Overview:
Finance & Office Manager
Cost Accounting Operational Finance
Financial Reporting Office Leadership
Position Summary
Nelson Produce Farm is seeking a highly analytical and hands-on Finance & Office Manager to lead the company's financial operations while providing the operational insight necessary to improve profitability across all areas of the business.
This position is responsible for overseeing all accounting and financial functions, leading a two-person office team, managing payroll and administrative operations, and serving as the company's lead cost accountant. The successful candidate will develop costing models, analyze daily financial performance, monitor labor efficiency, evaluate product profitability, and provide ownership with timely financial information that supports informed business decisions.
Unlike a traditional accounting role, this position is expected to move beyond historical reporting by providing real-time operational analysis that helps leadership answer critical questions such as:
● Are we making money on this product?
● Which departments are most profitable today?
● Should pricing be adjusted?
● Are labor costs aligned with sales?
● Which menu items should be expanded, modified, or removed?
● Where can operational efficiencies improve overall profitability?
This position reports directly to ownership and serves as a strategic business partner responsible for transforming financial data into actionable business decisions.
Primary ResponsibilitiesFinancial Management & Accounting
● Oversee all day-to-day accounting functions utilizing QuickBooks Online.
● Manage Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable.
● Process payroll and maintain payroll reporting.
● Complete monthly bank reconciliations and balance sheet reconciliations.
● Prepare monthly financial statements and management reports.
● Assist ownership with annual budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management.
● Monitor financial performance against budgets and identify variances.
● Maintain accurate financial records and strong internal controls.
● Coordinate annual insurance audits and assist with financial audits as needed.
● Ensure compliance with accounting standards and company policies.
Cost Accounting & Profitability Analysis
Serve as the company's lead Cost Accountant by developing financial models that provide ownership with accurate product costs and operational profitability.
Responsibilities include:
● Develop and maintain standard costing models for all products sold throughout the farm.
● Calculate and maintain accurate unit costs for products across every operating department.
● Develop recipe costing for all Kitchen, Coffee Barn and Ice Cream Shop menu items
● Analyze ingredient cost fluctuations and recommend menu price adjustments.
● Review recipe yields, portion consistency, waste, and spoilage.
● Develop food cost percentages and gross profit margins for every menu item.
● Partner with department managers to improve food costs while maintaining quality.
● Evaluate profitability of new menu items before and after implementation.
● Recommend pricing strategies based upon food cost, labor cost, vendor pricing, demand, and target profit margins.
● Develop departmental contribution margin reporting.
● Analyze sales mix to identify high-performing and underperforming products.
● Recommend menu changes based on profitability and operational efficiency.
Operational Finance & Business Analytics
● Develop daily, weekly, monthly, festival and seasonal profitability reporting.
● Analyze labor costs by department and compare against sales performance.
● Monitor operational KPIs including labor percentages, average transaction values, sales trends, gross margins, and departmental profitability.
● Develop dashboards and scorecards that provide leadership with real-time business insights.
● Analyze sales information from Square, Beyonk, QuickBooks, Homebase, and other operational systems.
● Identify financial trends, operational inefficiencies, and opportunities to increase profitability.
● Prepare reports that allow leadership to make informed business decisions during operating hours rather than after month-end.
● Evaluate profitability by event, department, product category, and individual menu item.
● Assist leadership with forecasting attendance, staffing needs, inventory requirements, and expected revenue.
Office Leadership & Administration
● Lead and supervise a two-person office team.
● Provide coaching, training, and performance feedback.
● Establish office procedures and administrative workflows.
● Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
● Improve office efficiencies through process improvement initiatives.
● Coordinate administrative support across departments.
● Ensure accuracy and timeliness of office operations.
Human Resources Administration
● Administer payroll and employee records.
● Assist with hiring, onboarding, and employment documentation.
● Coordinate benefits administration.
● Maintain workers' compensation and unemployment reporting.
● Support managers with scheduling reports and workforce analysis.
● Maintain compliance with employment regulations and company policies.
Strategic Leadership
● Serve as a trusted financial advisor to ownership.
● Present financial information in a clear and understandable manner.
● Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
● Assist ownership with strategic planning and long-term financial initiatives.
● Foster collaboration between finance, operations, kitchen, market, coffee shop, admissions, and leadership teams.
● Continuously seek opportunities to improve financial reporting and decision-making throughout the organization.
Preferred QualificationsEducation
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred. Equivalent professional experience will be considered.
Experience
● Five (5) or more years of progressive accounting experience.
● Strong background in Cost Accounting is required.
● Experience in Operational Accounting, Manufacturing Accounting, Food Service Accounting, Hospitality Accounting, Retail Accounting, or Agriculture Accounting is highly preferred.
● Experience developing product costing models and profitability reporting.
● Experience performing operational audits and financial analysis.
● Experience creating dashboards and executive reporting.
● Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management.
● Supervisory experience preferred.
Technical Skills
● Advanced proficiency with QuickBooks Online.
● Advanced Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets skills including Pivot Tables, Power Query, financial modeling, and dashboard creation.
● Experience with payroll systems (Homebase or similar).
● Experience analyzing POS systems such as Square and ticketing platforms such as Beyonk is preferred.
Professional Skills
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
● Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills.
● Strong attention to detail.
● Excellent organizational and time management abilities.
● Ability to translate financial information into practical business recommendations.
● Strong communication and leadership skills.
● Ability to thrive in a fast-paced seasonal business.
● Continuous improvement mindset with a passion for operational excellence.
Success in this Role
Success will be measured not only by accurate financial reporting, but by the ability to improve profitability through cost analysis, pricing recommendations, labor optimization, operational efficiencies, and timely financial insight that supports strategic business decisions.
This individual will become one of the company's primary business advisors by providing ownership with the financial intelligence needed to maximize profitability across every department of Nelson Produce Farm.
Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour
Ability to Commute:
- Valley, NE 68064 (Required)
Work Location: In person
