Manufacturing Finance Director

The Manufacturing Finance Director serves as the strategic finance leader for the manufacturing organization, partnering closely with Plant Leadership, Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to drive business performance, operational excellence, and profitable growth. This role provides financial leadership across manufacturing operations, including budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, capital investments, inventory management, and plant performance analysis.The ideal candidate combines strong financial and analytical expertise with a deep understanding of manufacturing operations and the ability to influence decision-making at all levels of the organization. This leader drives financial discipline while helping operational teams identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce costs, optimize working capital, and support long-term business objectives.Key Responsibilities•    Strategic Business Partnershipo    Translate financial results into actionable insights that support operational and strategic decision-making.o    Provide financial leadership for plant performance, productivity initiatives, capital planning, and growth investments.o    Partner with cross-functional teams to evaluate business opportunities and operational improvements.o    Support the development and execution of long-term manufacturing and supply chain strategies.o    Collaborate with commercial teams to ensure and understanding of product costs while supporting margin analysis and associated decision making.

• Financial Planning & Analysiso    Lead the annual budget, strategic planning, and monthly forecasting processes for manufacturing operations.o    Develop financial models to assess business performance, investments, and operational initiatives in an integrated manufacturing environment.o    Analyze manufacturing trends, variances, and key performance indicators (KPIs).o    Deliver accurate, timely, and meaningful financial reporting and recommendations to senior leadership.o    Drive continuous improvement in forecasting accuracy and financial planning processes.
• Manufacturing Cost Managemento    Oversee standard costing, product costing, inventory valuation, and cost accounting processes.o    Analyze labor, material, overhead, scrap, and manufacturing variances to identify improvement opportunities.o    Monitor and challenge plant spending to ensure alignment with financial targets.o    Lead initiatives to optimize manufacturing costs while supporting safety, quality, and customer service goals.o    Ensure financial transparency around productivity savings and operational efficiency initiatives.•    Inventory & Working Capital Managemento    Partner with Supply Chain and Operations teams to optimize inventory levels and improve working capital performance.o    Monitor inventory accuracy, cycle counting processes, and inventory reserves.o    Drive improvements in inventory management, manufacturing turns, and cash flow performance.o    Evaluate risks and opportunities related to inventory, raw materials, and production planning.
• Capital Investment & Project Evaluationo    Lead financial evaluation and oversight of capital investment projects.o    Develop business cases and return-on-investment analyses for equipment, automation, expansion, and productivity initiatives.o    Monitor capital spending against approved plans and expected returns.o    Support post-investment reviews and realization of projected benefits.
• Controls, Compliance & Governanceo    Maintain strong financial controls and ensure compliance with corporate policies and accounting standards.o    Partner with internal and external auditors as required.o    Oversee manufacturing-related financial reporting and compliance activities.o    Ensure adherence to inventory, fixed asset, and cost accounting controls.o    Support risk management and continuous improvement of financial processes.
• Leadership & Team Developmento    Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing finance professionals.o    Build organizational capability through mentoring, succession planning, and talent development.o    Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.o    Influence leaders across Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Procurement, and Commercial functions.

QualificationsRequired•    Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field•    8–12+ years of experience in FP&A, finance transformation, and manufacturing environments including leadership roles•    Proven experience with FP&A systems implementation or optimization•    Strong understanding of financial planning processes and data structures•    Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills Preferred•    Experience with FP&A platforms (e.g., Anaplan, SAP BPC, Oracle, Hyperion)•    Experience partnering with IT or data teams on system initiatives•    MBA, CPA, or relevant certification•    Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)

The base salary range for this role is $169,000 to 250,000 annually.