84.51° helps companies create sustainable growth by putting the customer at the center of everything. Using a sophisticated suite of tools and technology, we turn data into knowledge to help Kroger’s Retail Business and some of the world's leading CPG manufacturers and partners develop, nurture and embrace deeper relationships with their customers.

People are the key to everything and we continually seek people who make us better. To continue our growth, we need exceptional talent ready to engage in industry-changing, brain-stimulating work at the intersection of Big Data, AI, and Retail Strategy.

As the Director of FP&A for Kroger Retail and Data/AI, you will serve as a strategic finance partner bridging the gap between high-tech innovation and massive retail scale. You will lead a team of finance professionals responsible for the financial ecosystem surrounding 84.51°’s retail support model for Kroger and the rapidly evolving Data/AI Pillar at Kroger. This is not a back-office reporting role; it is a seat at the table influencing major projects that help drive a $150B retail grocery ecosystem. You will partner directly with senior executives at both 84.51° and The Kroger Co., translating complex initiatives into financial clarity to drive investment decisions and operational efficiency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Leadership & Business Partnering
• Executive Partnership: Act as the primary financial advisor to 84.51 executives supporting Kroger’s Retail, Marketing and Data/AI pillars, providing insights that influence roadmaps and investment strategies
• Bridge Building: Facilitate seamless financial alignment between 84.51° (tech/data engine) and Kroger (the retail parent), ensuring shared goals and transparent ROI
• Decision Support: Create financial models for new Kroger initiatives including foundational and use-case based data and AI investments, tech stack investments, retail revenue/cost, supply chain & loyalty/marketing strategies. This includes helping leadership navigate short and long-term trade-offs, build-vs-buy-vs-partner decisions and maximization of resource allocations.

Financial Planning & Execution

• FP&A Governance: Lead the coordination of the Annual Budget, Long-Range Plan, and Monthly Forecasting processes for 84.51’s retail support model for Kroger and Kroger’s Data/AI Pillar. Communicate monthly/YTD results to business leadership, explaining key variances to date and their potential implications going forward in a timely and actionable manner.
• Performance Management: Develop and monitor KPIs that track the value delivered and effectiveness of Retail and Data/AI investments, moving beyond standard P&L metrics to measure true business impact to Kroger stakeholders
• Financial Portfolio Management: Work with the Strategy & Operations team to ensure that portfolio initiative benefits as well as personnel and other costs associated with said initiatives are reflected accurately to enable quality decision-making and maximize portfolio ROI
• Collaborate with Accounting: Ensure underlying processes and data governance support the reporting needs of the organization, and that financial transactions are properly accounted for
• Risk & Opportunity Analysis: Proactively identify financial risks in the development pipeline and surface opportunities for cost optimization or revenue generation at Kroger.

Team Development

• Leadership: Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of finance professionals
• Culture: Foster a culture of curiosity, accuracy, and strategic thinking, encouraging the team to look behind the numbers to understand the "why"

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance – (MBA and/or CPA Preferred)
• A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive and relevant financial expertise including significant time in a Finance/FP&A role, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership or people-management role
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex financial data into a narrative for non-finance executives. High emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate a matrixed organization across 84.51 and Kroger
• Experience in Retail, CPG, or Technology/SaaS environments is highly desired. Experience modeling for AI or technical infrastructure is a differentiator
• Independent and creative thinking skills
• Broad experience with ERP systems and reporting solutions (Microsoft D365, Anaplan, PowerBI or similar financial systems preferred)

WHY JOIN US?

• Impact: Work on projects that influence the shopping experiences of millions of households across the US
• Innovation: Be part of the team financing the future of Data/AI in grocery retail
• Culture: Join a company that values "people first," offering a collaborative environment where challenging the status quo is encouraged

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