Director, FP&A - Product & Engineering

Freshworks•San Mateo, CA

1d•$230,000 - $270,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We're looking for a seasoned FP&A leader to join our R&D Finance team as a Director, partnering closely with our Product and Engineering organizations. Reporting to the VP of Finance, this role sits at the intersection of strategy, cloud economics, and execution. You'll be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, helping drive smart investment decisions, financial discipline, and operational excellence in a high-growth, cloud-first environment.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in FP&A
Deep expertise in public cloud financial management (AWS and Azure), including cost governance, forecasting, and optimization
Ability to influence all levels of leadership to drive actions, behaviors, decisions, and business outcomes
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel/ Google Sheets to analyze complex business scenarios by building/improving financial models
Proven experience partnering with senior Product and Engineering leaders
Solid accounting foundation, ideally in a SaaS or software environment
Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex ideas clearly and confidently
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with multiple priorities

Nice To Haves

Experience in high-tech, SaaS, or cloud-native companies is a plus
Familiarity with SaaS and cloud computing business models is a plus
MBA is a plus

Responsibilities

Be a Strategic Partner
Act as a trusted finance partner to Product and Engineering leadership, supporting 1-year and 3-year strategic planning
Proactively surface risks and opportunities tied to growth, product roadmap, and investment trade-offs
Influence decisions and outcomes through data-backed insights, storytelling, and strong executive presence
Own Cloud Financial Management & Optimization
Lead and track public cloud optimization initiatives in close partnership with Engineering teams
Build clear visibility into cloud spend, unit economics, and run-rates for leadership
Drive savings through rightsizing, reserved instance/committed use management, storage optimization, and workload scheduling
Develop and maintain cloud cost dashboards using native tools (e.g., AWS Cost Explorer, Google Cloud Billing) and third-party platforms
Forecasting, Budgeting & Modeling
Build robust forecasts and budgets for R&D and cloud spend based on headcount, usage patterns, and product plans
Create financial models to support strategic initiatives, go-to-market investments, and ROI analysis
Partner with Corporate and GTM FP&A teams to align assumptions, KPIs, and financial plans
Vendor & Spend Management
Lead large cloud and infrastructure purchase orders, renewals, and negotiations
Support vendor selection with pricing analysis, build-vs-buy evaluations, and business cases
Ensure strong financial controls, compliance, and cost-effective procurement
Reporting & Operational Excellence
Prepare month-end close packages, variance analyses, and executive reporting to provide transparency into business performance
Partner closely with Accounting and cross-functional teams to ensure accuracy and alignment
Define and track KPIs that drive better decision-making and execution