Position Summary
The Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Manager is responsible for leading the company’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analytical activities to support strategic and operational decision-making. This role partners closely with operations, sales, supply chain, manufacturing leadership, and executive management to provide financial insights that drive profitability, cost control, and business performance.
In a manufacturing environment, the FP&A Manager plays a critical role in analyzing production costs, operational efficiency, inventory performance, capital expenditures, and financial trends while supporting long-term business planning initiatives.
Finkl has a unique manufacturing environment with a wide breadth of product lines, including tool steel and custom forgings. Learning and understanding the operation is integral to the success of this position.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Planning & Forecasting
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Lead the annual budgeting process and periodic forecasting activities across all departments and locations in the US.
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Develop monthly, quarterly, and annual financial forecasts, including revenue, labor, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and cash flow projections.
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Analyze variances between actual results, budget, and forecast and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
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Construct monthly BU-level presentation explaining results and budget/forecast variance to corporate management and finance
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Support long-range strategic planning and financial modeling initiatives.
Financial Analysis & Reporting
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Coordinate with the IT team to build and interpret Power BI dashboards for operational improvement.
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Conduct profitability analysis by product line, customer, and industry.
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Participate in monthly financial statement review with Controller and CFO, providing insight into monthly and annual variances.
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Analyze manufacturing and operational performance metrics, including labor efficiency, raw material consumption, inventory turns, activity absorption, and overhead utilization.
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Develop ad hoc financial analyses to support strategic business decisions and operational improvements.
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Monitor and report on key trends affecting company performance and profitability.
Business Partnership & Operational Support
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Partner with operations, supply chain, sales, and production leadership to evaluate business performance and identify improvement opportunities.
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Support pricing analysis, cost reduction initiatives, and margin improvement strategies.
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Assist with capital investment analysis and return-on-investment (ROI) evaluations of strategic initiatives.
Systems & Process Improvement
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Enhance financial reporting tools, forecasting models, and analytical capabilities.
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Drive continuous improvement initiatives within financial planning and reporting processes.
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Ensure data integrity and consistency across ERP and financial systems.
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Assist in implementing automation and reporting efficiencies where applicable.
Compliance & Internal Controls
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Support internal and external audit processes as needed.
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Ensure compliance with company policies, accounting standards, and internal financial controls.
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Maintain confidentiality of sensitive financial and business information.
Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field required.
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MBA and/or CPA/CMA designation preferred.
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5–8+ years of progressive experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, or accounting.
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Manufacturing, industrial, or steel industry experience strongly preferred.
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Strong understanding of cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling.
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Experience working with ERP systems (SAP) and financial reporting tools (SAP Business Planning and Consolodation).
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Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
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Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
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Ability to communicate financial information effectively to both financial and non-financial audiences.
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Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Preferred Manufacturing Experience
Experience supporting:
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Manufacturing operations, ideally in heavy industry or metals
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Production cost analysis, ideally with an activity-based costing (ABC) system
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Inventory and supply chain finance
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Capital expenditure planning
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Labor and overhead analysis
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Operational KPI development
Working Conditions
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Primarily office-based within a manufacturing environment.
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Frequent interaction with plant operations and leadership teams.
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May require occasional travel between facilities or business locations.
