Financial Analyst

Aston Carter•Chester, SC

1d•$85,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Financial Analyst partners closely with plant management and regional finance leadership to deliver clear financial insights, support accurate reporting, and drive operational efficiency across two major manufacturing plants. This role supports key aspects of the month-end close, plant-level financial analysis, and reporting processes while building strong relationships with plant leadership and operations teams. The position plays a critical role in ensuring the accuracy of plant financial results and offers the opportunity to move beyond transactional accounting into meaningful storytelling that directly influences operational decisions within a manufacturing environment.

Requirements

Proven experience in financial analysis within a manufacturing environment, including a strong understanding of plant-level P&L dynamics.
Hands-on experience with manufacturing finance, including variance analysis on volume, absorption, and cost-per-unit drivers.
Demonstrated experience in financial reporting and forecasting in an operational or plant-based setting.
Previous ERP experience with systems such as JDE, SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics.
Strong Excel proficiency, including comfort with pivot tables, XLOOKUP or VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and building models to improve reporting and analysis.
Ability to interpret complex financial and operational data and convert it into clear, actionable insights.
Ability to explain financial performance and drivers to non-finance stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.
Experience in variance analysis and financial modeling, including scenario analysis.
Ability to balance being helpful and collaborative with maintaining focus on analytical and value-adding responsibilities rather than administrative tasks.
Experience working in large, matrixed organizations, particularly in remote or distributed setups.
Prior experience in business partnering roles, working closely with operations or plant leadership.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with JDE (JD Edwards) or similar ERP platforms.
Experience supporting or partnering with manufacturing operations, plant managers, or operations leadership teams.
Exposure to highly distributed organizations with centralized finance functions such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll.
Experience in financial modeling and scenario analysis to support planning and decision-making.
Comfort working as the primary finance contact for operational teams, with high visibility to plant managers, manufacturing directors, and leadership.
Interest in career growth and future leadership opportunities within a growing, evolving organization.
Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills across geographies and functions.

Responsibilities

Partner with plant management and regional finance leadership to provide timely, accurate financial insights that support operational and strategic decision-making.
Support key components of the month-end close process for the plants, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of plant-level financial results.
Perform detailed plant financial analysis, including variance analysis on volume, absorption, and cost-per-unit drivers, to explain performance and identify trends.
Prepare and maintain financial reports and dashboards that clearly communicate plant performance to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
Build, enhance, and maintain Excel-based financial models to improve reporting, forecasting, and scenario analysis for plant operations.
Interpret financial and operational data, translate findings into clear narratives, and explain results to non-finance stakeholders in an accessible way.
Identify financial risks and opportunities at the plant level and communicate them proactively to plant leadership and regional finance.
Act as the primary or sole finance presence for two major plants, serving as a key business partner to plant managers and operations leadership.
Engage directly on the plant floor and in operations meetings to understand manufacturing processes, cost drivers, and P&L dynamics.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams across a highly distributed organization to align on financial processes, reporting standards, and operational initiatives.
Work with centralized core finance functions such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll to ensure accurate and efficient financial operations.
Leverage ERP systems (such as JDE, SAP, Oracle, or Dynamics) to extract, validate, and analyze financial and operational data.
Support planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis activities by providing data-driven insights and robust financial modeling.
Maintain a balanced approach by being helpful and collaborative without becoming administrative support, focusing on high-value analytical work.
Participate in onboarding and training activities, including virtual collaboration and sessions at other locations, to build strong working relationships and deepen understanding of company processes.
Contribute to continuous improvement of financial processes and tools as the organization evolves, including enhancements to planning, forecasting, and reporting.