Financial Analyst II, Plant Operations, Cost Accounting

Leonardo Helicopters is a multinational company producing helicopters deployed in more than 150 countries. The U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia houses a world-class production facility, maintenance center, training academy, and engineering team.

About the role

The Financial Analyst II – Plant Operations, Cost Accounting supports cost accounting, operational financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, month-end close, inventory reporting, and plant performance management within a manufacturing environment. This role partners with Plant Operations, Warehouse, Materials Management, Procurement, and other cross-functional stakeholders to provide accurate, timely, and actionable financial analysis for business decisions, cost visibility, internal controls, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support monthly variance analysis for Plant Operations cost centers, including actual vs. budget/forecast review, trend analysis, cost center performance monitoring, and communication of key risks and opportunities to Finance leadership and operational stakeholders.
• Partner with cost center owners to understand cost drivers, explain variances, and support corrective action planning.
• Support inventory-related analysis and reporting, including inventory monitoring, goods receipt activity, cycle count support, moving average cost monitoring, material management financial impacts, and operational issue escalation.
• Assist in identifying SAP/process issues impacting inventory accuracy, cost recognition, and financial reporting.
• Support month-end close activities and recurring financial reporting packages, including preparation of cost accounting reporting packs, accrual support, economic scorecard inputs, balance scorecard inputs, AFC reporting, cost of labor reporting, and analysis of cost accounting results.
• Provide support for the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes for Plant Operations and related cost centers, including forecast preparation, cost center reviews, budget templates, YoY cost driver analysis, and functional alignment.
• Support SAP cost center hierarchy updates, allocation model changes, Internal Order/WBS creation, and purchase requisition verification/approval flow.
• Assist with analysis of COGS (Under/Over), manufacturing variances, inventory-related variances, and other variances for monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting.
• Support internal and external audit requests by preparing audit documentation, reconciliations, and process support related to cost accounting, inventory, and plant operations.
• Maintain compliance with internal control requirements, company narratives, and applicable accounting policies.
• Generate and maintain process documentation for cost accounting and plant operations finance activities; identify opportunities to improve reporting, streamline processes, and strengthen controls.
• Provide financial analysis and reporting support for special projects, operational initiatives, management requests, and cross-functional business performance improvement efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance strongly preferred; other business-related fields with a focus on data analytics will be considered.
• 2-5 years of experience in Cost Accounting, Financial Analysis, FP&A, Operations Finance, or Public Accounting with a focus on manufacturing clients.
• Experience in a manufacturing, aerospace, defense, industrial, or other operational environment strongly preferred.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Exceptional benefits
• 401k match
• Generous paid time off