At UniFirst, we empower people to be their best selves and to do their best work. This is a critical leadership role in UniFirst’s Corporate IT organization and is responsible for providing a portfolio of shared services to both the Enterprise IT department and business operations teams. Day to day this role will focus on providing strategic leadership for the OCITO, including financial management, IT portfolio management and prioritization, IT General Controls, vendor management, change and release management and contract management. This role will also oversee groups responsible for monthly reporting, IT procurement, software licensing compliance, communications, and legal and contract compliance. As a key member of the enterprise IT leadership team, you will partner cross-functionally to formulate and analyze the results, forecasts, and plans for the enterprise IT organization; assesses service costing at global, regional, departmental, and project levels; makes project recommendations; ensures projects adequately meet financial and strategic goals; interacts regularly with the Chief Financial Officer to assess and plan IT spending; and provides ongoing analyses of project benefits and returns on investments.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Chief Information Technology Officer, various IT functional areas, and outside consultants to assess feasibility, determine costs versus benefits, prioritize projects, and develop and implement systems plans that address the Company’s information requirements and adhere to established strategic business and systems objectives.
• Support our Near Shore IT shared services and provide subsidiary support for Nicaragua and Mexico operations as appropriate.
• Lead a team committed to achieving success with highly visible, complex, and multi-faceted projects by effectively partnering with business subject matter experts and various project teams to provide high quality, cost-effective project management, analytic support services, and technical expertise.
• Define, and communicate to business unit leads, support staff and end users, project milestones, service level agreements, project approvals and resource allocation.
• Develop, review, and present budget and forecasting for the global IT functions and any shared services and ensure they comply with stated goals, guidelines, and objectives.
• Ensure that the organizational directions of projects are in line with strategic business plans; execute process improvements in a timely manner.
• Lead and standardize IT communications, including composing presentations and speeches.
• Manage enterprise IT SOX compliance; ensure controls are designed, executed and monitored effectively. Maintain visibility of control status and track any issues to resolution.
• Manage Corporate IT contractors.
• Prepare financial models, business narratives, and presentations related to IT projects to be presented by the incumbent or submitted to the Company’s Investment Committees and executive management.
• Provide financial models and analyses and valuation support for new and existing projects, short- and long-term IT outsourcing contracts, and other ad-hoc financial projects.
• Lead IT contract negotiations related to outsourcing partners and vendor pricing.
• Establish and maintain a prioritized portfolio of programs and projects that represent the basis for all project work to be performed.
• Represent Enterprise IT on all IT Portfolio Investment Committees; validate capacities, financial impacts, budget availability, and external resourcing needs to ensure regional business plans aligned with respective financial plans and enterprise resource coordination.
• Coordinate closely with, and provide relevant information to, the Tax department to ensure expense allocations related to shared services, project schedules, and software expenses are properly reported.
• Plan and draft agendas for important recurring events, executive team meetings, and customer and vendor visits.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree or Chartered Financial Analyst certification required.
• Between 15–20 years of progressive finance experience, including financial modeling and financial planning and analysis in high growth, large enterprise companies that have reached at least $500 million in annual revenues required.
• At least 10 years of management experience required.
• Business unit budgeting and reporting experience required.
• Experience implementing and using enterprise-wide planning tools strongly preferred.
• Experience managing and enhancing an effective budgeting and forecasting process in a very fast paced, dynamic environment required.
• ISO Implementer certification preferred.
• Strong track record of adding value to critical business decisions by using sophisticated financial models and analyses.
• Familiarity with corporate accounting, corporate governance, and managing capital investment approvals.
• Approximately 10% travel may be required in support of the position’s responsibilities.
• Strong organization, planning, and project management skills; ability to prioritize tasks for self and team to meet requirements and deadlines.
• Ability to work with different functional groups and levels of employees to effectively and professionally achieve results.
• Strong leadership skills; ability to drive and motivate team to achieve results.

Benefits & Perks:

401K with Company Match, Profit Sharing, Health Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, 30% Employee Discount, Employee Referral Bonuses.

UniFirst is an international leader in garment & Uniform services industry. We currently employ over 14,000 team partners who serve 300,000 business customer locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

We were included in the top 10 of Selling Power magazine’s “Best Companies to Sell For” list and recognized on Forbes magazine’s “Platinum 400 – Best Big Companies” list. As an 80-year old company focused on annual growth, there’s never been a better time to join our team.

UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws