Commercial Analyst

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Commercial Analyst Reports to: Vice President, Sales and Marketing Location: Houston, TX Department: Sales FLSA Status: Exempt About Us: CraneWorks is an award-winning global provider of lifting solutions. Our commitment to customer service is unparalleled and we consistently strive to earn our customers’ loyalty and trust. Our fundamental values are safety, quality, integrity, reliability, and teamwork and our commitment to these values help steer our business operations. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Job Summary: The Commercial Analyst supports CraneWorks’ equipment sales and rental operations by providing accurate financial analysis, comprehensive cost visibility, and reliable commercial reporting. Serving as a key liaison between Sales and Accounting, this role helps translate commercial activity into clear, well-supported financial insights that promote informed decision-making and profitable growth. Working closely with Sales, Accounting, and Finance, the Commercial Analyst evaluates deal economics, rental contracts, commissions, inventory activity, and related transaction data to ensure all applicable costs are accurately captured and understood. The role analyzes transaction details, validates direct and indirect costs, identifies financial risks or opportunities, and recommends practical improvements designed to strengthen fully burdened deal profitability. The Commercial Analyst also prepares detailed supporting schedules, reconciliations, and financial analyses and communicates findings clearly to internal leadership and the equity group’s financial analysts in coordination with the VP of Sales and Marketing. This is a hands-on individual contributor role with no direct reports. The position is responsible for analysis, validation, recommendations, and preparation of supporting calculations, while maintaining appropriate functional controls. Accounting and Payroll process approved accounting entries and commission payments, the Controller retains authority over accounting treatment, and commercial leadership maintains responsibility for pricing and deal approvals in accordance with company policy. Key Responsibilities Deal Analysis and Margin Support • Review sales proposals and completed transactions for pricing, equipment and chassis costs, upfits, attachments, freight, setup, inspections, repairs, trade-in allowances, discounts, and OEM credits. • Maintain a complete view of deal economics, including applicable carrying costs, commissions, and other transaction expenses. Distinguish accounting gross profit from broader deal contribution using Finance-approved definitions. • Scrub transaction data for missing or duplicate costs, pricing errors, unsupported credits, and inconsistent assumptions. Reconcile estimated to actual margins and propose pricing, cost-recovery, or deal-structure improvements. Track expected costs with Accounting to ensure complete profitability analysis. Rental Contracts and Commissions • Review rental and rental-purchase option contracts for rates, terms, billing, payments, purchase credits, and conversion calculations; flag inconsistencies and evaluate profitability with the rental team. • Prepare commission calculations, splits, overrides, and incentives under approved plans. Validate the profit basis and payment eligibility, reconcile exceptions, and submit documented calculations for approval and payroll processing. Inventory and Working Capital • Maintain reporting on inventory cost, age, turn, location, availability, and committed status by unit and product segment. Reconcile discrepancies across inventory, sales, and accounting records. • Track floorplan and carrying costs, upcoming interest exposure, and aged inventory. Provide Product Line Managers with practical analysis supporting stocking, pricing, and disposition decisions. Reporting and Cross-Functional Coordination • Build and maintain Excel models and recurring reports using Power Query, pivot tables, lookup formulas, data validation, and approved third-party add-ins or connectors. • Combine, scrub, and reconcile CRM, rental, inventory, and accounting data. Investigate discrepancies at the unit and transaction level, verify corrections with the responsible teams, and document sources and assumptions so reporting is accurate and repeatable. • Prepare accurate schedules and concise explanations for the equity group’s financial analysts, including margin variances, inventory trends, rental performance, and commercial forecasts. Coordinate responses and resolve follow-up questions with Finance and Sales. • Explain accounting requirements to sales managers in practical terms and communicate deal structures and commercial considerations to Accounting. Help resolve issues promptly while maintaining constructive working relationships. • Support month-end review with complete transaction documentation, missing-cost schedules, and reconciliations. Recommend improvements reducing manual work, reporting errors, and delays. Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, Analytics, or related field preferred. • 3-5+ years of experience in commercial analysis, financial analysis, sales operations, FP&A, pricing, or a similar analytical role. • Strong financial and analytical skills with demonstrated ability to analyze revenue, gross profit, margins, inventory, and sales performance. • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required. • Experience with ERP, CRM, business intelligence, and financial reporting systems preferred. • Ability to work with large datasets and translate findings into practical business recommendations. • Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify inconsistencies and challenge data when appropriate. • Strong communication skills and ability to effectively partner with Sales, Finance, Operations, and senior leadership. • Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet recurring reporting deadlines. • Comfortable working independently and asking questions to understand the business behind the numbers. Preferred Qualifications • Experience in heavy equipment, construction equipment, industrial distribution, automotive, dealership, rental, or another inventory-intensive industry strongly preferred. • Power BI experience strongly preferred. • Experience analyzing inventory aging, sales commissions, pricing, margins, or equipment transactions preferred. Measures of Success • Accurate, timely deal reviews and commission submissions with clear supporting documentation. • Early identification of missing costs and margin leakage, with actionable recommendations to improve fully costed deal profitability. • Reliable reconciliations and fewer unresolved discrepancies between sales and accounting records. • Useful reporting, timely responses to financial questions, and measurable reductions in manual rework. Physical & Environmental Requirements To perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to: • Regularly sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, and climb throughout office, shop, and yard environments. • Occasionally lift up to 25 pounds independently and up to 50 pounds with assistance. • Operate computers, mobile devices, and office equipment. • Read technical documents, repair orders, and financial reports. • Communicate effectively in office and industrial environments. Work Environment • Combination of office, shop, yard, and customer locations. • Exposure to moving mechanical equipment, noise, vibration, dust, fuels, oils, and varying weather. • Required use of Company-issued and OSHA-required PPE when entering operational areas. • Occasional travel between branches and customer sites. • effectively in office and industrial environments. Disclaimer This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. CraneWorks reserves the right to modify responsibilities at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Equal Opportunity Employer CraneWorks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. CraneWorks is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Benefits • Health insurance • Paid time off • Dental insurance • 401(k) • 401(k) matching • Vision insurance • Life insurance • Accident Insurance • Critical Illness Insurance • Hospital Indemnity Insurance • Employee Assistance Program • Referral program • Professional development assistance