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.

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.
  • Aid 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.
  • Maintain monitoring of 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

Required Skills & Experience

• 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

  • 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)

• Experience working with large datasets and building 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

Eligibility

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