Finance Manager - Cost Optimization

Overview: In this role you support Lowe's efforts to manage product costs, protect margins, and uncover cost reductions across the business. You will partner with Merchandising, Finance, Sourcing and other teams to evaluate cost changes, analyze drivers, and build data-driven recommendations. Your work translates complex data into clear insights for financial and non-financial partners, with a focus on risk mitigation and profitability. This role offers exposure to supplier negotiations, market factors like tariffs, and cross-functional collaboration at a Fortune 500 home improvement company.

Responsibilities: Develop detailed financial analyses and cost models to evaluate cost changes, tariffs, and other cost drivers; identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve margins. Collaborate with Merchandising to assess supplier proposals and support fact-based negotiation strategies balancing cost, pricing, margin, inventory, and profitability. Evaluate supplier cost requests by analyzing cost drivers, benchmarking market conditions, and identifying challenges or offsets to proposed increases. Monitor commodity markets, tariffs, freight, labor costs, and external indicators to develop mitigation strategies for risks and opportunities. Support cost reduction initiatives by conducting financial analysis, validating savings, and preparing negotiation materials. Facilitate forecasting, planning, and reporting related to product costs, supplier changes, and savings performance. Communicate financial and market intelligence to partners and leadership via analyses and presentations that translate data into actionable insights. Maintain tracking of supplier actions, negotiation outcomes, cost reductions, savings realized, and KPIs. Collaborate cross-functionally with Merchandising, Finance, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Pricing and other partners to pursue cost opportunities and profitability goals. Balance multiple projects in a fast-paced retail environment with accuracy and customer-focused partnership.

Key requirements: Experience supporting Merchandising within a large retail organization Experience evaluating supplier cost changes or supporting supplier negotiations Experience with commodity markets, cost drivers, sourcing, or cost management Knowledge of tariffs, international trade, or global sourcing Experience with business intelligence, data visualization, or tools such as Power BI Experience developing financial models for business or negotiation decisions Fortune 500 experience MBA, CPA, CMA, or other advanced degree or certification Key skillscollaboration analytical problem solving clear communication financial modeling data analysis Power BI