Sr. Financial Analyst

Synergy Flavors•Chicago, IL

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Financial Analyst is responsible for accounting and financial reporting for Synergy Flavors’ Chicago, Illinois operations. The role produces periodic financial reports, maintains accounting records, and supports controls and budgets intended to mitigate risk, improve the accuracy of reported results, and ensure compliance with Ireland accounting standards. It partners with site leadership and teams across Operations, Purchasing, Quality, EH&S, and Regulatory, and supports cost management, forecasting, budgeting, financial transformation, and continuous improvement of finance processes.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Accounting or Finance.
At least 5 years of experience with proven success in similar responsibilities at a global manufacturing company.
Ability to work independently and lead process improvements across departments.
Knowledge of accounting and reporting systems such as D365, SAP, OneStream, Hyperion, and Excel.
Strong understanding of business processes in a manufacturing environment.
Experience managing work with urgency, a strong results orientation, tight timeframes, budgeting, and international practices and procedures.
Strong time-management skills and ability to handle multiple projects under tight deadlines while producing high-quality work in demanding circumstances.
Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections.
Flexibility and ability to plan for contingencies and know when to invoke them.
Strong organizational skills and a high level of personal discipline.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with all organizational levels, including technical teams.

Nice To Haves

MBA or professional certifications.

Responsibilities

Produce detailed cost information not provided by general accounting systems, applying cost-accounting principles.
Study and gather data to determine costs of business activities, including raw material purchases, inventory, and labor.
Act as a business partner to site leadership and teams across Operations, Purchasing, Quality, EH&S, and Regulatory.
Lead the cycle count program, initially aiming to eliminate annual physical inventories.
Analyze data and document results.
Manage periodic product-cost statements and develop or prepare operating reports.
Track appropriations and supervise compilation of data and comparisons of budget items.
Consistently analyze significant cost and margin deviations, including comparisons with prior month and budget.
Identify financial transformation processes, such as robotic process automation, accounts payable automation, and OneStream implementation.
Maintain reserve accounts in accordance with company guidelines.
Develop and maintain standard costs.
Perform monthly closing activities, including preparing the cost-to-operate statement and supporting analysis.
Proactively analyze variances and communicate issues and opportunities to operations management.
Collaborate with local management on quarterly forecasts and annual budget packages.
Ensure timely and accurate accounting records for all entities.
Protect assets and ensure liabilities are properly recorded in the financial statements.
Continuously improve finance processes to provide management with timely and accurate information.
Develop metrics and tracking systems for major cost drivers.
Direct and participate in cost analyses and rate studies.
Prepare statements and reports of estimated future costs and revenues.
Coordinate preparation of external audit materials and external financial reporting.
Review financial statements with management personnel.