Sr. Financial Analyst - Accounting

Position Summary

The Senior Financial Analyst supports plant accounting and financial operations by delivering detailed analysis, supporting month-end close activities, and serving as a key liaison between Operations and Accounting. This role plays a critical part in ensuring financial accuracy while providing insights that enhance operational and financial performance.

This position requires strong analytical capability, attention to detail, and critical thinking to interpret data, identify issues, and develop actionable insights. This role also contributes to continuous improvement by leveraging data analytics, automation, and process enhancements to improve reporting efficiency, data quality, and decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Month-End Close Execution Support
• Support month-end close activities, including accrual preparation, reconciliations, and financial analysis
• Validate financial data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with operational activity
• Assist in preparation and review of supporting schedules and documentation for audit readiness
• Identify and resolve data discrepancies to reduce rework and improve close efficiency
• Financial Analysis & Reporting
• Perform detailed variance and trend analysis to identify key drivers impacting plant performance
• Monitor manufacturing, maintenance, and indirect costs and escalate significant issues
• Support preparation of financial reports, dashboards, and management reporting outputs
• Track trends during close and provide timely insights to support decision-making
• Translate financial results into actionable insights that drive cost control and operational improvements
• Operations & Accounting Liaison
• Serve as a primary interface between Operations and Accounting to ensure accurate financial representation
• Partner with operational teams to understand cost drivers, validate assumptions, and improve data quality
• Communicate financial results and insights in a clear, actionable manner to non-finance stakeholders
• Monthly Cost Review & Performance Management
• Support and actively contribute to monthly cost review meetings with plant leadership
• Analyze fixed, variable, and maintenance cost performance and provide clear variance explanations
• Identify cost trends, risks, and opportunities and escalate key issues to Controllers and Operations
• Drive accountability by ensuring follow-up actions are defined and tracked
• Assist in improving cost transparency and consistency in reporting across plant functions
• Executive Presentation Support
• Support development of monthly financial reporting materials, including analysis, variance commentary, and supporting schedules
• Translate financial data into structured insights that support leadership discussions and decision-making
• Data Analytics, Automation & Process Improvement
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, forecasting, and analysis through data and automation
• Build and enhance dashboards, models, and reporting tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI)
• Perform exploratory analysis to identify trends, anomalies, and operational insights
• Apply statistical and analytical techniques (e.g., trend analysis, regression, forecasting) to support decision-making
• Partner with IT/data teams to improve data pipelines, data integrity, and accessibility
• Automate repetitive processes to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort
• Support development of scalable, repeatable analytical processes and tools
• Continuous Improvement & Ownership
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, analysis, and close processes
• Take ownership of assigned areas and proactively resolve issues
• Support cross-training and process documentation efforts
• Promote a data-driven and continuous improvement mindset within the finance organization

Key Competencies

• Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Attention to Detail & Financial Accuracy
• Business Partnering
• Communication & Data Storytelling
• Ownership & Accountability
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Technical Curiosity/Finance Technology Adaptability

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate and timely close support with well‑documented analyses
• Clear, actionable financial insights provided to Controllers and Operations
• Effective participation in monthly cost reviews with meaningful value-added analysis
• Increased use of data, dashboards, and automation to enhance decision-making
• Reduced rework through improved data quality, process discipline, and documentation
• Effective balance of execution (staff accounting) and insight (analysis and projects)
• Strong partnership with Operations and credibility as a trusted advisor

Skills & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

• 5+ years of experience in plant/manufacturing accounting or financial analysis

• Strong understanding of:

• Cost accounting (fixed, variable, maintenance)

• Manufacturing operations and cost drivers

• Month-end close and reconciliation processes

• Advanced Excel skills, including:

• Pivot tables, Power Query, complex formulas, and financial modeling

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to interpret complex financial data

• Experience working cross-functionally with Operations teams

Preferred / High-Value Skills

Analytics & Tools

• Experience with data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent)
• Ability to work with large datasets and build scalable reporting solutions
• Familiarity with database concepts and data extraction (SQL a plus)

Advanced Analysis

• Experience applying statistical or analytical techniques (trend analysis, forecasting, regression)
• Ability to identify patterns and insights beyond standard reporting

Finance Technology & Automation

• Experience improving processes through automation or system enhancements
• ERP experience (Oracle preferred) and understanding of data flows between systems
• Exposure to analytics tools, scripting, or emerging technologies (e.g., Python, AI tools) is a plus but not required

Business & Communication

• Strong communication skills with ability to translate financial data into business insights
• Ability to influence and partner with operations leadership
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

All applicants must be eligible to work for any employer in the United States without needing any company sponsorship.