SR. FINANCE DIRECTOR, NORTH AMERICA

Position

Symbol of elegance and authentic luxury with its sophisticated and timeless Collections, CELINE is a French Leather-Goods and Couture House, driven by a strong artistic and holistic vision. CELINE’s ambition is to be one of the most iconic luxury brands worldwide.

To make this vision a reality we are looking for agile, passionate and authentic personalities who are eager to evolve in a highly creative and challenging environment.

Position Summary: The Senior Finance Director will be responsible for overseeing all financial operations in North America, reporting directly to the North America President. This role will collaborate with the LVMH Fashion Group

CFO to develop and implement financial strategies, manage budgeting and forecasting, and provide financial analysis to support decision-making for both local management and central teams, ultimately contributing to the achievement of business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Planning & Analysis:
  • Fully responsible for constructing, managing, and monitoring the budget, reforecast cycles, and strategic plans, ensuring adherence to HQ guidelines and preparing comprehensive budget packages and presentations.
  • Lead the monthly analysis of the company’s economic performance, including P&L and KPI analysis, variance analysis (actuals vs. budget/forecast), trend analysis, risk/opportunity assessment, and profitability evaluations.
  • Perform in-depth financial and business analysis to support strategic decisions, providing recommendations and elaborate solutions to drive brand improvement in business objectives, financial performance, and operational processes.
  • Analyze store contribution and productivity on a monthly basis.
  • Control operational expenses, identifying and implementing areas for savings, efficiency, and productivity gains.
  • Proactively participate in the strategic planning and decision-making processes of the brand.

• Reporting & Communication:
  • Prepare and disseminate regular financial and management reports, including monthly executive summaries for Central, monthly management reporting packages (KPIs and templates to be designed with local management), and dashboard reporting on sales, gross margin, inventory, and operating expenses.
  • Prepare and diffuse department cost monitoring reports (MTD and YTD) comparing actuals with budget and proposing action plans as needed.
  • Organize and prepare monthly business reviews, addressing inquiries and requests from central financial departments.
  • Develop and generate logical, evidence-based reports and documents to support business decisions and communicate actual achievements, as well as areas needing improvement, to local management.

Job responsibilities

• Capital Expenditure (Capex):
  o Review Capex assumptions, prepare Capex requests, and conduct regular post-mortem analyses.
• Run simulations to evaluate new store openings or lease renewals, providing input on negotiations and preparing Capex applications for Headquarter and Group approval.

• Financial Closing:
• In partnership with the accounting team, review and complete financial due diligence to determine monthly performance.
• Identify and assess any potential risks that should be reflected in the company’s financial statements.

• Team Leadership & Development:
  • Manage and develop a team, coaching and motivating them to deliver strong business support with value-added, insightful financial perspectives and professional independence.

• Process Optimization:
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement and fine-tuning of closing processes and overall financial procedures.
  • Ensure procedures and internal controls are properly in place, reinforcing company policy and guidelines through education to the brand team.

• Ad-hoc Assignments:
  • Assist in ad-hoc assignments as required by management and HQ.

Keys for Success:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting or similar experience preferred.
• Experience: 15+ years of progressive experience in various financial positions, with significant experience in financial planning and analysis. Prior experience in the Retail industry is essential, with 3+ years in a retail facilities role. Experience in an international company and/or auditing company is preferred.

• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with ERP systems (preferably MS Dynamics AX and SAP) is an asset. Experience with Anaplan and BI tools is a plus.

• Core Competencies: Detail-oriented, proactive, highly organized, and committed to accuracy. Strong analytical thinking and business mindset. Skilled at decision-making and problem-solving. Able to work independently, autonomously, and under pressure with tight deadlines. Comfortable working in a fastpaced, collaborative environment with changing priorities. Strong and effective interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work closely across global and local teams. Familiarity with Retail & Omnichannel, ideally in the fashion sector.
• Languages: Fluent in English, French is a plus

Additional information

OUR ENGAGEMENT

CELINE is an equal opportunity employer. We want to offer an inclusive environment of mutual respect where we welcome diversity and all our employees feel included, developed, and heard.

We are committed to the prevention of all discrimination, providing equal opportunities to all applicants irrespective of gender, gender expression, disability, origin, background, religious beliefs or sexual orientation or any other basis protected by law.

CELINE recruits and recognizes all types of talent and singularities.

 

The compensation for this position ranges from $200,000 - $220,000 (annually). The rate of pay offered will be dependent upon candidate’s relevant skills and experience. In addition, there is a comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, various paid time off programs, employee discount/perks, and a retirement plan with employer contribution.