Finance Project Leader

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION PURPOSE

The Finance Manager, Special Projects serves as the Finance lead for large, high-impact strategic initiatives across the Americas region, with an initial focus on supporting the expansion of manufacturing operations to enable future business growth. As the Finance representative on cross-functional project teams, this role partners closely with project leadership to ensure sound financial planning, governance, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

This position is responsible for providing financial leadership and oversight by ensuring: (1) project teams receive timely and effective financial guidance at every stage of execution; (2) project accounting complies with BAC, Amsted, and U.S. GAAP requirements; and (3) projects are executed in a financially disciplined manner, balancing cost, risk, and long-term business objectives. Success in this role requires extensive finance and accounting experience within a manufacturing environment, strong business acumen, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving project environment where priorities and business needs frequently shift. The role demands both strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with the agility to transition seamlessly between long-term planning and day-to-day financial support.

In addition to project leadership, this role partners with Finance and Information Technology teams to identify, implement, and optimize financial systems, processes, and reporting capabilities. A key focus will be supporting the continued enhancement of SAP functionality, driving process improvements, and implementing reporting and analytics solutions that strengthen financial operations and enable better business decision-making across the organization.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Serve as the Finance lead for strategic capacity expansion projects, providing financial leadership and partnering with cross-functional teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Act as a key business partner in project planning and decision-making by evaluating financial impacts, identifying risks and opportunities, and supporting data-driven decisions.
• Lead all project-related accounting activities, ensuring compliance with BAC, Amsted, and U.S. GAAP accounting policies and standards.
• Develop, manage, and monitor capital expenditure (CapEx) budgets, forecasts, and reporting, ensuring expenditures are accurately recorded and aligned with approved project plans.
• Establish and maintain effective internal financial controls and governance processes for all project-related financial activities.
• Own project financial forecasting, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow projections, while monitoring financial performance throughout execution.
• Develop financial models and business analyses to support project evaluations, investment decisions, scenario planning, and executive decision-making.
• Prepare and present financial reporting, performance updates, and key metrics to project leadership, Finance leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Lead the financial reporting process for capacity expansion projects, ensuring timely, accurate, and actionable reporting.
• Partner with Finance and Information Technology to establish the financial system infrastructure and SAP configuration required to support new manufacturing facilities and project reporting.
• Coordinate the successful financial transition of completed projects to Plant Controllers, including the transfer of accounting ownership, processes, and reporting responsibilities.
• Serve as the primary Finance liaison with global stakeholders on project financial performance, reporting, and governance.
• Partner with the Americas Finance and Information Technology teams to identify, prioritize, and implement financial systems enhancements and process improvement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain the Finance systems project roadmap, prioritizing initiatives that improve financial reporting, automation, operational efficiency, and business insights.

NATURE AND SCOPE

  The Finance Manager, Special Projects reports directly to the Finance Director and serves as a strategic partner to Finance leadership, project teams, plant leadership, Information Technology, and other cross-functional stakeholders across the Americas region. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy while collaborating closely with global and regional business partners to support complex, enterprise-wide initiatives.

The position may be based at any BAC Americas location or performed remotely within the Americas region. Travel of up to 50% is required to support project implementation, manufacturing sites, cross-functional meetings, and key business initiatives.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required; MBA, CPA, or other relevant advanced certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive Finance experience, including financial analysis, forecasting, reporting, and business partnering.
• 5+ years of Finance experience within a large manufacturing organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects and influence stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, financial reporting, internal controls, capital project accounting, and financial planning processes.
• Experience developing financial models, business cases, and executive-level analyses to support strategic decision-making.
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex financial information to both Finance and non-Finance audiences.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills with a high attention to detail.
• Experience working with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems; SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvement opportunities and drive solutions that enhance efficiency, controls, and business performance.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently while building strong collaborative relationships across functions.
• Intellectual curiosity, a continuous improvement mindset, and a passion for learning and driving organizational change.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  This role will entail significant domestic travel (up to 75% depending on location of applicant) and possible international travel may be required based on project activity and business needs.

BAC Hiring Compensation Range: $98400-$168900

BAC offers a comprehensive benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401k, employee stock ownership plan, and more. Please see additional details on the BAC website at 

BAC Employees are eligible to participate in an annual bonus incentive program.