Director, Operations Finance

Suja Life•Oceanside, CA

23h•$180,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are searching for a strategic, hands-on, and intellectually curious finance leader to build a world-class Operations Finance function and play a key role in fueling Suja’s rapid growth. The Director, Operations Finance will serve as the senior finance business partner to supply chain and operations leadership, owning the financial performance of our vertically integrated supply chain, from procurement and manufacturing through logistics and distribution. This leader will build and develop the Operations Finance team; own product costing, COGS from an actuals and forecasting perspective, and inventory; drive gross margin expansion and cost productivity; guide capital and supply chain investment decisions; and deliver clear insights and recommendations to the CFO, CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors. This position reports to the VP, Finance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Supply Chain Management
10+ years of progressive finance experience, including 5+ years in operations, supply chain, or manufacturing finance
5+ years in a manufacturing environment is required; food and beverage or CPG experience strongly preferred
3+ years of people leadership experience, with a track record of building and developing high-performing finance teams
Deep experience with standard costing, COGS builds, inventory accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis
Proven record of driving measurable cost savings, margin improvement, and working capital gains in partnership with operations leaders
Prior experience with ERP systems, including costing, MRP, and inventory modules; NetSuite preferred
Expert knowledge of cost accounting, product costing methodologies, and inventory valuation under U.S. GAAP.
Strong understanding of the end-to-end supply chain (procurement, manufacturing, planning, logistics, and distribution) and its key financial drivers.
Experience with capital budgeting, investment analysis (ROI, NPV, IRR), and make vs. buy and network decision frameworks.
Demonstrated success in financial modeling, insight generation, and executive and Board-level communication.
Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies and operational KPIs.
Ability and interest in communication of technical details with cross-functional positions around the organization as well as externally.
Strategic thinker and outstanding analytical leader with ability to synthesize information, develop insights and recommendations, and communicate effectively in presentations by developing the “story”
Unquestioned ethics and integrity
Outstanding organizational, analytical, and project management skills
Expert in Excel, PowerPoint, industry-standard ERP systems, and BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)

Nice To Haves

MBA, graduate finance degree, or CPA preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior finance business partner to the operations and supply chain leadership team, shaping supply chain strategy through financial insight and acting as a trusted advisor on cost, capacity, and investment decisions
Lead the annual operations and supply chain annual operating plan, including the COGS build, conversion cost, freight and logistics, and inventory plans; own the annual standard cost roll and costing methodology
Leverage cost per unit and whole dollar price/volume/mix key drivers variance analysis methodology to explain business performance vs expectations
Establish raw materials input standard costs using last price paid, gross and net yield methodology, help forecast Purchase Price Variance (PPV) and explain actuals vs expectations
Establish Direct and Indirect Labor, Variable and Fixed Overhead, and Depreciation standards by department/master router by utilizing Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and similar throughput KPIs
Leverage these standards to help Operations forecast future cost and regularly review performance vs expectations
Establish freight standards by SKU and customer utilizing mode, base lane rate/surcharge, and utilization methodology and explain actuals vs expectations
Own the monthly rolling COGS Standards and Variance forecast, translating production plans and S&OP outputs into volume, mix, and cost projections (materials, packaging, labor, overhead, yield, and freight); reconcile forecast to actuals, identify risks and opportunities, and communicate margin impacts
Own end-to-end product costing, including bill of materials and routing accuracy, standard vs. actual cost analysis, and purchase price, material usage, yield, and labor and overhead variances; translate variances into root causes and corrective actions
Drive gross margin expansion by building and governing a structured cost savings and productivity pipeline (procurement, manufacturing efficiency, yield and waste reduction, network optimization), and validate realized savings against targets
Partner with Procurement on raw material, ingredient, and packaging cost strategy, including commodity outlooks, supplier negotiations, contracting approaches, and should-cost analysis
Identify, quantify, and mitigate supply chain financial risks, including commodity and packaging price volatility, supplier and co-manufacturer concentration, tariffs, and supply disruptions, and develop contingency and scenario plans with operations leadership
Provide financial leadership over inventory, including inventory levels, days on hand, excess and obsolete (E&O) and shrink reserves, write-offs, and working capital optimization in partnership with Planning and Accounting
Lead financial evaluation and governance of capital expenditures and supply chain investments, including ROI/NPV/payback analysis, capex tracking, and post-investment reviews
Own freight, warehousing, and distribution cost analytics, including cost-to-serve analysis by channel, customer, and SKU, and support SKU rationalization and new product costing
Present operations financial performance, risks, and opportunities to the CFO, CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors, with clear recommendations and action plans
Partner with Accounting to ensure a timely and accurate monthly close for inventory, COGS, and operations-related accounts, and strengthen internal controls over costing and inventory
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Operations Finance team, providing coaching, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement
Champion the continuous improvement, automation, and scalability of operations finance systems, tools, and processes, including ERP costing modules, BI reporting, and data integrity
Lead strategic and cross-functional supply chain initiatives as required, such as network expansion, new facility or line start-ups, and integration of acquired operations
Relentlessly focus on helping the business operate as the low-cost producer in its line of business