Director, FP&A Research & Development

Who we are

With its A.I.-powered robotic technology platform, Symbotic is changing the way consumer goods move through the supply chain. Intelligent software orchestrates advanced robots in a high-density, end-to-end system – reinventing warehouse automation for increased efficiency, speed and flexibility.

What we need

As the Director, FP&A - R&D, you will serve as the dedicated finance business partner to Symbotic's R&D organization, providing strategic financial leadership on headcount capacity, project-level expense planning, and R&D's long-range strategic plan. You will oversee the embedded FP&A analyst(s) supporting R&D, ensure strong financial rigor and alignment with the broader Corporate FP&A team, and serve as a trusted advisor to R&D leadership, influencing investment decisions and resource prioritization through clear, data-driven financial storytelling.

Relocation benefit is available for qualified new hires.

Corporate FP&A is part of the Finance organization and is responsible for enterprise headcount and cost planning, the annual operating plan and quarterly forecasts, long-range strategic planning, financial modeling and scenario analysis, and finance business partnership with functional organizations including R&D. The team also owns corporate-level reporting, including Board decks, monthly results reviews, and flash reporting, and supports ad-hoc strategic and corporate development projects.

• Serve as the primary Finance Business Partner to the R&D organization, supporting R&D leadership on financial strategy and investment decisions.

• Lead R&D's annual operating plan, long-range planning, quarterly forecasts, and monthly financial reviews, ensuring alignment with overall corporate planning cycles.

• Own headcount capacity planning and project-level expense planning for R&D, partnering with engineering and program leaders to align resourcing with roadmap priorities.

• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Program Management teams to evaluate investment opportunities, new development initiatives, and project business cases.

• Develop financial models to support R&D investment decisions, project-level business cases, technology development, and resource trade-off analysis.

• Drive prioritization across the R&D portfolio by evaluating financial impact, strategic alignment, and resource allocation across competing initiatives.

• Build dashboards and reporting that improve visibility into R&D spend, headcount utilization, and investment effectiveness for R&D and Corporate FP&A leadership.

• Deliver executive-ready financial analyses and recommendations that influence R&D strategic and resourcing decisions.

• Monitor R&D spending against plan, proactively identify risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions.

• Support corporate-level reporting as needed, including R&D-related content for the Board deck, monthly results reviews, and flash reporting.

• Lead, coach, and develop the embedded FP&A analyst(s) supporting R&D, building a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, automate reporting, and simplify financial analysis across the R&D finance function.

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field required; MBA or CPA preferred.

• Minimum 12 years of progressive finance experience, including business partnering with an R&D, Engineering, or similar technical organization.

• Experience supporting R&D or product development functions within a technology, robotics, or complex manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing finance professionals.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, collaborative, and matrixed organization.

Our environment

• Up to 10% of travel may be required. Employees must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive and/or fly to client and other customer locations.   

• Employees may be required to use a personal credit card for business travel expenses, which are reimbursed based on the program guidelines. Eligible employees may receive a corporate credit card based on role and travel requirements, but a personal credit card may be needed during onboarding until the corporate card is issued.

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About Symbotic

Symbotic is an automation technology leader reimagining the supply chain with its end-to-end, AI-powered robotic and software platform. Symbotic reinvents the warehouse as a strategic asset for the world’s largest retail, wholesale, and food & beverage companies. Applying next-gen technology, high-density storage and machine learning to solve today's complex distribution challenges, Symbotic enables companies to move goods with unmatched speed, agility, accuracy and efficiency. As the backbone of commerce the Symbotic platform transforms the flow of goods and the economics of supply chain for its customers. For more information, visit www.symbotic.com.

We are a community of innovators, collaborators and pioneers who embrace our differences, because we know unique perspectives make us stronger and smarter. Every perspective matters. We depend on the collective voices of our employees, customers and community to help guide us as we build a better place to work – for you and the world. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 

We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information.