Operations Finance Manager - Defense Manufacturing

Operations Finance Manager Aerospace Manufacturer

Location: Inglewood, California (Onsite)

Compensation: $125,000 - $155,000+ Base (flexibility for exceptional candidates)

The Opportunity

Most finance roles report on what happened. This role will help determine what happens next.

Seeking an Operations Finance Manager to partner directly with Operations leadership and build the processes, reporting, forecasting, and cost management infrastructure needed to support a rapidly growing defense manufacturing enterprise.

This is a newly created role with significant visibility and influence across the organization. Reporting into Finance while embedded within Operations, you will work directly with manufacturing leaders, program teams, and executive leadership to establish the operational metrics, cost models, budgets, and performance management systems that drive profitable growth.

If you understand manufacturing operations, cost accounting, earned value concepts, budgeting, forecasting, and how production performance ultimately impacts program profitability, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Why This Role Matters

• The company is evolving from a traditional manufacturing company into a modern defense technology enterprise supporting some of the nation's most critical aerospace and defense programs.
• The company has a substantial backlog, expanding facilities, growing production demands, and increasing focus on operational excellence.

To support that growth, the company is investing in a dedicated Operations Finance function that will:

• Establish manufacturing cost and performance management processes
• Create meaningful operational dashboards and KPIs
• Improve forecasting accuracy and Estimate-at-Completion (EAC) methodologies
• Develop budget accountability from the program level down to individual work centers
• Support capital investment decisions and productivity initiatives
• Drive continuous improvement across manufacturing operations

This is an opportunity to build something rather than inherit it.

What You'll Do

Become the Financial Partner to Operations

• Work directly with supervisors, managers, directors, and executive leadership to improve financial visibility throughout manufacturing operations.

Build Cost & Performance Management Systems

Develop reporting and analytics that measure:

• Labor utilization
• Manufacturing efficiency
• Budget performance
• Cost performance
• Schedule performance
• Forecast accuracy
• Resource utilization

Drive Budgeting & Forecasting

Lead the development of:

• Annual operating budgets
• Manufacturing cost center budgets
• Labor forecasts
• Program support estimates
• Estimate-at-Completion (EAC) projections

Improve Operational Decision-Making

• Create dashboards and reporting tools that translate complex data into actionable business decisions.

Support Growth Initiatives

Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development teams on:

• New business proposals
• Capital investment analysis
• Productivity initiatives
• Cost reduction programs
• Manufacturing process improvements

Develop Manufacturing Cost Standards

Help establish and improve:

• Engineered standards
• Work measurement systems
• Labor performance metrics
• Time studies
• Learning curve analysis
• Cost estimating methodologies

What We're Looking For

Required Experience

• 5+ years of Operations Finance, Manufacturing Finance, Cost Accounting, Industrial Engineering Finance, or Program Finance experience
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations in an aerospace, defense, or highly regulated production environment
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, and cost analysis background
• Experience developing operational KPIs and performance reporting
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
• Ability to influence leaders across Operations and Finance
• Aerospace & Defense manufacturing
• DOD contracting environment
• Manufacturing cost estimating
• Engineered labor standards
• FAR / TINA familiarity
• Proposal pricing support

Preferred Experience

• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Capital investment analysis (ROI, IRR)

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Operations, Industrial Engineering, or related field
• MBA, CMA, PMP, APICS, or related certifications are a plus

What Success Looks Like

Within your first year, you will help the company establish a more integrated approach to operational financial management by:

• Creating meaningful manufacturing performance dashboards
• Improving budget accountability throughout Operations
• Implementing repeatable forecasting and EAC methodologies
• Strengthening the connection between Operations, Programs, and Finance
• Identifying cost savings and productivity opportunities
• Building the foundation for future growth of the Operations Finance function