Business Professional - Financial Analyst III

Financial Analyst IIIWhat You ll DoAs a Financial Analyst III, you will be a key member of the Finance team supporting manufacturing operations. This role will have a strong focus on cost accounting, inventory, manufacturing performance, and financial analysis and will partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Accounting.You will be responsible for analyzing factory performance, supporting the monthly close and forecasting processes, maintaining accurate inventory and manufacturing cost reporting, and providing financial insights that support operational decision-making.Key ResponsibilitiesSupport the monthly financial close process for manufacturing operations, ensuring accurate and timely reporting of inventory, cost of goods sold, and manufacturing expenses.Prepare and analyze manufacturing variances, including purchase price variance (PPV), material usage, direct labor, overhead, absorption, scrap, and other production-related variances.Perform actual vs. budget and forecast analysis, identify key drivers, and provide clear commentary on manufacturing performance.Support standard costing activities, including annual standard cost updates, cost rolls, and analysis of changes in material, labor, and overhead costs.Analyze and reconcile inventory balances, including raw materials, work in process, finished goods, and inventory held at third-party or contract manufacturing locations.Support inventory reserve analysis, including excess and obsolete (E&O), slow-moving, and at-risk inventory.Perform inventory and balance sheet reconciliations and investigate discrepancies to ensure accurate financial reporting.Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to analyze scrap, inventory adjustments, productivity, manufacturing spending, and other factory cost drivers.Support cycle count and physical inventory processes, including investigation and resolution of inventory variances.Review manufacturing cost center expenses and prepare reclassifications and corrections as necessary.Work closely with Accounting during financial statement reviews and ensure appropriate reconciliation between financial and management reporting.Support the development of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), forecasts, and manufacturing budgets, with particular focus on material costs, labor, overhead, inventory, and operating expenses.Develop financial models and cost analyses for new product introductions, sourcing initiatives, manufacturing transfers, and other operational projects.Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain to understand material cost changes, sourcing savings, supplier impacts, and purchase price variances.Prepare recurring financial and manufacturing reports, highlighting key trends, risks, savings opportunities, and areas requiring management attention.Support internal and external audit requirements related to inventory, costing, manufacturing expenses, and financial controls.Identify opportunities to improve and automate financial and cost accounting processes, particularly data-intensive month-end and reporting activities.Perform ad-hoc financial and cost analysis to support Finance and Operations leadership.How You ll Get HereMinimum Qualifications5+ years of related experience with a Bachelor s degree; or 3 years and an advanced degree or equivalent work experienceSolid understanding of financial statements, inventory accounting, and manufacturing cost concepts.Experience analyzing financial results and investigating variances.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, lookups, formulas, and analysis of large datasets.Strong written and verbal communication skills.Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.Preferred QualificationsPrior experience in manufacturing finance or cost accounting.Experience with standard costing, inventory accounting, PPV, manufacturing variances, and cost of goods sold.Experience with SAP or another ERP system, particularly inventory, production, and product costing functionality.Experience with Hyperion, HFM, or similar financial reporting systems.Experience working across multiple manufacturing sites or business units.Experience with Power BI, Tableau, Power Query, or other reporting and automation tools.CPA, CMA, MBA, or progress toward a professional accounting certification is a plus.Key Hiring CriteriaThe successful candidate will demonstrate:Strong financial analysis skills with an understanding of manufacturing and cost accounting fundamentals.Ability to investigate financial, cost, and inventory variances and identify underlying business drivers.Ability to work effectively with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Accounting, and Finance.High level of ownership, accuracy, and attention to detail.Ability to balance day-to-day analytical and accounting activities with forecasting, reporting, and process improvement responsibilities.Strong communication skills and the ability to translate financial results into meaningful insights for non-finance stakeholders.A continuous improvement mindset with an interest in simplifying and automating financial processes.How You ll Make an ImpactAs a Financial Analyst III, you will provide critical financial support to the manufacturing organization by helping ensure accurate product costs, inventory reporting, and factory financial results. Your analysis will help leadership understand operational performance, identify risks and opportunities, and make informed decisions that improve financial and manufacturing performance.