional spend with pre- and post-activity ROI analytics to help inform current and future decisions.
• Work in conjunction with Product and Demand Planning to establish MSRP and category pricing based on market conditions, brand strength, product benefits, cost inputs and the competitive landscape.
• Continually monitor and understand current cash position and accurately forecast/model forward cash flow.
• Oversee analysis and provide recommendations for capital expenditures for new business and replacement capital; evaluate and recommend appropriate financing method (e.g. buy vs. lease).
• Activities include developing forecasts, preparing financials, calculating project return metrics, analyze changes vs. previous updates.
• Identify gaps, and lead improvement projects, partnering with key stakeholders.
• Provide thought leadership and analytical rigor to support profitable growth strategies at a product and/or brand level.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong systems experience (expertise in Microsoft Excel, Aptean, Netsuite)
• Knowledge and experience in data integrity across all systems (Full Circle, Qlik, Adaptive)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines
• Attention to detail and accuracy in all aspects 
• Excellent time management, organizational and communication skills required
• Self-Starter with strong work ethic
• Skill in coaching, training, and performance evaluating employees
• Ability to communicate professionally with coworkers, customers, and vendors
• Ability to organize daily activities of self and others and to work as a team player

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or related field, MBA preferred
• 3-7 years’ experience in Finance with 2-4 years’ experience in Retail or Wholesale
• Experience working with sales, marketing and supply chain teams

Physical Requirements