FP&A Lead

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Location: Aurora (Onsite)

Base Salary Range: $120,000-140,000

Industry: Manufacturing

What You'll Own

Reporting directly to the CFO, you’ll lead the FP&A function for a fast-paced manufacturing environment, partnering closely with Operations, Supply Chain, and Sales Leadership to drive financial visibility and strategic decision-making across the business.

You’ll own budgeting, forecasting, manufacturing cost analysis, KPI reporting, and operational financial planning across plant and corporate functions. This role will play a key part in supporting profitability initiatives, improving reporting capabilities, and helping leadership make data-driven operational and investment decisions.

This is a highly visible role with direct exposure to executive leadership and the opportunity to influence both operational and financial performance across the organization.

What the Role Involves

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Lead the annual operating budget process across plant and corporate functions
• Develop rolling forecasts incorporating production volumes, labor costs, material pricing, and overhead absorption
• Build detailed financial models to support automation initiatives, capital investments, and capacity expansion projects
• Conduct scenario analysis related to pricing strategies, supply chain disruptions, and demand fluctuations
• Support long-range strategic planning and capital allocation initiatives
• Support EBITDA forecasting by evaluating the impact of pricing, product mix, and volume changes

Manufacturing Cost Analysis

• Analyze standard costing models and monitor material, labor, and overhead variances
• Partner with Operations leadership to evaluate production efficiency and cost drivers
• Support inventory valuation analysis, including slow-moving and obsolete inventory reviews
• Evaluate plant performance metrics including scrap rates, labor efficiency, and capacity utilization
• Assess contribution margins by product line, customer, and distribution channel
• Monitor key manufacturing KPIs including:
• Gross margin by SKU/product family
• Cost per unit and absorption rates
• Inventory turns and days inventory outstanding
• Capacity utilization and labor efficiency
• EBITDA by plant/department

Operational & Business Partnership

• Partner with Managers and Operations leadership to improve financial visibility and accountability
• Provide actionable recommendations to improve margins, reduce waste, and optimize working capital
• Support pricing analysis and profitability improvement initiatives
• Assist with make-vs-buy analysis and supplier cost evaluations
• Translate operational KPIs into meaningful financial impact analysis

Sales Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Develop SKU-level sales forecasts in collaboration with Sales teams to support demand planning and financial forecasting
• Translate sales volume forecasts into revenue projections using pricing, mix, and promotional assumptions
• Analyze historical sales trends, seasonality, and customer demand patterns to improve forecast accuracy
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain to align production planning and inventory requirements
• Convert demand forecasts into procurement and raw material planning requirements
• Monitor forecast vs. actual performance and identify key business drivers impacting demand

Reporting & Performance Management

• Prepare monthly management reporting packages and plant-level dashboards
• Conduct variance analysis (Actual vs. Budget vs. Forecast) with detailed operational commentary
• Develop and maintain KPIs tied to financial, operational, and production performance
• Perform ROI and NPV analysis for capital expenditures, automation initiatives, and plant expansions
• Support post-implementation financial reviews and investment payback analysis
• Evaluate financing options and payback periods for large-scale investments
• Enhance ERP reporting capabilities and improve costing/reporting automation
• Support ERP implementations or upgrades related to inventory and manufacturing modules
• Develop BI dashboards to improve operational visibility and reporting efficiency

What You Bring

• 7–10+ years of progressive FP&A experience
• Minimum 3–5 years within a manufacturing environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration
• CPA designation preferred
• Strong understanding of standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory accounting
• Experience supporting multi-plant or multi-entity operations preferred
• Exposure to multi-currency environments considered an asset
• Strong ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms)
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling capabilities
• Experience with Power BI or similar reporting/analytics tools preferred

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Strong financial modeling and scenario planning skills
• Deep understanding of manufacturing cost structures and operational workflows
• Ability to analyze operational datasets and connect plant performance to enterprise financial outcomes
• Strong understanding of supply chain and production processes
• Data-driven decision-making mindset
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present financial insights to non-financial stakeholders
• Collaborative and cross-functional business partner
• Thrives in fast-paced, production-driven environments
• Continuous improvement and Lean mindset

Next Steps

We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Clarity Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. If you require accommodation, please let us know in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note: We use AI-assisted tools for notetaking during the screening process.

About Clarity Recruitment

Clarity is an executive search and recruitment firm specializing in Finance & Accounting talent across Canada - from accountants to CFOs. Additionally, Clarity partners with organizations to hire exceptional talent in HR, Operations, and IT, helping build the teams that power business success. Our process is designed to minimize risk, maximize alignment, and move quickly. With dedicated practices in Executive Search, Full-Time Search, and Project & Interim Consulting, we help organizations grow with confidence. Visit findingclarity.ca to learn more!

JOB ID #3596160