Senior FP&A Cost Analyst

About the role

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for a Senior FP&A Cost Analyst to join our Ashland Inc. business. This is an on-site position based at our Calvert City, Kentucky location with the option to work from home 2 days/week. This is a very visible, significant role within the Company and the Finance function.

Responsibilities

• Provide key decision support and business insight to Operations (manufacturing and supply chain) leadership team and overall Ashland executive leadership team
• Optimize the financial reporting process and effectively generate monthly, quarterly and year-end financial statements together with periodic reforecasts and detailed bridges and variance analytics to explain past and projected results
• Oversee plant financial operations, lead business planning, assist site manager with expense budgeting, calculate burden rates, and review/adjust allocations and assessments across multiple manufacturing sites
• Proactively take on challenges, drive investigative analysis, and implement actions to drive plant efficiencies and optimization
• Identify trends and areas for management attention, indicators of business activity, and other analysis and reporting to support executives and senior management
• Collaborate with plant management to improve manufacturing processes, identify cost savings opportunities, and increase profitability
• Lead economic evaluations of capital projects and other financial models as needed
• Participate in special projects. Ad hoc reporting and analysis supporting internal customers as required
• Travel less than 10%

Qualifications

• BA/BS Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Management
• 7-10 years of progressive finance experience, preferably in Cost Accounting, FP&A or Business Analysis with an emphasis in Manufacturing Operations in a complex multi-plant, integrated global business
• Strong knowledge of general accounting and financial reporting
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing and cost accounting
• Strong analytical skills, financial planning and analysis background
• High proficiency in MS Excel is required along with a basic knowledge of SAP, Microsoft PowerBI or similar ERP, analytical query applications
• Must demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to work under tight deadlines
• Strive for continuous improvement and be highly self-directed

Preferred Skills

• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally at all levels of the organization
• Experience with SAP or S4HANA and/or Qliktech
• CPA/ CMA/ MBA a plus
• Experience in complex manufacturing cost accounting and SAP S4HANA preferred