Financial Analyst, Category Controlling

A Career at HARMAN
As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.
About the Role
The Financial Analyst, Category Controlling plays an important role in connecting finance and the business, partnering with Product Category, Engineering, and cross-functional teams to drive financial visibility, accountability, and decision-making across the product portfolio. As part of the Sound United SBU finance team, the role provides analysis and insights that support profitable growth and the achievement of strategic and financial objectives.
The ideal candidate is analytical, collaborative, and proactive, with the ability to translate complex financial data into actionable business insights.
What You Will Do
Analyze product category performance, including revenue, gross margin, pricing, product mix, profitability, and key business drivers providing actionable insights to support decision-making.
Perform financial analysis and scenario modeling to support product category evaluation, prioritization, and category investment decisions.
Partner with Product Category and Engineering teams to develop and evaluate business cases, validate financial assumptions, and assess investment opportunities.
Evaluate post-launch product performance against business case assumptions, profitability targets, and return expectations.
Compile, analyze, and reconcile actual results versus budget and forecast, identifying key variances, risks, and opportunities.
Develop and maintain financial models, category performance reporting, dashboards, and key performance metrics (KPIs) to enhance business visibility.
Support the development of the annual Global R&D budget across shared engineering resources and product categories.
Ensure financial data integrity across ERP and reporting systems.
Identify opportunities to improve reporting efficiency and data visibility through automation and process improvements.
Support special projects, strategic initiatives, and ad hoc analyses as requested.
What You Need to Be Successful
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
3-5 years of progressive finance, accounting, or related experience.
Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and business performance analysis.
Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams, departments, and management levels, translating complex financial data into meaningful business insights.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Experience with SAP or other large ERP systems, including working with large datasets, reporting tools, and financial systems.
Availability to engage in meetings, calls, and collaborative activities outside normal business hours as required to effectively support a global organization and ensure alignment across international regions.
Bonus Points if You Have
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or other business intelligence tools.
Experience building profitability models, business cases, and KPI dashboards.
Ability to thoughtfully utilize AI technologies to enhance understanding, support analysis, streamline workflows, and improve efficiency, while exercising independent judgment and critical thinking.
Salary Ranges:
$ 78,750 - $ 115,500
HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.