Senior Business Manager

Building A Brand Starts With Our Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency serving clients in various industries including financial services technology new & traditional media aerospace healthcare and professional services. FIRST has received numerous accolades including being listed among the 2025 Most Innovative Marketing Agencies of the Year by Chief Marketer named Top Agency of the Year 2024 by Event Marketer highlighted as a Global Agency of the Year over 100 Employees by C&IT and listed among the 200 Top Marketing Agencies in& 2022 by Chief Marketer.

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Location: NYC First Office (hybrid)

What You Would Get To Do:

The Senior Business Manager is responsible for translating financial and operational data into actionable insights that improve efficiency profitability and delivery outcomes for a dedicated account or department. This role focuses on the how and why behind business results owning performance frameworks operational KPIs and analytics that inform day-to-day decision-making. Working closely with functional leaders across Operations FP&A Client Services P&C and Finance the Senior Manager drives process improvement resource optimization and performance discipline across a large complex client organization ensuring the business operates against clear metrics and executes measurable improvement initiatives at scale.

Your Contributions:

Business Performance & Analytics

• Own and evolve the business units performance management framework including operational and financial KPIs dashboards and reporting cadence.
• Lead deep-dive analysis into performance variances identifying root causes across utilization labor cost delivery efficiency and service quality.
• Translate complex datasets into clear insights and narratives for functional and senior leaders to drive informed action.
• Ensure a consistent single source of truth for operational and performance data.

Operational Effectiveness & Process Improvement

• Identify productivity gaps and operational inefficiencies; design and implement targeted improvement initiatives.
• Partner with functional leaders to develop and track action plans tied to cost control margin improvement and delivery effectiveness.
• Drive optimization of resource deployment models staffing approaches and operational workflows.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align teams on performance issues corrective actions and measurable outcomes.

Financial & Commercial Support

• Support budgeting forecasting and performance tracking for the business unit with a strong emphasis on operational drivers rather than pure financial reporting.
• Provide analytical support for pricing labor models and cost structures to improve profitability and predictability.
• Monitor financial and operational risks escalating issues and recommending corrective actions as needed.

Stakeholder Partnership & Influence

• Act as a trusted performance advisor to senior functional leaders influencing decisions through data-backed insight rather than authority.
• Collaborate closely with Finance FP&A and Commercial teams to ensure alignment between financial outcomes and operational execution.
• Challenge assumptions constructively and hold leaders accountable to agreed performance commitments.

Other

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required for this position. The employee may be asked to perform other duties and responsibilities as necessary.

What We Are Looking For:

Please be aware that we know experience does not always look like we describe it. If you believe you would be an excellent fit for this role please apply - we would love to see how you could fit atFIRST. Please contact if you need an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience including senior stakeholder and client-facing leadership in complex matrixed environments.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams driving accountability collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen with deep understanding of P&L dynamics cost structures and resource economics in professional services or project-based settings.
• Demonstrated capability to translate financial insight into operational execution delivering measurable improvements in efficiency margin and delivery outcomes.
• Advanced analytical problem-solving and decision-making skills using financial and non-financial data to diagnose issues and implement scalable solutions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with BI and data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI Tableau) preferred with advanced data skills (SQL/Python) a plus.
• Excellent communication and influence skills able to engage effectively at all organizational levels.
• Highly organized adaptable and composed under pressure with strong prioritization skills and a collaborative results-driven working style.
• Bachelors Degree Preferred
• This role is hybrid and must go into the FIRST office 2 days per week (Tuesdays are mandatory and one additional day determined by the team) subject to change at any time.
• Requires ability to work other shifts and weekends and in excess of 40 hours/week as necessary
• Requirement to travel domestically and may require international travel when necessary
• Essential physical requirements including standing sitting typing handling of materials including lifting / moving item

United States Residents: The base pay for this position ranges from $00. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

Please note the national salary range listed in the job posting reflects the new hire salary range across various U.S. locations that would be applicable to the position. Within the range individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors including job-related skills experience and relevant education or training.

At FIRST we believe that our success is driven by the passion creativity and commitment of our teams. Thats why we offer a range of benefits and perks to support your personal and professional growth:

• Medical Dental & Vision which includes the option of a high deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA)
• 401 (k)
• Five Flexible Spending Accounts Options
• Generous Paid Time Off Allowance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Life Disability & Pet Coverages
• Wellness Stipend
• Mobile Phone Allowance
• Complimentary access to Headspace Teladoc Maven Rocket Lawyer Mobilo & more
• Aura Identity Theft Protection
• Discretionary Bonus Structure
• Global Opportunities: With a presence in 7 countries worldwide including headquarters in London New York and Singapore you may have the opportunity to work on exciting projects across different locations.

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