Sr Financial & Planning Analyst

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nThe ideal candidate combines a strong foundation in finance and accounting with strong analytical, data management, and problem-solving skills. Manufacturing experience is strongly preferred, including an understanding of cost accounting, inventory, margins, production costs, labor, and other key manufacturing financial drivers.\nInitially, this position will focus heavily on the collection, organization, validation, and analysis of financial and operational information used in management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and business performance analysis. The Senior FP&A Analyst will work closely with the Vice President of FP&A and CFO to interpret results, identify trends and business drivers, evaluate risks and opportunities, and develop recommendations for management.\nThe position requires strong analytical capabilities and a willingness to understand the underlying business operations. While primarily office-based, the Senior FP&A Analyst will regularly engage with manufacturing operations to understand production processes, validate financial and operational assumptions, and develop an understanding of the factors affecting profitability and business performance. As business knowledge and experience develop, the role is expected to progress toward greater responsibility for financial interpretation, recommendations, forecasting, and direct business partnership with operational and functional leaders.\nAs a faith-based organization rooted in biblical principles, Ohio Gratings strives to reflect these values in our work, relationships, and decision-making. We expect all associates to learn, embrace, and actively model our core values through their actions, choices, and collaboration with others. This commitment is essential to sustaining our culture and achieving shared success.\nThis job description does not describe all activities, duties, responsibilities, or physical demands required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, activities, physical demands, and work environment may change at any time with or without notice.\nESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:\nFinancial Reporting & Data Analysis\n· Gather, organize, validate, and reconcile financial and operational data from ERP systems, accounting records, operational reports, and other source systems; investigate discrepancies or inconsistencies.\n· Independently own assigned recurring reporting and analytical responsibilities from data collection and validation through completed analysis and preliminary conclusions, ensuring accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timely completion.\n· Perform detailed monthly variance analysis comparing actual results to budget, forecast, prior-year results, and other relevant benchmarks.\n· Identify and investigate significant financial and operational variances and work with the Vice President of FP&A, accounting, and operational teams to understand underlying business drivers.\n· Analyze income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and key operational results to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and areas requiring additional investigation.\n· Prepare financial analyses, management reporting packages, dashboards, and clear supporting commentary for review with the Vice President of FP&A and CFO.\n· Help maintain reporting accuracy and consistency across Ohio Gratings and affiliated business entities.\nFinancial Planning & Forecasting\n· Support the preparation and development of annual operating budgets, rolling forecasts, cash flow forecasts, and long-range financial plans.\n· Gather, validate, and analyze financial and operational assumptions, historical results, operating trends, backlog, and other relevant business drivers supporting budgets and forecasts.\n· Maintain and enhance financial models used for forecasting, business planning, cash flow analysis, and management decision-making.\n· Compare actual performance to previous forecasts, identify underlying causes of forecast variances, and support efforts to improve forecast quality and accuracy.\n· Develop scenario and sensitivity analyses to evaluate the potential financial impact of changes in volume, pricing, material costs, labor, productivity, capital investment, and other significant business drivers.\n· Support the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial planning deliverables for executive leadership.\nManufacturing, Margin & Operational Analysis\n· Develop a strong understanding of Ohio Gratings' manufacturing processes, cost structure, products, customers, and key operational and financial drivers.\n· Work closely with accounting and operations to analyze production costs, material costs, direct labor, manufacturing overhead, inventory, and other operational metrics.\n· Prepare and analyze manufacturing variances, including material, labor, overhead, purchase price, usage, and other significant cost variances, as applicable.\n· Support gross margin and profitability analysis by customer, product, market, project, business unit, or other relevant dimensions.\n· Analyze pricing, material costs, product mix, volume, labor, freight, and other factors affecting margins and profitability.\n· Support inventory and working capital analysis, including inventory levels, turns, aging, significant adjustments, and opportunities for cost reduction, productivity, margin improvement, and operational efficiency.\n· Maintain a regular presence within manufacturing operations to understand production processes, gather business insights, and validate assumptions underlying financial analysis.\nManagement Reporting & Decision Support\n· Prepare recurring management reports, dashboards, KPIs, and financial analyses used by executive and operational leadership, and assist in maintaining key financial and operational performance indicators aligned with organizational objectives.\n· Support analyses related to capital expenditures, pricing decisions, customer, and product profitability, working capital, cost reduction initiatives, and other business opportunities.