Finance Business Partner

Kerry•Beloit, WI

3d•$88,100 - $144,800•Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance Business Partner will directly report to the Finance Director of the Extruded Proteins Business in North America and is responsible for supporting the end-to-end finance agenda for Extruded Proteins, both operationally and commercially through FP&A, pricing, and end-to-end margin analysis support. The Finance Business Partner is accountable for translating operational and commercial information into insight and foresight, including end-to-end margin and profitability analysis and functional cost analysis, to drive plant performance, cost discipline, capital effectiveness, and value creation. This role partners closely with the Plant Manager, site leadership team, and Extruded Proteins leadership team to ensure strong financial governance, transparent performance reporting, and robust decision support to the business. The Finance Business Partner is expected to influence operational KPIs and continuous improvement outcomes beyond finance. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced, ambitious finance professional to strengthen commercial and strategic capabilities, build plant leadership and commercial finance experience, and gain exposure to business leadership. The environment is fast-paced, challenging, and results-driven. Please note that we are open to considering candidates in Blue Earth, MN and Beloit, WI.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field from an accredited institution.
4–6+ years of finance experience, preferably supporting manufacturing or operations environments.
Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency with financial analytics and reporting tools.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and business partnering capabilities.
Excellent communication, organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional certification.
SAP experience.
Experience with FP&A, strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting.
Experience with margin management and profitability analysis, including price/mix, volume, and cost driver analysis.
Experience leading cost management and productivity initiatives.
Experience supporting capital investment analysis and reporting.
Knowledge of financial reporting, balance sheet management, accruals, and fixed assets.
Understanding of audit and technical accounting fundamentals.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary finance partner to the Plant Manager and site leadership team.
Own and explain operational and commercial performance, including cost, yield/waste, inventory, productivity, and asset utilization.
Build and communicate end-to-end margin bridges, including price, mix, volume, and cost drivers.
Deliver weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance analysis versus budget and prior year with actionable insights.
Identify, quantify, and track margin improvement, cost reduction, and value creation opportunities.
Challenge sales, margin, and operational performance through strong partnership with Commercial and Operations teams.
Lead the annual budget process for the Extruded Proteins business.
Own forecasting and budgeting processes in collaboration with Sales, Pricing, Operations, and centralized teams.
Analyze and explain budget and forecast variances while driving corrective actions.
Support strategic planning and capacity planning initiatives.
Own daily, weekly, and monthly reporting processes for operational and commercial performance.
Lead month-end close activities, including accruals, balance sheet management, inventory reconciliations, and fixed asset tracking.
Serve as the site finance gatekeeper, ensuring compliance, controls, and risk management.
Support leadership presentations, reviews, and executive reporting requirements.
Ensure adherence to Kerry financial policies, standard processes, and best practices.
Partner with centralized costing teams to ensure product costing accuracy.
Drive inventory management and working capital performance.
Support cycle count accuracy, excess and obsolete inventory management, and process improvement initiatives.
Develop a deep understanding of end-to-end plant operations to support decision-making.
Support development and evaluation of capital investment business cases.
Track capital spending and benefits realization.
Partner with regional and functional stakeholders on strategic initiatives.
Provide financial stewardship for transformation, productivity, and margin-improvement programs.
Support commercial effectiveness routines and profitability improvement programs.
Partner with GBS, FP&A, and central teams to leverage standardized processes.
Provide ad hoc financial and commercial analysis.
Drive a high-performance culture and accountability for business results.