A leading manufacturing company is seeking a hands-on, strategic finance leader to oversee cost accounting and financial planning functions across its operations. This is a high-impact role partnering closely with operations, supply chain, and corporate finance teams to drive insights, efficiency, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning cycles for the business, with a strong focus on cost analysis and operational performance.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, monitor standard vs. actual variances, and develop actionable reporting to explain trends and deviations.
• Partner with plant and engineering teams to maintain and adjust product cost structures and standard rates.
• Manage month-end close activities, including journal entries, variance analysis, and preparation of P&Ls by product line or business unit.
• Oversee the annual standard cost roll process, ensuring accuracy in cost allocations and alignment with financial goals.
• Provide financial leadership on product development initiatives, pricing strategies, and capital investment decisions.
• Conduct in-depth product margin, price/volume, and mix analyses to support strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate with procurement and inventory teams to align purchasing strategies and optimize working capital.
• Maintain and improve the cost accounting framework and reporting tools; implement updates as needed to support evolving business needs.
• Lead annual physical inventory and support cycle count programs to ensure inventory integrity.
• Develop business cases and make-buy analyses for potential outsourcing opportunities.
• Support corporate reporting requirements and interface with external auditors as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required; MBA or CPA preferred.
• 5–7+ years of progressive finance or cost accounting experience in a manufacturing setting, including prior leadership or supervisory responsibilities.
• Solid foundation in GAAP, standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory accounting.
• Proven experience working with ERP systems (JD Edwards preferred) and financial reporting tools (Hyperion preferred).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into business insights.
• Proficiency in Excel and financial modeling; familiarity with automation tools a plus.
• Strong communicator with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive initiatives forward in a collaborative, matrixed environment.
• High level of ownership, responsiveness, and organizational agility.