Senior Financial Analyst

Movement Search and Delivery is partnering with a leading global manufacturing organization in Muskegon, MI, to identify and evaluate a Senior Financial Analyst, Manufacturing Cost Accounting.

On-Site / Hybrid / Remote:

On-Site

Salary Goals:

$80k–$110k base salary + 3 weeks PTO

About the Role:

Our client, a well-established global manufacturing organization, is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst, Manufacturing Cost Accounting to join its plant finance team. This highly visible role will have a strong focus on cost accounting, standard costing, manufacturing variance analysis, inventory accounting, and P&L performance.

The Senior Financial Analyst will partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Plant Leadership to identify cost drivers, explain manufacturing performance, improve financial visibility, and support profitability initiatives. The ideal candidate brings strong manufacturing finance experience and a proven ability to translate complex financial data into actionable operational insights.

What You Will Do:

• Own standard cost accounting processes and support annual standard cost roll activities
• Analyze manufacturing variances, including labor, material, overhead, purchase price, scrap, yield, absorption, and inventory variances
• Prepare and explain daily, weekly, and monthly P&L variance reporting
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to identify opportunities to improve yield, throughput, OEE, efficiency, and profitability
• Analyze inventory valuation, inventory reserves, and manufacturing cost performance
• Develop financial models to evaluate operational improvement initiatives and cost-reduction opportunities
• Support monthly forecasting, annual budgeting, and strategic planning activities
• Prepare management reporting and present financial insights to plant and finance leadership
• Investigate material, labor, and manufacturing overhead trends impacting plant performance
• Support SOX compliance and internal controls related to inventory and cost accounting
• Prepare journal entries and account reconciliations related to inventory and manufacturing accounting
• Support month-end close and other financial reporting requirements
• Provide financial analysis and support for special projects and other responsibilities as assigned

What You Need to Succeed:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• 3+ years of manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operations finance experience
• Strong experience with standard costing and manufacturing variance analysis
• Experience analyzing labor, material, scrap, inventory, and overhead variances
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and large-data analysis
• Demonstrated experience partnering with manufacturing or operations leadership
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work effectively in a plant-based manufacturing environment

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with in automotive, industrial manufacturing, metals, or engineered products
• ERP experience; exposure to Syte Line/Infor or similar manufacturing ERP platforms preferred
• Experience with inventory valuation and month-end cost accounting
• CPA, CMA, or MBA
• Experience supporting operational improvement and cost-reduction initiatives
• Knowledge of BOMs, cost rolls, absorption, and manufacturing accounting

What Success Looks Like:

• Provide meaningful variance analysis that clearly explains monthly manufacturing performance
• Identify and communicate opportunities to reduce costs and improve profitability
• Improve visibility into inventory, material, labor, and overhead costs
• Partner with operations leaders to drive financial and operational improvements
• Provide actionable financial insights supporting yield, throughput, efficiency, and OEE…