Title:  Sr Director, Product Finance

Job Summary

The Senior Director, Product Finance is the financial leader and trusted business partner for NetApp's Product organization, spanning the Hybrid Cloud and Public Cloud businesses. Reporting to the SVP of Finance and working in close, embedded partnership with the EVP of Product and the Product leadership team, this role leads the Product Finance team and owns the financial rigor behind growth, margin, and investment decisions for the business.

This is a hands-on operating and leadership role: the Senior Director translates strategy into financial plans, brings predictive analytics to pricing and margin decisions, drives disciplined opex/capex management, and builds a high-performing team. The role also serves as a change agent for finance modernization, championing AI-enabled tools and process improvements that increase the speed and quality of decision-making across Product Finance.

** This ia a hybrid role in San Jose, CA with in office expectations of 3 days per week. **

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Business Partnering

• Serve as the primary finance partner to the EVP of Product and the Product leadership team, embedding financial insight into growth, launch, and investment decisions.
• Lead and develop the Product Finance team, setting priorities, cadence, and accountability across long-range planning, annual budgeting, and quarterly forecasting.
• Partner on major strategic initiatives — new product launches, hyperscaler and partner deals, and multi-million-dollar revenue opportunities — providing business-case rigor and financial risk assessment.
• Own completion of the annual operating plan (AOP) for the Product organization through clear ownership, cadence, and cross-functional interlock.

Profitability & Margin Management

• Deliver predictive margin analytics that inform pricing actions, discount strategy, and order prioritization; partner with GTM and Pricing teams on price setting and getting.
• Manage controllable margin levers (cost structure, accounting treatment, timing) to sustain and improve gross margin across Hybrid Cloud and Public Cloud segments.
• Improve visibility into product-level and offering-level P&L performance, surfacing trends, risks, and opportunities for leadership action.

Planning, Forecasting & Investment Discipline

• Direct opex planning with Product leadership to identify and deliver efficiency programs, while shaping reinvestment plans that fund targeted growth initiatives.
• Lead capex prioritization and business-case development for key investments, balancing growth enablement with disciplined capital allocation.
• Institutionalize best practices in forecasting and financial execution to improve accuracy, agility, and accountability across the Product Finance team.

Process Modernization & Innovation

• Champion AI-enabled and automated finance tools (e.g., predictive analytics, intelligent reporting) to reduce manual effort and accelerate decision cycles.
• Identify and lead process improvement initiatives that increase the scalability and efficiency of Product Finance operations.
• Partner cross-functionally with Corporate FP&A, Supply Chain, and GTM Finance to align methodology, data, and reporting standards.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build and lead a high-performing, engaged Product Finance team; set goals, provide coaching, and create clear growth paths for team members.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, recognition, and psychological safety, while maintaining high standards of analytical rigor and accountability.
• Act as a credible, visible leader within the broader Finance organization and a role model for cross-functional partnership.

Outcomes the role will deliver

• Reliable, Actionable Financial Plans: Accurate AOP, forecasts, and financial analysis that give Product and Finance leadership confidence to make timely decisions.
• Sustained Margin Performance: Continued improvement and protection of product and segment gross margins through disciplined, data-driven pricing and cost management.
• Disciplined Investment Outcomes: Opex and capex plans that fund growth priorities while capturing efficiency and productivity gains.
• Modernized Finance Operations: Adoption of AI and automation tools that measurably reduce cycle time and increase analytical throughput.
• A Strong, Scalable Team: A capable, motivated Product Finance organization with clear development paths and succession depth.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field; MBA or CPA preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive finance experience, including several years in a financial leadership or FP&A leadership role, ideally within technology, cloud, or hardware/software businesses.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience managing team members and leading through organizational change or transition.
• Strong command of financial planning, forecasting, margin analysis, and business-case development, with the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations.
• Experience partnering directly with senior (VP/EVP-level) business leaders and influencing decisions without direct authority.
• Comfortable in operating in fast-paced, ambiguous, and occasionally high-pressure environments (e.g., quarter-end close, pricing decisions, supply constraints).
• Familiarity with AI-enabled analytics or automation tools, and an interest in driving finance process modernization, is a strong plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the executive presence to deliver recommendation-led updates to senior leadership.