Director of Strategic Finance & Valuation

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation.

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

Director, Strategic FP&A & Valuation

Primary Title: Director, Strategic FP&A & Finance Valuation
Department: Global Finance & Business Operations
Location: Seattle, WA / Hybrid / Remote-Flex
Position Type: Regular Full-Time
Reports To: Sr Director of FP&A

Come Work at a Team Where Innovation and Teamwork Come First

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications and APIs that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse, high-trust F5 community where each individual can thrive.

Position Summary

F5 is transforming rapidly across our multicloud application security and delivery portfolios, software platforms, and business models. As our enterprise grows into new strategic markets and integrates recent M&A investments, our Finance organization is actively shifting from traditional, reactive reporting to proactive, high-impact strategic advisory and agile financial planning.

We are seeking an analytically rigorous, commercially astute, and inspirational Director, Strategic FP&A & Valuation to support broader corporate financial planning initiatives. This is a unique hybrid leadership role structured around two core pillars: approximately 50% focused on leading high-impact, enterprise-wide Strategic FP&A initiatives that bridge qualitative operating plans to quantitative results, and 50% providing specialized valuation, scenario modeling, and M&A synergy tracking across broader finance organization.

Note on Organizational Scope: Given the dynamic pace of transformation at F5, this role is intentionally designed with an evolving mandate. Specific workstreams, project ownership, and focus areas will adapt over time based on ongoing mutual collaboration, business needs, and emerging enterprise priorities.

What You’ll Do: Primary Responsibilities

Strategic FP&A & Enterprise Initiatives (50%)

• Translate Qualitative Strategy into Quantitative Narratives: Collaborate across business and finance teams to uncover the operational rationale behind strategic initiatives. Build cohesive, data-backed storylines that explain the "why" behind financial forecasts, variances, and investment demands, presenting a unified picture to executive leadership.
• Forecast Agility & Structural Model Evolution: Build and refine dynamic forecasting frameworks to address shifting business lines, corporate reorganizations, and evolving reporting categories (e.g., perpetual systems transitions, subscription/SaaS expansion, and new solution offerings).
• Cross-Functional Finance Integration: Serve as a central connector across core finance groups—partnering closely with peer FP&A teams, treasury, accounting, and operations to align operational roadmaps with corporate financial plans and long-range targets.

Corporate Valuation & M&A Support (50%)

• Valuation Center of Excellence: Serve as the subject matter expert on corporate and asset valuation methodologies, building institutional-grade discounted cash flow (DCF) models, cost of capital assessments, and sensitivity frameworks to inform major strategic bets.
• Full-Lifecycle M&A Financial Tracking: Partner with Corporate Development from pre-deal financial diligence through post-close integration. Establish robust processes to absorb acquisitions into baseline financial models, track synergy realization against underwriting targets, and deliver actionable feedback loops back to deal teams.
• Internal Venture & Investment Hurdle Analysis: Adapt institutional M&A valuation techniques to evaluate internal venture bets, incubation programs, and cross-functional strategic investments against rigorous hurdle rates.

Financial Process Innovation

• Automate & Modernize Workflows: Identify recurring analytical friction points across the finance organization. Spearhead initiatives to build standardized dashboards, eliminate redundant modeling cycles, and expand self-service data access for business partners.
• Standardize Operational Cadences: Help design and institutionalize standard quarterly calendars, milestone schedules, and reporting cadences to make planning cycles predictable and proactive.
• Finance Process and Automation Champion: Act as an internal catalyst for adopting AI-driven workflows and modern analytical tools. Listen for day-to-day modeling pain points across the team, identifying opportunities where automation and generative AI can streamline manual tasks and accelerate delivery.

Leadership, Culture & People Development

• Foster Psychological Safety: Lead with a servant-leadership mindset, cultivating an open culture of psychological safety where team members feel encouraged to voice ideas for process improvement, speak up about inefficiencies, and take smart risks.
• Upskill & Mentor Financial Talent: Provide hands-on coaching to junior and mid-level analysts across finance, elevating team capabilities in financial modeling best practices, valuation theory, and executive storytelling.
• Embody BeF5 & LeadF5: Champion F5’s core values (Excellence, Freedom & Responsibility, Human-First) and leadership behaviors in every cross-functional engagement.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Mastery of Valuation & Financial Modeling: Proven expertise in corporate valuation techniques (DCF, comparable company/transaction analysis, LBO logic, and scenario-based forecasting), with the ability to build clear, modular financial models from the ground up.
• Broad Enterprise Business Acumen: Comprehensive understanding of enterprise software, hybrid cloud economics, recurring revenue (ARR), gross margin drivers, and operating leverage.
• Executive Presentation & Storytelling: Proven ability to distill complex financial and operational mechanics into crisp, compelling qualitative narratives for executive leadership.
• Process Automation & Modern Analytics: Experience leveraging modern planning and BI software (e.g., Adaptive, Anaplan, Workday, Power BI, Tableau) alongside an enthusiasm for integrating modern automation and AI tools into everyday finance workflows.
• Thriving in Ambiguity: Ability to operate successfully in an evolving role with broad boundaries, proactively carving out high-value projects and establishing collaborative partnerships across teams.
• Collaborative Leadership: Demonstrated track record of leading through influence, building strong working relationships across diverse stakeholder groups, and championing continuous process improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related quantitative discipline. An MBA, CFA charter, or ASA/valuation certification is highly regarded.
• Experience: 8–12+ years of progressive experience in strategic FP&A, corporate valuation, corporate development, investment banking, or financial advisory, with substantial exposure to technology/SaaS companies.
• Track Record: Demonstrated success leading enterprise-level financial planning initiatives, building valuation frameworks, tracking M&A synergies, or implementing financial automation.
• People & Project Leadership: Proven experience managing cross-functional initiatives, coaching analysts, and partnering directly with senior finance executives.

Physical and Environmental Demands

• Duties are typically performed in a standard office environment or dedicated home-office setting.
• Duties require the ability to utilize standard computer equipment, financial spreadsheets, and collaboration software for extended periods.
• Occasional domestic or international travel may be required (approximately 10–15%).

Why F5?

At F5, our culture is our competitive advantage. We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary, annual performance bonus, comprehensive medical/dental/vision coverage, 401(k) company match, generous equity grants (RSUs), flexible paid time off, and dedicated wellness benefits.

F5 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5’s differing products, industries, and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.

You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits. More details about F5’s benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.f5.com/company/careers/benefits. F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice.

Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com).

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting accommodations@f5.com.

We source and recruit the best, diverse talent for F5.

Hybrid: Employees within 50 commutable miles of a primary F5 office are required to work from the office Tuesday-Thursday (starting Feb. 1, 2027).

About Us

Together, we're building a better digital world.

Founded in 1996, F5 is a global leader in application delivery and security. Our premier platform helps customers secure and deliver every app, API, and piece of infrastructure across all environments. Backed by over three decades of expertise and 553 patents, our solutions protect against threats while ensuring fast, reliable digital experiences.

With over 6,400 employees, we serve more than 23,000 customers in over 170 countries. To continue this work, we need people like you—the best minds in the industry. We're committed to a unique, human-first culture that encourages authenticity, prioritizes diversity and inclusion, and fosters the growth and success of our employees.