Finance Process Strategy Manager

KRC Corporation•Bismarck, ND

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Finance Process & Strategy supports and executes initiatives to improve the efficiency, scalability, and effectiveness of finance and accounting operations—with a primary focus on executing the company's Finance Modernization initiative. This role manages key workstreams within the transformation roadmap, facilitates process standardization and automation, and collaborates cross-functionally to deliver measurable, sustainable improvements. This position is based out of a current Knife River location, ideally our headquarters in Bismarck, ND, with hybrid work opportunities available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field
5-8 years of relevant experience in accounting, finance, or finance transformation
Strong knowledge of financial close processes, accounting systems, and internal controls
Proven experience leading process improvement or transformation initiatives
Close acceleration mindset – relentless focus on reducing cycle time
Strong project management and organizational skills
Ability to influence cross-functionally without direct authority
Analytical and problem-solving orientation
Change management and adoption leadership
Clear and effective communication at all levels

Nice To Haves

Experience with ERP systems, close management and reconciliation tools (e.g., JDE, BlackLine)
Public accounting or consulting background
Experience in construction materials, manufacturing, or similar industries

Responsibilities

Manage and execute assigned Finance Modernization workstreams, ensuring milestones are met on time and within scope
Identify and eliminate non-value-added (NVA) activities to reduce close cycle time
Coordinate with finance teams to develop the close calendar, task-level timelines, and accountability frameworks
Track and report workstream progress against the finance modernization roadmap
Coordinate with finance teams and shared services to align close activities
Support the adoption of pre-close disciplines (e.g., soft close, rolling accruals, real-time reconciliations)
Support the redesign of core finance processes (Record-to-Report (Financial Close), Procure-to-Pay (AP), Order-to-Cash (AR)) under the direction of senior leadership
Standardize processes across regions/business units to eliminate variation
Benchmark against peer companies and industry best practices
Document and train on standardized processes
Support the development and maintenance of the process transformation roadmap in partnership with senior leadership.
Prepare business cases, ROI analyses, and executive presentations for transformation initiatives
Support enterprise strategic projects impacting finance operations
Collaborate with Accounting, FP&A, IT, Audit, Payroll, and Operations
Facilitate Finance Modernization working sessions with finance teams, operations and process owners
Manage competing priorities across enhancement requests and new implementations
Assist in developing change management plans for process improvements and standardization
Collaborate with Accounting to ensure training programs support process improvements and standardization
Monitor adoption metrics and flag resistance proactively
Gather and synthesize user feedback to inform future enhancements and roadmap priorities
Promote a culture of continuous process improvement
Coordinate with accounting to ensure redesigned processes maintain strong internal controls and SOX compliance
Collaborate with Internal Audit on control design and documentation for processes
Support audit readiness within the compressed close timeline
Maintain and update the Finance Modernization KPI dashboard
Report workstream progress to the leadership team on a regular cadence