\n· Perform ad hoc financial and operational analyses requested by the Vice President of FP&A, CFO, and other members of leadership.\n· Develop analyses that move beyond reporting what occurred to identifying why results occurred and the potential implications for future financial performance.\n· Work with the Vice President of FP&A and CFO to evaluate results and develop appropriate recommendations and potential management actions.\nSystems, Data & Process Improvement\n· Utilize ERP systems, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and other financial and analytical tools to gather, organize, validate, analyze, and communicate financial information and resolve data integrity issues.\n· Develop and improve repeatable financial reporting processes that reduce manual data gathering and increase the time available for analysis and decision support.\n· Support the development and automation of financial reports, dashboards, and analytical tools.\n· Support the implementation and optimization of financial systems, reporting tools, and business intelligence capabilities, including data validation, report development, testing, process documentation, and implementation support.\n· Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness of budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analytical processes.\nBusiness Partnership & Professional Development\n· Work collaboratively with accounting, operations, sales, supply chain, procurement, and other functional teams to understand business activity, obtain information necessary for financial analysis, and build knowledge of the company’s operations, financial drivers, products, customers, and strategic priorities.\n· Initially work with the Vice President of FP&A and CFO in reviewing financial performance, interpreting results, and developing recommendations for operational and functional leadership.\n· As business knowledge and experience develop, assume greater responsibility for presenting financial results and analyses to department and operational leaders.\n· Progress toward independently supporting assigned business units, departments, or functional areas with financial reporting, forecasting, performance analysis, and decision support.\n· Develop the ability to translate financial and operational results into actionable insights, including root causes, forward-looking implications, risks, opportunities, and potential management actions.\n· Build effective working relationships throughout the organization and develop into a trusted financial resource and business partner.\nEDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND PROFICIENCIES:\nRequired\n· Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.\n· Four or more years of progressive experience in financial planning & analysis, manufacturing finance, corporate finance, cost accounting, accounting, or related financial analysis roles.\n· Strong financial analysis skills and the ability to organize, validate, analyze, and interpret financial and operational data.\n· Strong understanding of financial statements and fundamental accounting concepts.\n· Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, data analysis, financial modeling, and working with large datasets.\n· Experience preparing financial reporting, variance analysis, budgets, forecasts, or related management analyses.\n· Strong analytical curiosity and demonstrated ability to investigate results, identify underlying business drivers, and resolve data or reporting inconsistencies.\n· Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.\n· Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate financial information and analytical conclusions.\n· Demonstrated ability to work independently, take ownership of assigned responsibilities, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.\nPreferred\n· Experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.\n· Knowledge of cost accounting, inventory accounting, manufacturing variances, and manufacturing finance concepts.\n· Experience performing gross margin, customer profitability, product profitability, or operational performance analysis.\n· Experience with ERP systems and an understanding of underlying financial and operational data structures.\n· Experience with Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot, or other business intelligence and data visualization tools.\n· Experience supporting multi-entity organizations.\n· Experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash flow forecasting, and financial modeling.\n· Experience supporting ERP, financial reporting, or business intelligence system implementations.\n· CPA, CMA, FPAC, MBA, or other relevant professional certification or advanced degree is a plus but not required.\nCore Competencies\n· Financial Analysis & Reporting\n \n· Data Gathering, Validation & Management\n \n· Budgeting & Forecasting\n \n· Variance & Root-Cause Analysis\n \n· Manufacturing Finance & Cost Analysis\n \n· Margin & Profitability Analysis\n \n· Financial Modeling\n \n· Data Analytics & Visualization\n \n· Analytical Curiosity\n \n· Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement\n \n· Accuracy & Attention to Detail\n \n· Ownership & Accountability\n \n· Communication & Presentation\n \n· Collaboration & Relationship Building\n \n· Developing Business Partnership\n \n· Project & Priority Management\nWORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:\n· This role is primarily office-based but requires regular interaction with manufacturing operations and production environments.\n· Must be able to walk throughout manufacturing facilities, climb stairs, and stand for extended periods as needed.\n· Must be able to sit for prolonged periods while working at a computer workstation.\n· Must comply with all safety procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements when working in production areas.\n· Occasional travel between company facilities may be required.\nEEO STATEMENT: Our company provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected under local, state, or federal laws.