Associate Manager, Operations Finance

<h2>Description</h2><ul>
<li>Support Operations Finance Manager with design standardized &amp; improved plant accounting operations in support of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, capital assets, raw materials, and finished goods accounting.</li>
<li>Support Operations Finance Manager with development of consistent and improved activity- based costing metrics and cost allocations for insightful plant performance analysis.</li>
<li>Support and create streamlined plant financial accounting processes, reporting, and analysis.</li>
</ul><h2>Job Responsibilities</h2><ul>
<li>Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Procurement to analyze COGS drivers, including raw materials, packaging, ingredients, conversion, labor, overhead, logistics and co-packing costs, and identify impacts to profitability.</li>
<li>Own monthly COGS and manufacturing variance analysis, including volume, yield, usage, mix, rate and conversion cost variances, explaining deviations vs AOP and forecast.</li>
<li>Support cost optimization initiatives across internal manufacturing and co-packing operations, including plant efficiency, yield improvement, sourcing decisions and margin improvement opportunities.</li>
<li>Lead the annual operating plan and forecasting for Operations, COGS and related manufacturing cost drivers, highlighting key risks and opportunities while driving potential mitigating actions.</li>
<li>Develop driver-based models linking volume, yield, COGS components, co-packing assumptions and operational KPIs to financial outcomes.</li>
<li>Participate in the month-end close to ensure accuracy of Operations and COGS results, timely understanding of variance drivers and appropriate follow-up with Accounting and Operations teams.</li>
<li>Lead monthly COGS and plant performance reviews with stakeholders to ensure accountability, alignment on cost targets and timely action plans for performance gaps.</li>
<li>Support financial evaluation of operational initiatives and manufacturing-related investments, ensuring assumptions, benefits and cost impacts are appropriately reviewed.</li>
<li>Support capital planning and post-implementation reviews for manufacturing and operations initiatives, with focus on COGS impact, productivity benefits and execution against approved assumptions.</li>
<li>Partner with operations to evaluate capacity, automation, co-packing and cost reduction initiatives, including make-versus-buy considerations and financial impact on COGS.</li>
<li>Conduct ad hoc analyses and projects to support Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement and business management decisions related to COGS, plant performance and co-packing economics.</li>
</ul><h2>Requirements</h2><h2>Qualifications</h2><ul>
<li>5-7+ years of experience in operations finance, or cost accounting, plant finance or a similar COGS-focused role</li>
<li>Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Finance, or related field is required</li>
<li>Strong understanding of cost drivers (materials, labor, overhead, logistics, etc.)</li>
<li>Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel required - SAP HANA and Power BI a plus</li>
<li>Prior work experience in Manufacturing, Food Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods or co-packing environments is preferred</li>
<li>Analytical, ability to multi-task, attention to detail and self-motivated</li>
<li>Excellent written and oral communication skills</li>
<li>Ability to travel domestically and internationally (15 – 20%) to support plant visits, operational reviews and cross-functional collaboration</li>
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