Sr. Data & Financial Analyst

XL Specialized Trailers•Manchester, IA

About The Position

Senior Data & Financial Analyst – AI & Business Intelligence About XL Specialized Trailers XL Specialized Trailers is a leading manufacturer of specialized heavy-haul transportation equipment serving customers across North America. We are committed to operational excellence, data-driven decision making, and leveraging emerging technologies to improve performance across our business. Position Summary XL Specialized Trailers is seeking an exceptional Senior Data & Financial Analyst to serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership team. This role combines advanced financial analysis, business intelligence, data management, forecasting, and artificial intelligence applications to drive better decision-making throughout the organization. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, exceptionally skilled in Excel, comfortable working with large and complex datasets, and passionate about leveraging AI and modern technology to improve business performance. This individual will work directly with senior leadership to provide actionable insights that influence operational, financial, and strategic decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Data Analytics, Business, Engineering, or related field.
5+ years of experience in financial analysis, business intelligence, data analytics, or related roles.
Expert-level Microsoft Excel skills.
Advanced financial modeling and forecasting experience.
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
Experience working with ERP systems and large datasets.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive projects to completion.
Demonstrated knowledge of modern AI concepts, tools, and applications.
Excited about AI and automation-not threatened by it.
Pragmatic: focused on ROI, execution, and adoption-not hype.
Able to translate AI potential into concrete business use cases.
Business-minded, not functionally siloed.
Comfortable making decisions with incomplete information (ambiguity).
Willing to challenge the status quo.
High ownership and accountability.
Curious, learning-oriented, and future-focused.
Calm under pressure, direct, and credible.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CFA, or related advanced credential.
Experience in manufacturing, industrial, transportation, or equipment industries.
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python, or similar analytics tools.
Experience implementing AI solutions in a business environment.
Knowledge of machine learning, automation platforms, and modern AI tools.
Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and related technologies.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain sophisticated financial models, forecasts, and budgeting tools.
Analyze profitability by product line, customer, market segment, and operational area.
Prepare executive-level reporting, dashboards, and performance metrics.
Support strategic planning, capital investment analysis, and business case development.
Identify trends, risks, and opportunities through financial and operational analysis.
Collect, organize, validate, and analyze data from multiple business systems.
Design and maintain automated dashboards and KPI reporting tools.
Develop business intelligence solutions that improve visibility into company performance.
Create predictive models and scenario analyses to support executive decision-making.
Translate complex data into clear recommendations for leadership.
Build advanced Excel models utilizing: Power Query, Power Pivot, Complex formulas, Dynamic dashboards, VBA/macros where appropriate.
Improve and automate reporting processes.
Ensure data integrity and establish best practices for data management.
Identify opportunities to apply AI tools across finance, operations, sales, and manufacturing.
Develop AI-assisted workflows to improve productivity and decision quality.
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend practical applications.
Partner with leadership to implement AI-driven solutions that create measurable business value.
Serve as an internal champion for responsible AI adoption.
Work directly with the CEO and executive team on special projects.
Conduct market, competitive, and operational research.
Support mergers, acquisitions, strategic initiatives, and growth opportunities as needed.
Provide data-backed recommendations to support company strategy.