Director, Brand Finance

Position Summary

Grand Circle Corporation is seeking a strategic and commercially minded Director, Brand Finance to serve as an embedded financial leader within our Front-End organization. This role is accountable for driving brand-specific annual profit goals while acting as a trusted business partner across Brand Marketing, New Customer Acquisition, FP&A, Creative, and Digital Customer Experience teams.

What You’ll Do

• Brand Profit Accountability

• Drive achievement of brand-specific annual profit goals through strategic decision-making and financial leadership
• Identify profit risks and opportunities across the brand P&L, including revenue, margins, acquisition costs, and product contribution
• Develop action plans to address financial gaps and improve overall performance
• Bring a strong commercial mindset to brand decisions, challenging assumptions and advocating for high-return business choices
• Forecasting, Planning & Financial Strategy
• Lead the monthly forecasting process end-to-end, delivering accurate and timely financial projections
• Own annual budgeting activities in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders
• Build scenario models and sensitivity analyses to support decision-making under evolving market conditions
• Continuously improve forecasting accuracy, planning processes, and financial visibility
• Itinerary Profitability & Business Analysis
• Lead strategic analysis of itinerary-level profitability across the travel portfolio
• Evaluate product mix, demand trends, pricing structures, and cost drivers to improve margins
• Partner with Brand Management and cross-functional teams to implement financially impactful recommendations
• Track performance outcomes and refine strategies to maximize contribution and profitability
• Pricing Strategy & Competitive Intelligence
• Provide financial guidance and analysis on pricing decisions, balancing revenue growth, margin targets, and market competitiveness
• Monitor competitor pricing, positioning, and market trends across key itineraries and destinations
• Translate competitive intelligence and internal performance data into actionable pricing recommendations
• Partner with Brand Management, Revenue Management, and FP&A on pricing frameworks and optimization strategies
• Cross-Functional Partnership
• Serve as an embedded finance partner across Marketing, Acquisition, Creative, FP&A, and Digital teams
• Participate actively in planning cycles, campaign reviews, and go-to-market discussions
• Ensure financial considerations are integrated into strategic decisions from the outset
• Align brand-level planning and forecasting with enterprise financial objectives
• Executive Communication & Reporting
• Develop executive-ready presentations and reporting packages for senior leadership
• Translate complex financial data into clear, actionable business insights
• Represent Front-End Finance in leadership reviews and cross-functional planning sessions
• Team Leadership & Development
• Lead, mentor, and develop one direct report, providing coaching, feedback, and growth opportunities
• Build scalable financial processes and reporting infrastructure to increase team effectiveness
• Foster a culture of accountability, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Required:

• 8+ years of progressive finance experience with strong business partnering and P&L ownership experience
• Proven track record influencing commercial, brand, marketing, or business decisions through financial analysis and strategic insight
• Deep expertise in forecasting, budgeting, financial modeling, and scenario analysis
• Strong understanding of P&L drivers, profitability analysis, and variance management
• Experience contributing to pricing strategy and competitive analysis initiatives
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including experience presenting to executive leadership
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority
• Experience managing and developing direct reports
• Advanced Excel and financial analytics/reporting skills
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field

• PREFERRED:

• Preferred MBA or advanced degree in a quantitative or business-related field
• Experience within travel, hospitality, direct-to-consumer, or subscription-based business models
• Familiarity with SQL, Essbase, Tableau, or similar analytical tools
• Experience partnering closely with marketing, product, and digital organizations