Business Optimization Strategist

At Van Metre, we believe that each employee contributes directly to our growth, success, and culture, and are seeking a candidate who loves to challenge themselves and work with others to fulfill this role. Van Metre Companies has a Business Optimization Strategist position available!

Reporting to the VP of Financial Planning & Analysis, the Business Optimization Strategist serves as a cross-functional connector between the New Homes division, FP&A, and other core business units. This role blends operational insight with strong financial acumen, analytical rigor, and a solid foundation in accounting and/or finance.

Purpose of the Role

To serve as the strategic bridge between FP&A and the broader New Homes organization—ensuring that operational strategies, reporting, automation, and technology initiatives are financially grounded, operationally relevant, and designed to deliver measurable improvements in decision quality, accuracy, efficiency and bottom-line performance.

Key Responsibilities & Deliverables

1. Lead Operational Discovery & Stakeholder Engagement

• Conduct structured discovery sessions across Purchasing, Operations, Sales, Construction, and other departments.

• Map end-to-end processes and identify pain points, inefficiencies, opportunities and financial impacts.

• Assess how operational gaps or opportunities influence cost management, margin performance, forecasting, and overall P&L outcomes.

2. Translate Operational Pain Points into Financially and Data-Driven Requirements

• Convert discovery insights into actionable requirements for dashboards, automations, workflows, decision-support tools, investment in business segments and changes to operational activities.

• Tie requirements to financial implications such as cost reduction, margin enhancement, forecasting accuracy, or efficiency gains.

• Work with FP&A and NH Operations leadership to prioritize initiatives based on ROI, business value, and strategic alignment.

3. Partner Closely with FP&A Technology and Data Teams

• Collaborate to scope, design, and implement solutions.

• Provide the financial context, business logic, and user requirements needed for development.

• Validate outputs and support rollout, user adoption, and change management.

4. Drive Measurable Financial and Operational Outcomes

• Track improvements in efficiency, accuracy, cost savings, and decision-making quality.

• Develop performance metrics linking operational enhancements to financial outcomes.

• Support strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and scenario analysis through enhanced reporting and automation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Economics, or related field required; advanced degree (MBA, MSF, MSBA, CPA, CFA, etc.) preferred.

• 3–7+ years in roles such as FP&A, Accounting, Finance, Consulting, Business Transformation, or Analytics.

• Strong financial and accounting acumen, costing, budgeting, and forecasting.

• Experience developing business cases and quantifying the financial impact of operational improvements.

• Analytical literacy and comfort working with BI tools and data-centric teams (coding not required).

• Proven communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• Background in Accounting, Finance, FP&A, management consulting, or operations improvement.

• Strong understanding of financial statements, cost structures, revenue drivers, and the financial implications of operational workflows.

• Skilled in process mapping, workflow analysis, and identifying operational and financial bottlenecks.

• Demonstrated expertise in data-driven problem solving, including the ability to interpret financial and operational data trends.

• Comfortable partnering with technical teams (FP&A Technology, DBA, Analytics, Software Development) to develop automation, reporting, and decision-support tools.

• Strong communication and facilitation skills with the ability to translate complex issues into actionable recommendations.

Success Measures

• Clear, measurable improvements to operational and financial performance.

• Reduction in manual work and improved data accuracy across departments.

• Successful delivery and adoption of decision-support tools that enhance forecasting, margin insights, and operational clarity.

Working Requirements

• Role requires up to three days per week of in person work at Broadlands and Winchester offices

Benefits Information

Van Metre offers excellent benefits, and a work environment that fosters and rewards excellence. We also promote work/life balance, including a robust Employee Wellness Program. We encourage employees to make full use of vacation and other company-paid leave to refresh their bodies and minds.

• Paid Time Off: 11 paid holidays; 10 vacation days, 10 sick days, Two Volunteer Days off, Two Personal Days, Winter Break, Day off for Annual Physical, Day off for your Birthday; comprehensive parental and bonding leave

• Retirement Planning: Company Matched 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan; access to retirement planning coaches

• Wellness: Annual Wellness Reimbursement of up to $900

• Professional Development: tuition reimbursement; company paid certifications, memberships, and licensures; mentoring programs; growth paths; regular performance evaluations and training opportunities

• Discounts: Rental and Van Metre Home purchase discounts; employee discount through Walker Title Company

Van Metre Core Values

Integrity; Ownership; Respect and Dignity; Diversity and Inclusion; Teamwork; Community; Work/Life Balance

Van Metre Mission Statement

The mission of Van Metre Companies is to build and continually improve upon the storied reputation, earned over the years since the Company’s founding in 1955, of providing top quality homes, investment properties and services to our customers and clients. The Company’s emphasis on integrity, professionalism and philanthropy ingrained by our founder Albert G. Van Metre, Sr. has garnered trust and respect in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond. It is critical to our future that we maintain that reputation and assure that Van Metre Companies continues to excel in real estate development and construction and in the management of apartment, retail and office investment properties, as well as in the provision of mortgage and related services. It is the task of our dedicated, energetic, and involved professionals to advance our ability to set the benchmark for luxury living and refined commercial development. The capstone of our mission is to make the “Van Metre” signature an icon for elegant residential communities, and industry leading condominium and apartment communities, as well as Class A neighborhood retail centers and office developments.